Ján Babinèák
| Ján Babinèák Bratslavia Slovakia |
 |
My name is Ján Babinèák and I am an amateur aviation historian working in Aviation History Society with Slovak National Museum in Bratislava.
Early morning on October 17, 1944 a B-24, Serial no. 42-51964 aircraft piloted by John Fasnacht took off from Pantanella AAB for their mission over Vienna. After being hit there by AAA (Flak) they started to lose altitude and blew up in the air over the village of Zohor located just across the border with Austria. The pilot, 2nd Lt. John Fassnacht, and the gunner, S/Sgt.Merton Haigh, were killed.
Members of our society have erected a memorial to those two US airmen who were not lucky enough to make it home. I know that it is very difficult to trace people down after that many years, but we are dedicated to preserve that history and their memory also for younger generations.
These are two pictures showing the memorial erected in the place where the B-24 Serial no. 42-51964 came down on October 17, 1944. The memorial was erected in honor of the two US airmen (464th BG) who had lost their lives in Zohor on Oct. 17, 1944.
The shape of the memorial was intended to resemble the battered rudder fin of a B-24 bomber. It was erected back in 1995 by the members of the Aviation History Society in Bratislava, led at that time by Mr. Ebringer. Unfortunately, Mr. Ebringer died in 2004 after being confined to a wheel chair for 6 years following a stroke.
The marble plaque on the detail photo bears the following inscription: "US airmen MERTON HAIGH (Spelling error) JOHN FASSNACHT, who have died on Oct. 17, 1944 giving their life for liberation of the Czechoslovak Republic."
What is interesting is the fact that the plaque was initially affixed to the tombstone under which they were buried in Zohor.
After the war their bodies were exhumed by the American War Graves Mission and transferred to the US Military Cemetery in St. Avold, in France.
After the communist take over in 1948, the plaque was recovered by a villager and hidden for the next 40 years in his house.
After the velvet revolution in Czechoslovakia (1989) it was again possible to speak openly and to tell the truth about the contribution of the western allies to win the war.
I would like to ask you, veteran airmen, from the same squadron for your assistance. Do you have any knowledge of, or know whether there is a veteran association that is keeping records on your BG and/or your BS? Did you ever have a chance to meet any of the surviving crew members of the above B-24?
The crew was as follows: John Fassnacht, Pilot; John Lindsay, Co- pilot; Richard Witt, Navigator; Robert Cunningham, Bombardier; John Lonsdorf, T/Sg.; John Krogstadt, Gunner; Lyndle Clark, Gunner; James Hutchinson, Gunner; Merton Haigh, Gunner and Hadden Raymond, Gunner.
Any information, or fragments of it, pointing me in the right direction would be highly appreciated. If you know of any researchers, historians or any E-Mail addresses that could help would also be highly appreciated.
In 2004 there was a 60th anniversary of that event and the municipal government in that village organized a celebration that was attended by US embassy people in Bratislava/Slovakia and if possible members of that crew or their relatives.
If you know of any one that may be able to help, please convey this message to them. I look forward to hearing from you, and in return, if there is something new, I will inform you about the progress of our search.
Sincerely yours,
Ján Babinèák
E-Mail: jbabincak@vub.sk
Phone: 00421-2-5055-1919 or 00421-2-54413932