Joseph SAVKO
| |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Source : Vindicator I
| |||||||
NUMBER OF SERVICE | O-801964 | ||||||
AGE | 25 yo | ||||||
DATE OF BIRTH | 13 December 1918 Binghamton, Broome County, NEW YORK | ||||||
ENLISTMENT STATE | NEW YORK | ||||||
FAMILY |
Spouse : Eileen M Parents : Andrew & Katherine Duchniak SOWKA Frères : Waldeck & Harry | ||||||
RANK | First Lieutenant | ||||||
FONCTION | Pilot | ||||||
JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENT | |||||||
DATE of ENLISTEMENT | 25 August 1937 | ||||||
SQUADRON | 496th Bomber Squadron | ||||||
GROUP | 344th Bomber Group, Medium | ||||||
ARMY | 9th US Air Force | ||||||
DATE OF DEATH | 27 April 1944 |
Source : Cyrille Marie | |||||
STATUS | KIA | ||||||
PLACE OF DEATH | Fort Mardyck - Dunkerque | ||||||
DATA PLAN |
B-26 Marauder - type B-50-MA - s/n 42-95926 "Canteen Eileen" Macr : 4144 Mission : Batteries de Fort Mardyck (59)
Plane hit above the target (German batteries at Fort Mardyck) by direct fire, the burning plane goes into a spin crashes in a minefield on the beach - Four charred bodies are found | ||||||
CEMETERY TEMPORARY |
CEMTERY TEMPORARY of blosville N°3508
| ||||||
CEMETERY | NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY of Colleville | ||||||
GRAVE |
| ||||||
DECORATION |
| ||||||
| |||||||
STORY | |||||||
Joseph Savko was born Joseph Sowka on 13 December 1918 to Katherine “Katie” (Kost) and Andrew Sowka in Binghamton, Broome County, New York. It is unknown why or when exactly Joseph adopted the Savko spelling of his last name but he was the only member in this family to do so. Joseph was raised in Binghamton New York, A graduate of Binghamton High School, after which on 25 August 1937 he enlisted in the Army. He served for two and a half years with the Army Air Corps at Luke Field on Ford Island, Oahu, Hawai’i. Sadly while deployed Joseph’s father died in 1938. Joseph returned to the United States and was discharged from the Army Air Corps in February 1940. Joseph worked in Binghamton for a year and married his wife Eileen M Savko. Then following the Japanese attack on Oahu he reentered the Army on 28 January 1941. This time he had a goal of becoming a pilot. He received his flying training at airfields in Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia. After receiving his wings Second Lieutenant Savko attended multi-engine training at Laughlin Army Air Field, Del Rio, Texas, specifically learning to fly the B-26 Marauder medium bomber, completing this training at the end of June 1943. Joseph deployed to the European Theater during January 1944. Upon arrival he was assigned to the 496th Squadron, 344th Bomb Group (Medium), Ninth Air Force. Stationed at RAF Stanstead, USAAF Station 169. On 27 April 1944 Joseph was flying his 18th bombing mission with his normal crew. They were flying aboard B-26B-50-MA Serial Number 42-95926, named “Canteen Eileen” with his wife in mind. The target for the day was coastal defenses at Fort-Mardyck, France, near Dunkirk. Their Marauder was hit by anti-aircraft flak over the target just after bomb release. The plane went into a flat spin before exploding in air then crashing near the beach. Joseph and 3 others were killed in action. Only S/Sgt Andrew Whitworth engineer/gunner was able to escape the spinning plane by parachute. Rather miraculously the co-pilot 2nd Lt William Whitney, Jr. was blown clear of the plane when it exploded with his chute opening on its own. Both were captured by the Nazis and held as POW’s until the end of the war. | |||||||
Source : Vindicator I |
Source : Vindicator I | ||||||
Source : Vindicator I |
Source : Vindicator I |
Crew of B-26 Marauder - type B-50-MA - s/n 42-95926"Canteen Eileen"
| ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st Lieutenant | Joseph SAVKO | Pilot | Dead | Cim Am Colleville-sur-Mer | O-801694 - DFC/AM+2 - Cattarangasc, NEW YORK | |
2nd Lieutenant | William Edward Jr | WHITNEY | CoPilot | Prisoner - Stalag Luft 3 Sagan | O-749706 - Son of Mr William E Whitney, WAHINGTON | |
S/Sergeant | Leslie Floyd Jr | LAMPMAN | Gunner | Dead | Fort Sam Houston Nat Cem. San Antonio, TEXAS | 17003017 - 22 ans - Spouse of Mrs Mary A Lampman, Des Moines, IOWA |
S/Sergeant | Richard Eugene | WHICKER | Radio/Gunner | Dead | 35092648 - Fils de Mrs Georgia M Whicker, Indianapolis, INDIANA |
|
S/Sergeant | Andrew Brown | WHITWORTH |
Mechanic Gunner |
Prisoner - Stalag 17B Braunau Gneikendorf |
12203866 - son of Mrs Elisabeth C Whitwort, Arlington, NEW JERSEY | |
S/Sergeant | Fred Ernest | BOTTI | Gunner | Dead | Oak Grove Cem. - Fayette C. PENNSYLVANIA | 33415315 - Né en 1923 - Son of Mrs Jennette Botti, New Salem, PENNSYLVANIA - Featured on a previous flight as her plane is hit, assists three injured crew before helping the injured co-pilot to land on The belly |
SOURCE INFORMATION & SOURCE PHOTO | Francecrashes39-45.net - Abmc.gov - Findagrave.com |
---|---|
PROGRAMMER | Henri, Garrett, Clive, Frédéric & Renaud |