File 786. 1943-12-22/22 B-24D 42-40974 Daywalt North Sea SW Texel Island

Details
Date: 1943 Dec 22/22 A/C Type: B-24 D  Liberator SN: 42-40974 Code: A/C Nickname: Boomerang II
 File: 786 Airforce: USAAF Sqn/Unit: 93 BG - 409 BS Mission/Raid: Osnabrück
1 Pilot 1Lt. Harry A. Daywalt Jr.      washed up Afsluitdyke 9 RWG S/Sgt Darrell V. Parrott           MIA
2 Co-pilot 2Lt. Orval B. Carder                   POW Texel 10 TG S/Sgt Robert D. Bogan             MIA
3 Nav. 2Lt. Robert E. McFaddin                MIA 11    
4 B 2Lt. Russell S. Unangst              POW Texel 12    
5 E T/Sgt Colin N. Jones                   POW Texel 13    
6 RO T/Sgt Arthur J. DeMario            POW Texel 14    
7 BTG          not carried 15    
8 LWG S/Sgt Pravdomil Sroubek  w.a. Km pole 13 Texel. 16                    

Return from Osnabrück was on high altitude, above a thick deck of clouds. Formation ran into intense Flak and fighter attacks on position 52°38'N-06°20'E. This is in the Netherlands, east of Staphorst. The bomber formation was scattered. Damaged aircraft lost speed and sank beneath the clouds, often again attacked by fighters. 22 bombers were lost from Osnabrück to the British coast.


Co-pilot Carder (POW) in MACR: Where were you when you left formation: "Over The Zieder Zee, believe aircraft went down West of Texel Island". Pilot Daywalt washed ashore 4 months later on the northside of closuredam 'Afsluitdyke', at the Noorderhaven (northside of petrol station Breezandhaven), buried Harlingen. S/Sgt. Pravdomil Sroubek washed ashore in the same period on the North Sea beach, Texel Island, NW Den Hoorn. He was buried on the Allied war plot in Den Burg in grave 155, exhumed in 1945. His empty grave 155 now between the English RAF war graves is very recognizable. Both were reburied US Cemetery 'Netherlands' and rest there today.
  







































































Sources:

- MACR
- Original burial files Texel Island 1940-1945. Our file on Texel Cemetery:  http://www.zzairwar.nl/dossiers/971.html 
- http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=56298067 
- http://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/american-war-cemetery-margraten-s/47516-sroubek-pravdomil 








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