On Sunday 19 December 1943 the Fortress serial  #  42-5832  , 99th Bomb Group , 348th B.S. , Pilot  1 Lt. CYRIL C. STIDD , 3 KIA, 7 POW , Mission ' Target M/Y Innsbruck , Austria, hit by a German fighter exploded middair and fell in two far woods.
A boy at war ' time  JOSEF  STOLL  , a retired driver who lives in Taisten/Tesido a nice village in the Gsies/Casies Valley , Bozen/Bolzano Province, Northern Italy , found some years ago in the crash ' area a heavy piece , iron,aluminium above with a lot of rivets.
Can anyone identify the one component ?
 
I am  now in touch with PEGGY, daughter of the survived Pilot.
I am also always looking for pictures of the Crew and the "War Bird II".
In the next May I will present the entire story of this combat to a large people of interested  witnesses men and women who saw the events and met the American Airmen.
The Pfarrer/Parson JOHANN OBERHAMMER in accord with the local Church ' Committee is preparing the awaited communication ' occasion .
I trust ever in the help of the Friends of the 99th BG ' Veterans Association . Pictures, memories and info correctly cited as credits.
Precedent post on the same topic in this Forum : "Remembering 3 Airmen Killed on..." , 12.18.2004.
Thanks to all.                               Giorgio
 
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Retired Teacher & WWII free Researcher , Treviso, Italia.
giorgiopietrobon@libero.it

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Giorgio,
 
Cyril Stidd flew my plane that day. i was scheduled to fly that mission for the previous week, but it never went off because of bad weather. The night before the flight I was told that my crew had to go to Capri for R&R. Stidd and his crew replaced me and my crew.
 
I was in touch with Stidd many years ago and we planned to meet since we both lived in FL, unfortunately he passed away before we we able to get together. I would appreciate it if you would give me his daughters e-mail address, or ask her to contact me on this forum.
 
 
 

Jules Horowitz, B-17 pilot, 99th BG, 50 missions/sorties
My tour was from 7/19/43-2/13/44

Thanks , Jules, we are in touch by private mails.
 
I am just returned to Treviso after a trip in Pustertal/Val Pusteria , Northern Italy.
Yesterday Tuesday 22 April ALOIS  STOLL , a witness retired farmer, brother of Josef, was my guide to the mountain ' ground where fell the tail of the exploded Fortress  #  832 , Pilot Stidd .
Only by a metaldetector was possible find some wrecks in the old wood of fir trees.
 
I am very satisfied for another cause.
Since some years the Pfarrer/Parish Priest JOHANN  OBERHAMMER was thinking to a Reunion collecting the surviving Men and Women eye witnesses of the sad event.
Only 2 days ago I informed the Municipality of Welsberg/Monguelfo , Bozen/Bolzano Province, Italia, about my project of a Power Point projection showing  a whole reconstruction of the facts never saved before.
Immediatly the Prof. REINHOLD  OBERSTALLER  responsible for the Culture  department assured his active engagement for a next Meeting in the Taisten/Tesido village where live all the people who saw the American Airmen.
 
These new activities are very significant . I am believing that the story of this one war event will become the matter for the 2nd Documentary founded on my main searches. 
See also :    http://forum.armyairforces.com/m_152018/tm.htm
 
Dr. Giorgio Pietrobon


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