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name
BOHACZYK, Walter - Date of
birth
19 September 1915 -
Age
27 - Place of
birth
Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania -
Hometown
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
33147418 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Waist Gunner -
Unit
401st Bombardment Squadron,
91st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
17 April 1943 - Place of
death
Bremen, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| D | 18 | 1 |
Immediate family
-
Members
John Bohaczyk (father)
George M. Vanscoy (foster father)
Mary C. Vanscoy (foster mother)
George M. Vanscoy (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
41-24459 -
Data
Type: B-17 F
Nickname: Hellsapoppin
Destination: Bremen, Germany
MACR: 15520
More information
The aircraft took part in a bombing mission to the Focke Wulf Plant at Bremen, Germany. 17 April 1943, at which time several aircraft were lost. Three or four minutes after the target there was a very hard jolt under the left side of the plane, close in to the fuselage. An anti-aircraft shell had exploded just under "Hellsapoppin". Flak ripped into the left front side of the aircraft, flaking off chunks of metal from the fuselage and throwing them trough the interior of the plane. At the same time, three feet of the right wing was blown off by a flak burst. A one and one-half foot hole appeared in the nose compartment and all the nose window Plexiglas blew out. There was fire in the left wing and nose compartment. The radioroom became engulfed in fire from broken oxygen lines.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, Carla Mans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, WWII Draft Card, Pennsylvania, U.S., Veteran Compensation Application, Headstone and Interment Record
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.findagrave.com - Harry Alexander