Next to the monument.

A plaque set on a tree stump pedestal recounts the story of the B-24J #42-50953 ''Flying Finger'' mission and the aerial battle over Moravia on December 17, 1944. It features the insignia of the 15th Air Force, carries text in Czech, and includes the crews images along with their names, ranks, and positions.

Other sites associated with this mission and other crash memorials on December 17, 1944:

Site Olomouc-Neredin, Memorial: B-24 (42-52025) 'Arsenic and Lace Crash Memorial -461th Bomber Group

Site Troubky Hbitov (Cemetery) Memorial: B-24 (44-41046) Crash Memorial -461st Bomber Group

17. PROSINEC 1944

V nedeli 17. prosince 1944 vyslalo americké strategické letectvo 15. letecké armády v Itálii, 527 bombardovacích letadel s doprovodem 300 stíhacích letounu s cílem bombardovat rafinérie v Horním Slezsku (na území dneního Polska) vyrábející pro nemeckou armádu syntetický benzin. Akce dostala oznacení Mission No. 151. Nad Blechhammer-Nord mírilo 191 bombardéru B-17 Flying Fortress od 5 BW, nad Blechhammer-Süd 105 bombardéru B-24 Liberator od 55. BW a nad Odertal dalích 231 Liberatoru od 49 a 304 BW. Chránílo je 93 stíhacích letadel P-38 Lightning a 207 stíhacek P-51 Mustang od 305 a 306 FW. Nad pobreím Jugoslávie se bombardéry zformovaly do trí útocných uskupení pro jednotlivé cíle a dále pokracovaly v letu ve výce asi 9000 m nad územím Madarska a Moravy smerem do Slezska. Jakmile byly americké svazy zachyceny nemeckými radiolokátory Freya na Istrijském poloostrove, spustili Nemci poplach. Kolem 10:45 hod. vyslali vstríc velkému leteckému svazu kompletní elitní stíhací eskadru Luftwaffe JG-300 Wilde Sau puvodne urcenou k obrane Berlína. Její jednotlivé cásti vyzbrojené stíhacími stroji Focke-Wulf FW 190 A a Messerschmitt Bf 109 G odstartovaly z letit Jüterborg, Borkheide, Löbnitz a Reinsdorf. Celkem to bylo asi 100 stíhacek.

K prvnímu osudnému stretnutí amerických bombardéru s nemeckými stíhaci dolo kolem 11:50 hod. v prostoru mezi Olomoucí, Prostejovem a Prerovem. Tercem útoku se stal predevím svaz Liberatoru 49. BW. Americky stíhací doprovod se v dusledku neprízné pocasí opozdil. Toho Nemci vyuili a zaútocili s mimorádnou agresivitou prímo do sestavy bombardéru B-24 a doslova je ve velkém masakrovali. Tece opancérované FW 190 A pronikaly hustou obrannou palbou Liberatoru a dosud pevná americká uskupení se zacala rozpadat. Lehcí Messerschmitty Bf 109 G zasahly do boje o néco pozdéji utokem shora. Konec tomuto krvavému souboji ucinil a zákrok amerických stíhacu, kterí konécné dorazili na místo stretnutí. Drtivá presila Lightningu a Mustangu skutecné zpusobila rozhodující zvrat v tomto boji.

Consolidated B-24J Liberator výrobního císla 43-50953 s prezdívkou "Flying Finger" (Létající prst) letel toho dne ve skupine mírící na Odertal v sestave 765. perute, 461. bombardovací skupiny na pozici císlo tri s posádkou ve sloení:

2nd Lt Philips Crossman pilot, velitel letadla

2nd Lt Earl Kreps druhý pilot

2nd Lt William McLain navigátor

F/O Hugh Hanlay bombometcík

Sgt Leonard Geier horní strelec

Sgt Lawrence Eidsmore prední strelec

Sgt William White spodní strelec

S/Sgt Valden Barnson levý bocní strelec

Cpl John Sainio pravý bocní strelec

Sgt Bernard Freeman zadní strelec

1st Lt Jack Cody zbrojní dustojník

Letecký souboj dne 17.12.1944 mezi 11:45 a 12:30 hod. si vyádal na obou stranách velké ztráty na letadlech i ivotech letcu. Americané pritom prili prokazateune celkem o 27 stroju z toho 21 bombarderu a 6 stihacek. Zahynulo pri tom 63 amerických letcu a dalích 114 upadlo do zajetí. Nemci tehdy ztratili prinejmením 53 stíhacek, ve kterých nalezlo svou smrt 21 pilotu a dalí 4 z boje vyvazlii se zranením.

Pri útoku nemeckých stíhacu byl "Flying Finger" zasaen radou strel. Letoun byl váne pokozen a motory císlo 3 a 4 prestaly pracovat úplne. Neprátelské strely pokodily také elektroinstalaci a dalí rozvody v letadle a zabily ctyri strelce v jeho zadní cásti. Pokozeny bombardér ji dále nebyl schopen letu a pilot tlacitkem alarmu vydal pokyn k jeho oputení. Sedmi letcum se podarilo seskocit na padácích a dopadli na moravskou zem v blízkosti Starojické Lhoty, byli Nemci zajati a prevezeni do zajateckeho tábora, kde se po strastech dockali konce války. Ctyri mrtví letci se zrítili spolu s bombardérem za obec Palacov do techto mist. Ohorelé ostatky letcu:

Valdena Barnsona

Bernarda Freemana

Williama Whita

Johna Sainia

byly následne nalezeny v troskách letounu a 20. prosince 1944 pohrbeny nekolik metru od místa havárie. Po válce, 9. cervna 1945, jim byl zde odhalen pomník. V srpnu tého roku byla jejich tela exhumována a prevezena na americký hrbitov blízkosti mesta St. Avold ve Francii. 

