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Personal info

Full name
KOZANECKI, Aloysius John
Date of birth
24 February 1925
Age
19
Place of birth
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Hometown
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Military service

Service number
36682512
Rank
Sergeant
Function
Ball Turret Gunner
Unit
549th Bombardment Squadron,
385th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
6 October 1944
Place of death
3 km northwest of Liepe-Nennhausen, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
D 7 38

Immediate family

Members
Peter Kozanecki (father)
Christina (Zabierek) Kozanecki (mother)
Stephen Kozanecki (brother)
Marie R. Kozanecki (sister)
Joseph C. Kozanecki (brother)
Chester Kozanecki (brother)
Kazimierz Kozanecki (brother)
Boleslau Kozanecki (brother)
Ervin Kozanecki (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
42-102465
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Wee Willie Wilbur
Destination: Berlin, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the industrial area
MACR: 9525

More information

At 1207 hours, at the I.P., enemy fighters attacked in mass formation from the rear and above, coming out of the clouds. The first attack reduced the Group strength to 2 B-17s (which two is undetermined). The fighters then returned and in another mass attack, using the same tactics, shot down the remaining two. Attacks were very aggressive and sudden.

No exact information of the attack is available because no B-17 of the Group concerned returned.

The entire crew of nine men was killed. They were initially buried at the cemetery of Liepe, Germany.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com – Family Trees, www.fold3.com - MACR

Photo source: Jac Engels, www.ancestry.com - kosantac