Memorial

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Robert Cunningham attended college.

He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in St. Louis, Missouri, on 13 December 1942.

After leaving the target, the airplane was observed with fire in the bomb bay but still in a controlled glide. Eight parachutes were seen to leave the plane before it exploded. The airplane crashed in Stupava, Slovakia.

Seven crew members survived and were taken prisoner, three men were killed. Two were initially buried at the cemetery of Zohor, Slovakia.

According to surviving crew members, Lt Cunningham did bail out. They assume he was killed by the Germans after he landed.

Investigation revealed that during the early part of 1947, the remains were found in a swamp about eight kilometers from Marchegg by a local woodcutter. The remains consisted only of bones with a few small pieces of clothing. A complete set of identification tags were intermingled with the bones. The remains were transported to the cemetery of Marchegg and buried in a wooden box in a common grave with German deceased by the local grave digger. The tags were kept in the Bürgermeister's office.

On 22 September 1948 the remains were discovered at this cemetery after American authorities had received a civilian report that an American flyer was buried there. The Bürgermeister of the town handed over one ID tag.

Lt Cunningham was disinterred and evacuated to Ardennes Cemetery for identification.