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1LT John Ehnot Jr.

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1LT John Ehnot Jr. Veteran

Birth
Munhall, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA
Death
17 Dec 1944 (aged 20)
Vaclavov, Okres Jindřichův Hradec, South Bohemia, Czech Republic
Burial
West Mifflin, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
View Source
John Ehnot Jr. is the son of John and Mary Ehnot (both born in Czechoslovakia). It's ironic that John Jr. would die in the country of his parents' birth.

Enlisted Feb 21, 1943, at Miami Beach, FL; First Lieutenant, copilot; 824th Bomb Squadron, 484th Bomb Group, 49th Bomb Wing, 15th Army Air Force, stationed at Toretta Air Field, Italy.

On December 17, 1944, 1LT Ehnot perished with eight other crew members of B-24J #28 "Little Joe" (42-50934).

Bomber #28 was lost to fighter attack with the crew of 1Lt Charles A. Himmler on a mission to Odertal, Germany (present day Zdzieszowice, Poland), at 1156 hrs. (MACR #10679). Rockets fired from an FW-190, piloted by Reudolf Zwesken of II/JG300, struck the bomber, killing several of the crew. Fire erupted in the waist area. Eight of the crew perished with the aircraft while three were able to bail out and became POWs. Just before impact, the tail section broke off and fell on top of a hill above the village of Liebau (present day Libinia). The rest of the bomber crashed in a meadow above the village of Wenzeldorf (present day Václavov), Czechoslovakia.

The crew was buried in a local cemetery. After the war, the bodies were exhumed and sent to the States or to the US cemetery in Saint-Avold, France, depending on the wishes of the families. 1LT Ehnot was re-interred in St. Nicolas Cemetery, West Mifflin, PA.

Note: Just minutes before Reudolf Zwesken shot down #28 "Little Joe," he shot down B-24J #12 "Paulette" (42-51324), 765th Bomb Squadron, 461st Bomb Group. One crew member was killed, seven were captured and became POWs, and two escaped. Zwesken had a total of 52 kills during the war.

Crew of #28 "Little Joe":
1LT Charles A. Himmler, Pilot, KIA
1LT John Ehnot Jr., Copilot, KIA
2LT Howard C. Long, Navigator, KIA
2LT Morris A. Daly Jr., Bombardier, KIA
S/SGT Doyle L. Kargel, Engineer/Waist Gunner, POW
S/SGT Walter F. Kendall, Radio Operator/Waist Gunner, POW
S/SGT Frank W. Carr, Nose Gunner, POW
S/SGT George R. Lee, Top Turret Gunner, KIA
S/SGT Elton D. Douglass, Ball Turret Gunner, KIA
S/SGT Vezio Egizi, Tail Gunner, KIA
SGT David V. Uber, Photographer, KIA

John Ehnot Jr. is the son of John and Mary Ehnot (both born in Czechoslovakia). It's ironic that John Jr. would die in the country of his parents' birth.

Enlisted Feb 21, 1943, at Miami Beach, FL; First Lieutenant, copilot; 824th Bomb Squadron, 484th Bomb Group, 49th Bomb Wing, 15th Army Air Force, stationed at Toretta Air Field, Italy.

On December 17, 1944, 1LT Ehnot perished with eight other crew members of B-24J #28 "Little Joe" (42-50934).

Bomber #28 was lost to fighter attack with the crew of 1Lt Charles A. Himmler on a mission to Odertal, Germany (present day Zdzieszowice, Poland), at 1156 hrs. (MACR #10679). Rockets fired from an FW-190, piloted by Reudolf Zwesken of II/JG300, struck the bomber, killing several of the crew. Fire erupted in the waist area. Eight of the crew perished with the aircraft while three were able to bail out and became POWs. Just before impact, the tail section broke off and fell on top of a hill above the village of Liebau (present day Libinia). The rest of the bomber crashed in a meadow above the village of Wenzeldorf (present day Václavov), Czechoslovakia.

The crew was buried in a local cemetery. After the war, the bodies were exhumed and sent to the States or to the US cemetery in Saint-Avold, France, depending on the wishes of the families. 1LT Ehnot was re-interred in St. Nicolas Cemetery, West Mifflin, PA.

Note: Just minutes before Reudolf Zwesken shot down #28 "Little Joe," he shot down B-24J #12 "Paulette" (42-51324), 765th Bomb Squadron, 461st Bomb Group. One crew member was killed, seven were captured and became POWs, and two escaped. Zwesken had a total of 52 kills during the war.

Crew of #28 "Little Joe":
1LT Charles A. Himmler, Pilot, KIA
1LT John Ehnot Jr., Copilot, KIA
2LT Howard C. Long, Navigator, KIA
2LT Morris A. Daly Jr., Bombardier, KIA
S/SGT Doyle L. Kargel, Engineer/Waist Gunner, POW
S/SGT Walter F. Kendall, Radio Operator/Waist Gunner, POW
S/SGT Frank W. Carr, Nose Gunner, POW
S/SGT George R. Lee, Top Turret Gunner, KIA
S/SGT Elton D. Douglass, Ball Turret Gunner, KIA
S/SGT Vezio Egizi, Tail Gunner, KIA
SGT David V. Uber, Photographer, KIA


Inscription

1LT, 824 AAF BOMB SQ WORLD WAR II


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  • Maintained by: Charles Eugene Logston
  • Originally Created by: ShaneO
  • Added: May 1, 2012
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/89393205/john-ehnot: accessed ), memorial page for 1LT John Ehnot Jr. (20 Nov 1924–17 Dec 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 89393205, citing Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cemetery, West Mifflin, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA; Maintained by Charles Eugene Logston (contributor 47104267).