Joseph P Kotulak

Military

Assigned to 711BS, 447BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Berlin; Shot down 29-Apr-44 in B-17 42-97501. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 4253





Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 447th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 711th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 38367805
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 711th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 31083077
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: Canadian
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 711th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39616202
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 711th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 36159477 / O-811210
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 711th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-704569
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 711th Bomb Squadron

Missions

  • Date: 29 April 1944
  • Date: 27 April 1944
  • Date: 24 April 1944
A B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-29155) nicknamed "Picadilly Commando" of the 446th Bomb Group. First handwritten caption on reverse: '446BG B/24 leaving Ruhr on its way home 22 April 1944.' Second handwritten caption on reverse: '22/4/44, 21,000 Ft. Hamm, smoke screen in distance.'
  • Date: 22 April 1944

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft 4, Gross Tychow, Pomerania

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Nanticoke, PA 20 April 1920 Son of John S Kotulak.

Other

Baled out POW

Siestedt, Germany 29 April 1944 Failed to Return (FTR) Berlin; Shot down 29-Apr-44 in B-17 42-97501. POW MACR 4253

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Tychowo, Poland 29 April 1944 Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft IV.

Died

21 April 1964

Buried

28 April 1964 Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Virginia Section 35 Site 1362
Pennsylvania, USA

Revisions

Date
ContributorBriRau44725
Changes
Sources

LA Rogers diary and mission cards

Date
ContributorBriRau44725
Changes
Sources

MACR 4253

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 4253