Válka v Evrope trvala u pátým rokem. Stále a bezohledne ovlivnovala miliony lidskych osudu a ani blíící se Vánoce na tom nemely nic zmenit. Práve v dobe, kdy lidé v kostelech 17. prosince 1944 slavili zlatou adventní nedeli, doslo na moravsko-slezském nebi ke krvavemu stretnutí, pro které se pozdeji vilo oznacení "Krvavá nedele". Dodnes nebyla vechna havarovaná letadla nalezena a osudy jejich letcu objasneny.

English translation:

DECEMBER 17, 1944

On Sunday, December 17, 1944, the U.S. Strategic Air Command of the 15th Air Force in Italy sent 527 bombers, accompanied by 300 fighters, to bomb refineries in Upper Silesia (in what is now Poland) producing synthetic gasoline for the German army. The operation was designated Mission No. 151. 191 B-17 Flying Fortress bombers from the 5th BW targeted Blechhammer-Nord, 105 B-24 Liberators from the 55th BW targeted Blechhammer-Süd, and 231 Liberators from the 49th and 304th BW targeted Odertal. They were protected by 93 P-38 Lightning fighters and 207 P-51 Mustang fighters from the 305th and 306th FW. Over the coast of Yugoslavia, the bombers formed into three attack groups for individual targets and continued flying at an altitude of about 9,000 m over the territory of Hungary and Moravia towards Silesia. As soon as the American formations were detected by German Freya radars on the Istrian peninsula, the Germans raised the alarm. At around 10:45 a.m., they sent the entire elite Luftwaffe fighter squadron JG-300 Wilde Sau, originally intended for the defense of Berlin, to confront the large air formation. Its individual units, armed with Focke-Wulf FW 190 A and Messerschmitt Bf 109 G fighters, took off from the airfields of Jüterborg, Borkheide, Löbnitz and Reinsdorf. There were about 100 fighters in total.

The first fatal encounter between American bombers and German fighters occurred around 11:50 a.m. in the area between Olomouc, Prostejov and Prerov. The target of the attack was primarily the Liberator formation of the 49th BW. The American fighter escort was delayed due to adverse weather. The Germans took advantage of this and attacked with extraordinary aggression directly into the B-24 bomber formation and literally massacred them on a large scale. The heavily armored FW 190 A penetrated the dense defensive fire of the Liberator and the previously strong American formations began to disintegrate. Light Messerschmitt Bf 109 Gs intervened in the fight somewhat later with an attack from above. The end of this bloody duel was only brought about by the intervention of American fighters, who finally arrived at the meeting point. The overwhelming superiority of the Lightning and Mustangs actually caused a decisive turning point in this battle.

Consolidated B-24J Liberator serial number 43-50953 nicknamed "Flying Finger" was flying that day in a group heading for the Odertal as part of the 765th Squadron, 461st Bombardment Group at position number three with the crew consisting of:

2nd Lt Philips Crossman pilot, aircraft commander

2nd Lt Earl Kreps co-pilot

2nd Lt William McLain navigator

F/O Hugh Hanlay bombardier

Sgt Leonard Geier upper gunner

Sgt Lawrence Eidsmore forward gunner

Sgt William White lower gunner

S/Sgt Valden Barnson left side gunner

Cpl John Sainio right side gunner

Sgt Bernard Freeman rear gunner

1st Lt Jack Cody weapons officer

Dodge fight on 17.12.1944 between 11:45 and 12:30 The attack at 10:00 a.m. caused heavy losses in aircraft and lives of pilots on both sides. The Americans lost a total of 27 aircraft, including 21 bombers and 6 fighters. 63 American pilots were killed and another 114 were captured. The Germans lost at least 53 fighters, in which 21 pilots died and another 4 escaped with injuries.

 During the attack by German fighters, the "Flying Finger" was hit by a series of missiles. The aircraft was seriously damaged and engines number 3 and 4 stopped working completely. The enemy missiles also damaged the electrical installation and other wiring in the aircraft and killed four gunners in its rear section. The damaged bomber was no longer capable of flying and the pilot gave the order to abandon it with the alarm button. Seven pilots managed to parachute down and landed on Moravian soil near Starojická Lhota, were captured by the Germans and taken to a prisoner of war camp, where they waited out the end of the war after suffering. Four dead pilots crashed together with the bomber behind the village of Palacov to these places. The charred remains of the pilots:

Valden Barnson

Bernard Freeman

William White

John Sainia

were subsequently found in the wreckage of the plane and buried a few meters from the crash site on December 20, 1944. After the war, on June 9, 1945, a monument was unveiled to them here. In August of the same year, their bodies were exhumed and taken to the American cemetery near the town of St. Avold in France.

The war in Europe had been going on for five years. It was constantly and ruthlessly influencing the fate of millions of people, and even the approaching Christmas was not going to change anything. Just as people in churches were celebrating the golden Advent Sunday on December 17, 1944, a bloody encounter occurred in the Moravian-Silesian skies, which later became known as "Bloody Sunday." To this day, not all of the crashed planes have been found and the fates of their pilots have been clarified.