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In April 1945 residents of the village of Ruzyne, which was situated on the outskirts of the city of Prague, were used to frequent U. S. fighters flying over their heads and hearing the noise of fire of the flak defending the aerodrome. They were not that suprised than seeing a Mustang, with the black and white checkerboard nose marking approaching form the west at 4 p.m. on April 16, 1945. But suddenly they found out there must have been something wrong with it: The ship was losing attitude and smoking...
The Mustang eventually crashlanded at the gardening next to what is now the highway leading from Prague to the International Airport. The pilot Capt. Robert B. Holmes of the 78th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force, was KIA. The report of the local police post said "the aircraft, which was recognized as 'Mustang', hit the ground at 4.15 p.m. and burnt down".
In 1993 I spoke to one of the eyewitnesses who came to the spot before first German soldiers arrived. At that time Capt. Holmes was still sitting in the cockpit, with his head on the chest. He didn't seem to be wounded at first sight.
The aircraft Capt. Holmes flew on the fatal misson on April 16, 1945 (serial No.: 44-63214, code: MX-R) being maintained at the home base of the 78th Fighter Group in Duxford in April 1945 (photo: author's collection)
Capt. Holmes (center) poses in front of his aircraft with the crew chief James E. Tudor (left) and the armourer Robert L. Thout (right). The swastika under the canopy indicates the aerial victory Capt. Holmes achieved on November 22, 1944 (photo: author's collection)
Capt. Holmes was buried on the same day in the Ruzyne cemetery without any ceremony. In August 1946 the remains were excavated, identified and transferred to a military cemetery in France and later to the United States.
The place where Capt. Holmes was originally buried. (photo by the author)
An extract of the list of excavations carried out in the Czechoslovakia containing Holmes's name
James E. Tudor, Capt. Holmes crew chief, recalled: "He was a fine young man, didn't smoke or drink. He spent lots of time on the line with us and gave us his scotch allotment. His mother wrote to me asking for details of what happened. It was mazing that the letter reached me. She addressed it: 'James Tudor, crew chief, somewhere in England'."
On April 16, 1945 Capt. Holmes was credited with destroying three enemy planes in Marianske Lazne (Marienbad in German), Czechoslovakia, and may have shared other kills with the pilots of his flight in Straubing, Germany. According to Garry Fry he was assigned to the 78th Fighter Group on December 18, 1944 and on February 2, 1945 he became the leader of the C flight of the 82nd Squadron.
Memorial to Capt. Holmes in Ruzyne near the crash site was unveiled thanks to the Buzek's family who had owned the gardening. (photo by the author)
Metal piece with painting in olive drab recently found at the crash site (photo by the author)
Sources:
FRY, Garry L. Eagles to Duxford : The 78th Fighter Group in World War II. St. Paul : Phalanx, 1991, p. 107 and 133.
FOUD, Karel, KRÁTKÝ, Vladislav, VLADAŘ Jan. Poslední akce. Plzeň : Nava, 1997, p. 34-35
STRACH, Josef. Eyewitness' report to the author on June 20, 1993.
Národní archiv, fond Zemské četnické velitelství Praha, karton č. 904, inv. č. 6759/45
