Elmer D. Risch was born on April 5, 1913, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He served in the 66th Bomber Squadron, 44th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Technical Sergeant and Mechanic on the B-24 # 42-7548 'Bull O'The Woods' during World War II. On December 30, 1944, his crew took off from airfield Station 115 in Shipdham, England, on a mission to bomb the refinery and port in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Their plane was shot down byFW190 after being hit by flak and attacked by a fighter. The plane was evacuated in flight around 12:00H. Their plane exploded with its bombs and crashed near Vassens - 16 km northwest of Soissons.

An extract from www.conscript-heroes.com :
"T/Sgt Elmer D Risch (#498) was also shot down 30 December. He was crewman of 66/BS B-24 42-7548 Bull O' The Woods brought down at Pont St Mard. Found by Dr Matry of Folembray he was placed with Dr Boury and his daughter Jacqueline from 1 to 3 January and then moved to the home of Obled Bergers. His badly injured foot was operated on by Doctors Fourey and Boury before he joined Schafer and Dicken on the trip to Creil. T/Sgt Risch was also evacuated on Operation Bonaparte 4."