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Submit- Full
name
PROKOP, Edward J - Date of
birth
28 July 1924 -
Age
20 - Place of
birth
Brooklyn, Kings County, New York -
Hometown
Brooklyn, Kings County, New York
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
32812071 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
Waist Gunner -
Unit
511th Bombardment Squadron,
351st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
6 August 1944 - Place of
death
Berlin, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| B | 12 | 15 |
Immediate family
-
Members
John Prokop (father)
Caroline Prokop (mother)
Stella Prokop (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
43-37533 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Berlin, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the engine factories
MACR: 7587
More information
Edward J. Prokop attended Brooklyn Technical High School.He enlisted in New York City, New York on 20 February 1943 two weeks after graduation. He was sent overseas early in the summer of 1944, arriving in England on 11 June 1944.
Eyewitness account by S/Sgt Arthur L. Hartwell, crew member of another B-17 in the group:
"Just after bombs away I noticed Lt Strange's plane above me was on fire, which had been started by flak or fighters as both were present. He stayed in formation for five minutes before falling out and was under control. Then he side-slipped over the left and three parachutes came out. Shortly afterward he went into a spin and the plane exploded in mid-air."
Of the nine men crew, six survived the crash and were taken prisoner. Three men were killed.
Surviving crew member reports indicate that Sgt Prokop did not bail out as he was out because of a lack of oxygen.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.usaafdata.com, www.8thafhs.com, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.ancestry.com - 1940 Census, www.newspapers.com - The Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Photo source: www.findagrave.com, www.ancestry.com - Brooklyn Technical High School Yearbook 1943, www.newspapers.com - The Brooklyn Daily Eagle