Son of D. W. C. Ruff who resided in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
David served as a Captain, 10th Squadron, 60th Troop Carrier Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Ramsey County, Minnesota prior to the war.
David died in the "Line Of Duty" while a passenger on C-47 #41-18603, which took off from Florence Airport en route to Rome, and crashed near Montieri, Italy due to extreme weather during the war.
There were 22 passengers and 4 crew members on this flight. 20 passengers and 3 crew member perished.
C-47 #41-18603 was part of the 35th Troop Carrier Squadron, 64th Troop Carrier Group.
Prior to this crash David was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-729369
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Those who perished on C-47 (#41-18603):
Apple, Charles H, III ~ Maj, Passenger, MO
Belew, Joseph R ~ Capt, Passenger, CA
Boronko, John A ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, NJ
Dermon, Harry ~ Capt, Passenger, NY
Fowler, Owen C ~ T/5, Passenger, OK
Hendrix, Dean E ~ 1st Lt, Passenger, CO
Herko, Jean V. ~ 2nd Lt, Passenger, NY
Higbie, Jack W ~ 1st Lt, Passenger, NJ
Kerby, Harold J ~ Tech/5, Passenger, WV
Kresch, Donald B ~ Capt, Passenger, PA
Lopresti, Philip J ~ Capt, Passenger, IL
Maddox, William J ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, CA
McNaughton, James L ~ 1st Lt, Passenger, KS
McBride, Marjorie S ~ 2nd Lt, Passenger, MA
( McBride ~ Burial Unknown )
McNutt, B. B. ~ M/Sgt, Passenger, TX
Miskell, Edmund J ~ Corp, Radio Operator, PA
Morton, Charles J ~ Capt, Passenger, MO
Oliva, Americo ~ Sgt, Passenger, NY
Phillips, Marion C ~ 2nd Lt, Passenger, FL
Prescini, Alice ~ ARC, Passenger
( Prescini ~ Burial Unknown )
Ruff, David M ~ Capt, Passenger, MI
Williams, William R ~ Maj, Passenger, England
Woodbury, Roger F ~ 1st Lt, Passenger, ME
The pilot on this flight, who was the only member of the crew to survive the crash, was 1st Lt. James D. Fitzgerald.
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David served as a Captain, 10th Squadron, 60th Troop Carrier Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Ramsey County, Minnesota prior to the war.
David died in the "Line Of Duty" while a passenger on C-47 #41-18603, which took off from Florence Airport en route to Rome, and crashed near Montieri, Italy due to extreme weather during the war.
There were 22 passengers and 4 crew members on this flight. 20 passengers and 3 crew member perished.
C-47 #41-18603 was part of the 35th Troop Carrier Squadron, 64th Troop Carrier Group.
Prior to this crash David was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-729369
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Those who perished on C-47 (#41-18603):
Apple, Charles H, III ~ Maj, Passenger, MO
Belew, Joseph R ~ Capt, Passenger, CA
Boronko, John A ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, NJ
Dermon, Harry ~ Capt, Passenger, NY
Fowler, Owen C ~ T/5, Passenger, OK
Hendrix, Dean E ~ 1st Lt, Passenger, CO
Herko, Jean V. ~ 2nd Lt, Passenger, NY
Higbie, Jack W ~ 1st Lt, Passenger, NJ
Kerby, Harold J ~ Tech/5, Passenger, WV
Kresch, Donald B ~ Capt, Passenger, PA
Lopresti, Philip J ~ Capt, Passenger, IL
Maddox, William J ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, CA
McNaughton, James L ~ 1st Lt, Passenger, KS
McBride, Marjorie S ~ 2nd Lt, Passenger, MA
( McBride ~ Burial Unknown )
McNutt, B. B. ~ M/Sgt, Passenger, TX
Miskell, Edmund J ~ Corp, Radio Operator, PA
Morton, Charles J ~ Capt, Passenger, MO
Oliva, Americo ~ Sgt, Passenger, NY
Phillips, Marion C ~ 2nd Lt, Passenger, FL
Prescini, Alice ~ ARC, Passenger
( Prescini ~ Burial Unknown )
Ruff, David M ~ Capt, Passenger, MI
Williams, William R ~ Maj, Passenger, England
Woodbury, Roger F ~ 1st Lt, Passenger, ME
The pilot on this flight, who was the only member of the crew to survive the crash, was 1st Lt. James D. Fitzgerald.
