Posted By Vic Walzel on June 12, 2006 at 17:39:31:
In Reply to: Robert Zercher, Floyd Ragsdale, Philip Cavanaugh and the other crewmembers of a B-17G posted by Jelle Reitsma on June 12, 2006 at 16:19:58:
: I am researching the crew of a B17G bomber (serial number 4239881, 729 Squadron, 452 Bomb Group (Heavy)) which crashed in Holland (Veldweg, Lieren near Apeldoorn) on Saturday, April 29th 1944.
: The bottom-turret gunner was Sgt Robert Zercher, whose father's address (Frank Zercher) was York, Pennsylvania.
: Floyd Ragsdale was the tail gunner.
: He died, age 76, Honea Path, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2000.
: He was born in Honea Path on Oct. 31, 1923, a graduate of Erskine College, Class of '49, and was a member of the State Engineering Board. He was a land surveyor for five decades. After the crash Mr. Ragsdale was missing in action for six months, and was a prisoner of war for six months.
: 2nd Lt Phillip Cavanaugh of Baltimore was bombardier. Cavanaugh evaded capture, although some of the crew were captured by the occupying Germans.
: Above mentioned information on Bob Zercher, Floyd Ragsdale and Philip Cavanaugh is from Mr Don Kay, Mt Pleasant SC.
: Reason for my research:
: On one of the war monuments in Apeldoorn (the Netherlands) is the name of Sergeant USAAF Robert W. Zercher, a ballturretgunner on a B-17 from 729 Bomber Squadron 452 Bomber Group.
: On April 29th 1944 he and the rest of crew had to bail out when their B-17 was shot down by German fighters in the neighborhood of Apeldoorn. The Dutch resistance took care of the crew and hid them for the Germans. Unfortunately Sgt Zercher was eventually caught by the Germans on October, 1st 1944 together with a British Flight sergeant named Kenneth Ingram. The Germans knew that they were Allied soldiers, but nevertheless they murdered them the next day, together with six members of the Dutch resistance. The Germans laid their dead bodies in the streets of Apeldoorn, with a paper on their chests with the word ‘Terrorist’ written on it, to frighten the Apeldoorn population. After the war a monument was erected for these unlucky Allied soldiers and resistance fighters to commemorate this atrocious war crime.
: For some unknown reason Robert Zercher’s family name is misspelled on the monument as ‘Zurcher’. We - a working group that described Apeldoorn's war monuments in a book - are planning to correct this and to unveil the monument anew with the correct name at the next commemoration, October 2nd 2006. At the same time we will try to publish a more in-depth description of Robert Zercher and his war experiences in the local newspaper ‘Stentor’ and on a website: http://www.monument.apeldoorn-onderwijs.nl/index.htm.
: In the meantime we are looking for more details about the other 7 crew members, the mission (a mass attack on Berlin?), etc.
: Jelle Reitsma
: Apeldoorn, the Netherlands
Hello Jelle,
I applaud the efforts of your group to set the record straight about Robert Zercher. I have some information that comes from Project Bits and Pieces and some of it is not quite in agreement with what you have posted.
The B-17 that my reference shows is "Karen B"
42-39920 -D of the 452nd BG, 729th Squadron. It failed to return due to flak and crashed at Rurrio,?. You may know of a more precise location and the question mark indicates some doubt in my reference. The MACR 4449 is available free of charge by contacting Lynn.Gamma@MAXWELL.AF.MIL It may yield some good information for you.
Crew list:
2Lt Hal J. Nelson (P) EVD Iowa City, IA
2Lt Charles F. Ramlow (CP) EVD Shawano Lake, WI
2Lt Noyes Richey (N) KIA Ragley, LA
2Lt Phillip R. Cavanaugh (B) EVD Baltimore, MD
S/Sgt Michael Dencavage (TT) EVD Philadelphia, PA
S/Sgt George P. Paulk (RO) POW Barton, FL
Sgt Robert W. Zercher (BT) KIA York, PA
Sgt Don E. Jackson (LW) POW Stone Creek, OH
T/Sgt Victor A. Ryczko (RW) EVD Corona, NY
Sgt Floyd E. Ragsdale (TG) POW Honea Path, SC
Hope this helps some. The MACR may provide addresses for the next of kin.
Vic