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1/Lt. James E. Hoffman (P-51, 44-13431) Crash Marker

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Details:

Along the road between 2 trees.

Marker

A tall retangular yellowish-red sandstone inscribed monuemt. The sculpture includes the image of an aviaotr with an aircraft engine above.

 

The memorial remembers 1LT James Hoffman of the 2nd Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Group flying P-51 (44-13431) out of Madna, Italy, was shot down on August 22, 1944 while escorting bombers on a mission to Blechhammer Oil Refinery (in what is now Blachownia lska, Poland).  Upon returning from the mission it is unclear what the caused the crash. 1LT Hoffman was buired nearby in Kromeriz and in the late 1940s repatriated to his hometown of Harrisburg for buiral.

 

Several other memorials remember other aircraft shot down during this mission:

 B-24 (42-50403) of the 459th Bomber Group was shot down and crashed in the Bacárna woods near Korytná and is remembered with a memorial.  See Site Korytna-Bacarna, B-24 (42-50403) Crash Memorial.

B-24 (42-51692) alos of the 459Ath Bomber Group was shot down near in Nové Dvory. See site Novy Dvory-Becva River, Cpl Martin Zebersky, B-24 (42-51692) Crash Marker.

 

Sources of information and photos: Cz.vets;  Find a Grave; https://www.zakopy.cz/vzpominka-na-dva-americke-letce and http://www.leteckabadatelna.cz

Monument Text:

The text on the monument is written in Czech and reads:

22.VIII.1944
+
JAMES HOFFMAN
TEXAS USA
Z KRVE DEMOKRATICKÝCH
NÁROD SVTA VYROSTLA
SVOBODA I ESKÉHO ROLNÍKA
1939 - 1945

Na fotografii:
1/Lt. James E. Hoffman Jr.
Harrisburg, Pensylvania
*21.10.1922 +22.8.1944

 

The English translation:

 

August 22, 1944
+
JAMES HOFFMAN
TEXAS USA
OUT OF THE BLOOD OF DEMOCRATIC
NATIONS OF THE WORLD GREW
FREEDOM ALSO OF THE CZECH PEOPLE
1939 - 1945

In the photo:
1/Lt. James E. Hoffman Jr.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
*21.10.1922 +22.8.1944

Commemorates:

People:

James Edward 'Shorty' Jr. Hoffman

Units:

15th Air Force

2nd Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Group

459th Bomber Group

52nd Fighter Group

Wars:

WWII

Other images :