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name
MICHALOWSKI, Chester R - Date of
birth
5 September 1921 -
Age
23 - Place of
birth
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois -
Hometown
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
36380710 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Tail Gunner -
Unit
453rd Bombardment Squadron,
323rd Bombardment Group, Medium
-
Awards
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
16 February 1945 - Place of
death
South of Trier, near Saargebiet, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Luxembourg - Tablets of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Vincent Michalowski (father)
Emily Michalowski (mother)
Vincent Michalowski (brother)
Genevia Michalowski (sister)
Stanley Michalowski (brother)
Stanley Jr Michalowski (brother)
Szyca Rith Michalowski (sister)
Angeline (Lichon) Michalowski (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
41-31899 -
Data
Type: B-26B
Nickname: Ticklish Percy II
Destination: Solingen, Germany
Mission: Bombing aircraft component factory
MACR: 12405
More information
S/Sgt Chester R. Michalowski enlisted in Chicago, Illinois on 3 October 1942.His parents were born in Poland.
He was married to Angeline Lichon on 5 May 1944.
Statement from1st Lt Virgil L. Keffer, Pilot of A/C 41-31899:
“On 16 February 1945, on a bombing mission into Germany, the aircraft ran out of gasoline. About fifteen minutes before I ran out of gasoline, I called all personnel aboard aircraft and told them to come up front and prepare to bail out; they did. The left engine ran out of fuel first, and after seeing it would run no more, I feathered it. About one minute later, the right engine ran out of fuel, and I told the crew to bail out. They opened the bomb bay doors and went out of the bomb bay. I stayed with the plane for about 6,000 feet of its descent after running out of fuel, feathered the other engine, trimmed it up, and went out of bomb bay close to two minutes after the others had bailed out. I saw the plane crash; it did not burn.”
Source of information: Yannick, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov – WWII Enlistment Record, www.ancestry.com – 1930/1940 Census / Cook County, Illinois Birth Certificates Index 1871-1922,
Cook County, Illinois Marriage Index 1930-1960, www.fold3.com – MACR
Photo source: Peter Schouteten