William Carlton Rundbaken

Military

Assigned to 767BS, 561BG, 15AF USAAF. Podwolsky crew, later with Capalbo crew. 33 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Blechammer mission in B-24 42-51319 'Welcome Wagon'; mauled by fighters, failed to escape A/C prior to disintegration. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 10651



Awards: AM, PH.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

A B-24 Liberator of the 461st Bomb Group, 15th Air Force drops supplies over a Prisoner of War camp in Austria, May 1945. Handwritten caption on reverse: '9 May 1945, Last 'combat' mission of 461st BG to British POW camp near Villack, Austria. #33 flown by Lt John Stegman- 765th BS.'

461st Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Fifteenth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

Frederick Behrens Capalbo

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 461st Bomb Group 767th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14164992 / O-825560
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

A B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-51319) of the 461st Bomb Group, 15th Air Force. Handwritten caption on reverse: '42-51319 B-24J-5-DT shown in France.'

42-51319

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Welcome Wagon
  • Unit: 461st Bomb Group 767th Bomb Squadron

Places

Torretta

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Cerignola #3

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Hartford, CT 17 March 1924 Son of Frederick J and Sarah [Ginsburg] Rundbaken.

Enlisted

New Haven, CT 8 December 1942 New Haven, Connecticut

Other

Commissioned

19 February 1943 Commissioned 2nd Lt.

Died

Prague, Czech 17 December 1944 Failed to Return (FTR) Blechammer mission in B-24 42-51319 'Welcome Wagon'; mauled by fighters, failed to escape A/C prior to disintegration. KIA MACR 10651

Buried

Beth Israel Cemetery Hartford, Hartford County, CT Re-Interred Beth Israel Cemetery Hartford, Hartford County, CT

Based

Torretta 17 December 1944 Assigned to 767BS, 561BG, 15AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/28684132
https://www.fold3.com/image/606975399
https://www.fold3.com/image/319830647
https://www.fold3.com/image/229998457
https://www.fold3.com/record/83422299-william-c-rundbaken
http://www.461st.org/Crews/767th%20Crews/podwolsky.html
http://www.461st.org/Crews/767th%20Crews/capalbo.html
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18567254/william-carlton-rundbaken