Joseph SAVKO

 

SAVKO_Joseph

Source : Vindicator I
 
NUMBER OF SERVICEO-801964
AGE25 yo
DATE OF BIRTH13 December 1918 Binghamton, Broome County, NEW YORK
ENLISTMENT STATENEW YORK
FAMILY

Spouse : Eileen M

Parents : Andrew & Katherine Duchniak SOWKA

Frères : Waldeck & Harry

RANKFirst Lieutenant
FONCTIONPilot
JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENT NY
DATE of ENLISTEMENT25 August 1937 
 SQUADRON496th Bomber Squadron
 GROUP344th Bomber Group, Medium
ARMY9th US Air Force
DATE OF DEATH27 April 1944

SAVKO_Joseph

Source : Cyrille Marie

STATUSKIA
PLACE OF DEATH Fort Mardyck - Dunkerque
DATA PLAN

B-26 Marauder - type B-50-MA - s/n 42-95926

"Canteen Eileen"

B 26

Macr : 4144

Mission : Batteries de Fort Mardyck (59)


Take off station 169 Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex UK - Crash observed by Sgts SLATON, VANOVERBERGE and BEEKER

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

blosville

Story of Cemetery Temporary 

PlotRowGrave
DD9-1634387

 

CEMETERYNORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY of Colleville

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

GRAVE
PlotRowGrave
I1528
DECORATION

Distinguished Flying Cross

Air Medal & 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

World War II Victory Medal

Brevet Pilot

 

dfc

am + 2 olc

victory medal

combat infantryman badge

 

 

usaf 9af 344bg 

 

    

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.

 

SAVKO_Joseph

Source : Vindicator I

SAVKO_Joseph

SAVKO_Joseph

Source : Vindicator I

SAVKO_Joseph

Source : Vindicator I

SAVKO_Joseph

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
SAVKO_Joseph

SOURCE INFORMATION & SOURCE PHOTOFrancecrashes39-45.netAbmc.gov Findagrave.com      
PROGRAMMERHenri, Garrett, Clive, Frédéric & Renaud
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