Prádlo’s Tilted Obelisk monument was erected at the spot where ten American pilots passed away on February 22nd, 1944 during the crash of a B-24J Liberator. This monument was ceremonially unveiled on May 3, 2009 by World War II veteran Raymond A. Noury, the only member of its crew to survive this tragedy—who is also an honorary citizen of the town of Nepomuky and the village of Prádlo.
Early in the morning on February 22, 1944, 118 B-24 Liberator bombers and 65 B-17 Flying Fortresses took off from bases in southern Italy for an attack on Germany. They were protected by 185 P-38 Lightning and P-47 Thunderbolt fighters. This B-24’s target was the factory in Obertraubling, near Regensburg. The air brigade was returning past the southwestern part of the Pilsen area. This group, flying at a height of around 7,000 meters, was attacked out past Pilsen by German Messerschmitt Me 110 fighters with support from anti-aircraft batteries.
The B-24J Liberator (serial number 42-73138-U) flown by George Goddard and his crew took a hit in its right wing, and its wing tank exploded. The aircraft tumbled headfirst to the ground. Sergeant Noury, stunned by the explosion, was hurled out of the airplane, and his parachute was opened—perhaps by the pressure wave. He landed in the forest near Chocenice and was captured by the Germans.
The aircraft fell near the gamekeeper's lodge in Dubeč, where it carved out a ten-foot crater. Ten airmen—members of the 343rd Bombardment Squadron—perished in the wreckage of this plane. Bombardment groups of the 47th Bombardment Wing of the US 15th Air Force: Lt. George M. Goddard, Pilot; Lt. Haig Kandarian, Co-Pilot; Lt. Joseph Frederick Altemus, Navigator; Lt. Charles Fayne Spickard, Bombardier; Sgt. Oscar William Houser, Gunner; Sgt. Rexford Harwell Rhodes, Gunner; Sgt. Wayneworth Evanson Nelson, Radio Operator; Sgt. Harold Clevurn Carter, Gunner; Sgt. Roy Elton Hughes, Gunner; Sgt. John Aloysius Goldbach, Gunner.
The only survivor of this crash was the gunner Sgt. Raymond A. Noury.
POSTAVENO K UCTĚNÍ PAMÁTKY AMERICKÝCH LETCŮ
15.LETECKÉ ARMÁDY USA, KTEŘÍ V TĚCHTO MÍSTECH
TRAGICKY ZAHYNULI 22.ÚNORA 1944 PO LETECKÉM
SOUBOJI S NĚMECKÝM PROTIVNÍKEM.
1.PILOT PORUČÍK GEORG M. GODDARD
2.PILOT PORUČÍK HAIG KANDARIAN
NAVIGÁTOR PORUČÍK JOSEPH FREDERICK ALTEMUS
BOMBOMETČÍK PORUČÍK CHARLES FAYNE SPICKARD
STŘELEC SERŽANT OSCAR WILLIAM HOUSER
STŘELEC SERŽANT REXFORD HARWELL RHODES
RADIOOPERÁTOR SERŽANT WAYNEWORTH EVANSON NELSON
STŘELEC SERŽANT HAROLD CLEVURN CARTER
STŘELEC SERŽANT ROY ELTON HUGHES
STŘELEC SERŽANT JOHN ALOYSIUS GOLDBACH
HAVÁRII LETOUNU B-24J LIBERATOR PŘEŽIL STŘELEC
SERŽANT RAYMOND A.NOURY
VĚNUJÍ OBČANÉ NEPOMUCKA 22.2.1997
(“Erected in memory of the American pilots of the 15th Air Force who perished tragically on February 22, 1944 after an aerial battle with the German foe. Lt. George M. Goddard, Pilot; Lt. Haig Kandarian, Co-Pilot; Lt. Joseph Frederick Altemus, Navigator; Lt. Charles Fayne Spickard, Bombardier; Sgt. Oscar William Houser, Gunner; Sgt. Rexford Harwell Rhodes, Gunner; Sgt. Wayneworth Evanson Nelson, Radio Operator; Sgt. Harold Clevurn Carter, Gunner; Sgt. Roy Elton Hughes, Gunner; Sgt. John Aloysius Goldbach, Gunner. The gunner Sgt. Raymond A. Noury survived the crash of this B-24J Liberator. Dedicated by citizens of Nepomuky on February 22, 1997.”)
The Paths of Liberation—The Pilsen Region