Robert W. Whitehead

The Robert W. Whitehead Memorial marks the spot where an American fighter pilot was shot down in an aerial battle near Srubec, close to České Budějovice, during the final weeks of World War II. It's one of several small memorials scattered across South Bohemia that mark specific Allied air losses from the spring of 1945 — a period when air combat over the region continued right up until the war's end.

Who was Robert W. Whitehead?

Robert W. Whitehead was born on October 14, 1921, in Indiana. He served as a 1st Lieutenant with the 37th Fighter Squadron, part of the 14th Fighter Group of the U.S. 15th Air Force. He flew the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, the twin-engine fighter that became one of the USAAF's signature aircraft of the war.

What happened on April 11, 1945?

Around 10:40 a.m., Whitehead was flying a ground-attack mission targeting German rail transports and locomotives operating between Regensburg and Linz. After strafing a number of railcars and locomotives near Srubec, his P-38 Lightning — serial number 44-25720 — was jumped from behind by a German Focke-Wulf Fw 190. The aircraft caught fire immediately and went down in a field near Srubec; Whitehead was killed instantly. A fellow pilot flying alongside him managed to shoot down the attacking Fw 190 in return — its German pilot survived by parachute.

Why does the memorial stand in this exact spot?

The memorial sits near Srubec and Stará Pohůrka, right where Whitehead's final flight ended. Small aviation memorials like this one are typically placed directly at the crash site in the Czech countryside, marking one specific event rather than serving as a general war monument. For people in this part of South Bohemia, it's one of several traces left by the intense air war that played out over the region in the spring of 1945, as Allied aircraft pressed hard against German rail infrastructure in the war's final weeks.

What happened to the pilot's remains?

Whitehead was initially buried near the village of Třebotovice, mistakenly recorded under the garbled name "Bob Weit" due to an identification error at the time. It wasn't until July 1945, after the war had ended, that his remains were exhumed and repatriated to the United States, where he was ultimately laid to rest at Fort Custer National Cemetery in Augusta, Michigan. His loss and identification are documented in U.S. military archives under Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) No. 13980.

What should visitors know before going?

The memorial stands in open countryside near Srubec and Stará Pohůrka, in the České Budějovice district — close enough to the city itself for an easy side trip. It's a modest, local site rather than a large museum or battlefield park: a single-point marker tied to one specific event in the region's aviation history. It pairs well with a walk through the surrounding South Bohemian villages rather than a standalone visit.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Robert W. Whitehead? An American P-38 Lightning pilot, a 1st Lieutenant with the 37th Fighter Squadron of the 14th Fighter Group, USAAF, killed in an aerial battle over Srubec on April 11, 1945.

How did Whitehead die? His aircraft was attacked from behind by a German Fw 190 during a ground-attack mission against rail transports and crashed in flames near Srubec.

Where is he buried today? After a temporary burial near Třebotovice, his remains were repatriated to the United States in July 1945 and now rest at Fort Custer National Cemetery in Michigan.