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name
KURNAFIL, Stephen - Date of
birth
9 February 1917 -
Age
26 -
Place of birth
Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York -
Hometown
Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
32286796 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
Right Waist Gunner -
Unit
533rd Bombardment Squadron,
381st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Died of Wounds - Date of
death
25 June 1943 - Place of
death
Sanderbuscher Graben, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
John Kronafel (father)
Mary Kronafel (mother)
Michael Kronafel (brother)
Julia Kronafel (sister)
Mary Kronafel (sister)
Anna Kronafel (sister)
William Kronafel (brother)
Helen Kronafel (sister)
Thomas Kronafel (brother)
Cecelia (Przystasz) Kronafel (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-30027 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Destination: Hamburg, Germany
MACR: 162
More information
In various documents, Sgt Stephen Kurnafil's family name is Kronafel. However at the US WWII Draft Card the family name of Kurnafil appears, while in the same document his wife is stated as Cecelia Kronafel.Sgt Kurnafil attended Saint Lucy's Academy where he was widely known in several lines of sports and was employed by the Syracuse Chilled Plow Company until he enlisted on 1 May 1942. He was graduated from the Aerial Gunnery School at Tyndall Field, Florida and shortly after that was sent overseas.
The airplane was shot down by German fighters at 09:10 hours and crashed in the sea, three miles west of Bensersiel, Germany. The entire crew of ten men was killed.
Sgt Kurnafil bailed out and was severely wounded when he was taken prisoner. He was taken to the Marine Hospital in Sanderbuscher Graben and died there the same day. He was initially buried at the Marine cemetery in Wilhelmshafen. However his remains were never found after the war.
Source of information: Terry Hirsch, Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, MACR, WWII Draft Cards, United States World War II Prisoners of War 1941-1945, www.ancestry.com - 1920/1930/1940 Census / 1925 New York State Census, www.newspaperarchive.com - Syracuse Herald Journal - 13 May, 13 July 1943
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.newspapersarchive.com - Syracuse Herald Journal - 13 July 1943