Missing information?
Do you have any additional information you would like to share about a soldier?
Submit- Full
name
RAVENSCRAFT, Elbert Joseph - Date of
birth
1 April 1921 -
Age
24 -
Place of birth
Hannibal, Marion County, Missouri -
Hometown
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois -
Ethnicity
White
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
36631511 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
unknown -
Unit
832nd Squadron,
406th Air Service Group
Death
-
Status
Died non-Battle - Date of
death
7 May 1945 - Place of
death
Engers Bridge
Koblenz, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Henri-Chapelle - Tablets of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Elbert C. Ranvescraft (father)
Gertrude O. (Tynes) Ravenscraft (mother)
William Ravenscraft (son)
Plane data
- Serial
number
unknown -
Data
unknown
More information
Trolley missions were flown in early May 1945. The purpose being to provide all crew and ground personnel the opportunity to see the results of their contribution in the strategic air war against Germany. Many precautions were taken on these missions, and the most responsible and experienced pilots were chosen to fly. There were no trolley missions flown in bad weather. Despite such precautions, accidents occurred, such as this.The crew decided to circle the cathedral in Koblenz. Presumably the airplane unfortunately flew much too low and collided with supply lines, which were stretched over the river Rhine. Due to the low altitude an evasive maneuver of the airplane was not possible any more. The plane crashed into one of the bridge piers.
All nineteen men aboard were killed, and the remains of only six of them were recovered.
S/Sgt Ravenscraft was one of the 15 passengers on this flight with a B-24J with serialnumber 44-10620.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.389thbg.net, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - Starr Family Tree
Photo source: Jac Engels