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Son of D. W. C. Ruff who resided in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
David served as a Captain, 10th Squadron, 60th Troop Carrier Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Ramsey County, Minnesota prior to the war.
David died in the "Line Of Duty" while a passenger on C-47 #41-18603, which took off from Florence Airport en route to Rome, and crashed near Montieri, Italy due to extreme weather during the war.
There were 22 passengers and 4 crew members on this flight. 20 passengers and 3 crew member perished.
C-47 #41-18603 was part of the 35th Troop Carrier Squadron, 64th Troop Carrier Group.
Prior to this crash David was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-729369
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Those who perished on C-47 (#41-18603):
Apple, Charles H, III ~ Maj, Passenger, MO
Belew, Joseph R ~ Capt, Passenger, CA
Boronko, John A ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, NJ
Dermon, Harry ~ Capt, Passenger, NY
Fowler, Owen C ~ T/5, Passenger, OK
Hendrix, Dean E ~ 1st Lt, Passenger, CO
Herko, Jean V. ~ 2nd Lt, Passenger, NY
Higbie, Jack W ~ 1st Lt, Passenger, NJ
Kerby, Harold J ~ Tech/5, Passenger, WV
Kresch, Donald B ~ Capt, Passenger, PA
Lopresti, Philip J ~ Capt, Passenger, IL
Maddox, William J ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, CA
McNaughton, James L ~ 1st Lt, Passenger, KS
McBride, Marjorie S ~ 2nd Lt, Passenger, MA
( McBride ~ Burial Unknown )
McNutt, B. B. ~ M/Sgt, Passenger, TX
Miskell, Edmund J ~ Corp, Radio Operator, PA
Morton, Charles J ~ Capt, Passenger, MO
Oliva, Americo ~ Sgt, Passenger, NY
Phillips, Marion C ~ 2nd Lt, Passenger, FL
Prescini, Alice ~ ARC, Passenger
( Prescini ~ Burial Unknown )
Ruff, David M ~ Capt, Passenger, MI
Williams, William R ~ Maj, Passenger, England
Woodbury, Roger F ~ 1st Lt, Passenger, ME
The pilot on this flight, who was the only member of the crew to survive the crash, was 1st Lt. James D. Fitzgerald.
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David served as a Captain, 10th Squadron, 60th Troop Carrier Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Ramsey County, Minnesota prior to the war.
David died in the "Line Of Duty" while a passenger on C-47 #41-18603, which took off from Florence Airport en route to Rome, and crashed near Montieri, Italy due to extreme weather during the war.
There were 22 passengers and 4 crew members on this flight. 20 passengers and 3 crew member perished.
C-47 #41-18603 was part of the 35th Troop Carrier Squadron, 64th Troop Carrier Group.
Prior to this crash David was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-729369
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Those who perished on C-47 (#41-18603):
Apple, Charles H, III ~ Maj, Passenger, MO
Belew, Joseph R ~ Capt, Passenger, CA
Boronko, John A ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, NJ
Dermon, Harry ~ Capt, Passenger, NY
Fowler, Owen C ~ T/5, Passenger, OK
Hendrix, Dean E ~ 1st Lt, Passenger, CO
Herko, Jean V. ~ 2nd Lt, Passenger, NY
Higbie, Jack W ~ 1st Lt, Passenger, NJ
Kerby, Harold J ~ Tech/5, Passenger, WV
Kresch, Donald B ~ Capt, Passenger, PA
Lopresti, Philip J ~ Capt, Passenger, IL
Maddox, William J ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, CA
McNaughton, James L ~ 1st Lt, Passenger, KS
McBride, Marjorie S ~ 2nd Lt, Passenger, MA
( McBride ~ Burial Unknown )
McNutt, B. B. ~ M/Sgt, Passenger, TX
Miskell, Edmund J ~ Corp, Radio Operator, PA
Morton, Charles J ~ Capt, Passenger, MO
Oliva, Americo ~ Sgt, Passenger, NY
Phillips, Marion C ~ 2nd Lt, Passenger, FL
Prescini, Alice ~ ARC, Passenger
( Prescini ~ Burial Unknown )
Ruff, David M ~ Capt, Passenger, MI
Williams, William R ~ Maj, Passenger, England
Woodbury, Roger F ~ 1st Lt, Passenger, ME
The pilot on this flight, who was the only member of the crew to survive the crash, was 1st Lt. James D. Fitzgerald.
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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