Visit by Kelly Groce, a brother of the BOM on B-17G „LN-Y“
Visit by Kelly Groce, a brother of the BOM on B-17G „LN-Y“
 | On the eve of the anniversary of the end of World War II, we were visited by a brother of one of the airmen that lost their lives right in Kovarska on September 11, 1944. |
Lt. Levi F. Groce, Jr. was a bombardier on the „fundamental” B-17G commanded by Lt. Albert E. Trommer, which exploded right above Kovarska and its tail section impacted onto the roof of the elementary school (the school bears the name of the ball turret gunner from this B-17G – Sgt. J. C. Kluttz). It became the well-known shot down aircraft in this air battle during the wartime – got lots of interest from the local population, and also today. The nose section of this bomber fell about 200m on a junction between houses No. 44 – 47. In its wreckage, along with the pilot Lt. Trommer, and other crew members, also died Lt. Levi F. Groce.
Left photo: Levi Groce (on the left) with his friend Jim Wright. They shared the nose section of the B-17G together. They also died together on the junction of roads in Kovarska…
Photo bellow: Nose of the B-17G, whereabouts of the bombardier.
The present-day visit of his brother preceded a successful search for Mrs. Ruth Hubbard-Young, who was the wife of Levi Groce. As a young woman, she understandably remarried after the war, so the search for her was rather difficult and with indispensable bit of luck. We received first precious photographs of Levi and the crew of Lt. Trommer from Mrs. Ruth, most of them as originals. She lost contact with the family of her first husband some time after the war. Kelly Groce, who was 9 years old at the time when his older brother died, had recently found out in a conversation with his friend, that the friend knows someone by the name of Mrs. Hubbart. Kelly said: “My brother, who died in the war as an airman, got married to a girl by the name of Hubbart”. They soon learned, that both Hubbart ladies are sisters… a new contact was established. It was a big surprise for Ruth, when Kelly called her up, and said that he is the brother of her distant husband Levi… In the conversation with Ruth, Kelly found about our Museum and received also an address for our web pages! First e-mail from his son arrived soon after, and an arrangement for their visit to the Czech Republic and mainly to Kovarska was a matter of few weeks.
The bothers Levi and Kelly Groce at the beginning
of the war in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
7. May 2009
After the arrival of our precious guests to Kovarska, we were admitted by our Mayor Alena Kepicova. An amazingly humane and friendly get together was also attended by the ex Mayor Milan Duhan. That is to say that both of them as representatives of the village and enthusiasts participated during the inception of the Museum.
In the Museum, the American guests later viewed not only the show case dedicated to the Trommer’s crew, but also everything related to the Sept 11, 1944 battle.
Photo above: Looking over our archive records about the Lt. Trommer’s crew
Kelly Groce also brought with him some new photographs, and Levi’s personal items, kept in the family for more then 60 years – mainly his Air Medal (the second of the three received (the third was awarded in memoriam), Certificate to an American Legion “Gold Star” and a Class Book from his Cadet bombardier training on Carlsbad base in New Mexico. All these items will be a great addition to the exposition.
We already have personal items of four airmen from this particular crew (three of them died on Sept 11, 1944) – items from inheritance of Lt. A.E. Trommer (pilot) – from the family; Lt. J.H.Wright (navigator) – from the family; Lt. L.F. Groce (bombardier) – from the family and Sgt. J.C. Kluttz (Ball Turret Gunner) – few items from the 1982 discovery in the Elementary School.
After a view of the Museum and a debate about the events on Sept 11, 1944, and about Levi’s life from all possible angles, we went to the junction of the Dlouha and Medenecka street, the place where the cockpit section of „LN-Y“ crashed. It was not difficult to pinpoint the place where the wreckage of the cockpit laid, based on wartime photographs. We all enjoyed an unusual day, nice feelings and memories of this day will linger for a long time. Unfortunately, obligations did not allow my other Museum’s colleagues to attend this gathering. As the brother of Levi Groce and his family left for home, they carried with them, besides a nice experience, pieces of the B-17G S/N 42-102657 „LN-Y“, which we prepared for them as an unusual gift…
Jan Zdiarský
The family of Lt. Groce by the memorial of the fallen airmen,
in front of the Sgt. J.C.Kluttz Elementary School.