The bracelet from Russell O'Rourke

On July 16, 1945, a few weeks after the end of World War II in Europe, an American B-17 bomber crashed in rough mountain terrain during a resupply flight near Vils, Austria. There were no survivors, and all seven crew members died in the crash. U.S. occupation forces showed little interest in recovering the bomber's debris, and the wreckage initially remained on the mountain. Cut up and dismantled by scrap dealers and souvenir hunters over the years, only the components of the plane remained at the crash site, which proved too unwieldy and unprofitable to remove. To this day, the remains of two radial engines and one landing gear leg can be marveled at in the foothills of a rubble pile.

In the fall of 2021, I set out together with an acquaintance to visit the crash site. A large part of the altitude difference could be covered by car to a nearby alpine hut. From there, the crash site can be reached within a 90-minute walk. The bulk of the debris is located about 50 meters to the left of a hiking trail, at the end of a small alpine meadow. The engines in particular show obvious burn marks. In the vicinity of the engines are other smaller fragments, but all deformed beyond recognition.

The current location of the wreckage is unlikely to correspond to the original impact site of the bomber. Avalanches and other environmental factors have moved the debris downslope over the past decades. Looking carefully at the slope rising behind the engines, we soon noticed a darkly discolored area in the debris. A multitude of smaller metal shards and also Plexiglas fragments (presumably from the cockpit glazing?) marked the impact site of the fuselage. Lying superficially next to a tuft of grass, a button caught my eye. Its design and condition corresponded to the pressure latches used by the U.S. military at that time. Almost at the same time my acquaintance discovered a small silver described metal strip between two stone blocks about two meters beside me. Quite obviously it was a torn bracelet. But could it really have belonged to a crew member of the bomber? Why was it still lying after 76 years obviously at a place which was passed almost daily by hikers?

Only at home, after a short Internet search, could a crew list of the ill-fated pilot be determined. And indeed, the name "Russell O'Rourke" engraved on the armand matched that of the machine gunner. A U.S. forum revealed that he had flown 14 missions over Germany and was decorated several times before he died as a sergeant at Vils.

For the finder of the bracelet and for me it was out of question that the best final destination of the found object would be a return to the relatives of Russell O'Rourke. Through Facebook, contact was made with Uwe Benkel of the Missing Persons Research Group, who, together with his American colleagues, set out to find the relatives. In 2022, a nephew was found in Mesa, Arizona, who was also named Russell O'Rourke in memory of his uncle. The bracelet soon found its way back to him and attracted some attention in American media, newspapers and television.

Russell O'Rourke, the nephew, burst into tears as he thanked, in a broken voice, everyone who worked to get the bracelet returned. It was his wish that he would like to wear his uncle's bracelet from now on. He has fulfilled this wish. The bracelet was straightened, a new chain with clasp was attached. Then, after some time, Russell O'Rourke sent us a picture, the bracelet on the wrist of the nephew, more than 77 years after the death of the first wearer.
Es war sein Wunsch, dass er das Armband seines Onkels fortan gerne tragen möchte. Diesen Wunsch hat er sich erfüllt. Das Armband wurde wieder gerichtet, eine neue Kette mit Verschluss angebracht. Nach einiger Zeit übersandte uns Russell O’Rourke dann ein Bild, das Armband am Handgelenks des Neffen, mehr als 77 Jahre nach dem Tod des ersten Trägers.

"This bracelet means so much to me and I am immensely grateful to all those who made sure this bracelet found its way back to the family as a remembrance of a loved one. I will cherish this bracelet and wear it with pride until the day I die," Russell O'Rourke wrote.