Thomas Anthony Laskowski Jr

Military
media-56433.jpeg UPL 56433 T/Sgt Thomas A. Laskowski Jr, 44BG receives his DFC.

USAAF Photo

Object Number - UPL 56433 - T/Sgt Thomas A. Laskowski Jr, 44BG receives his DFC.

B-17 41-9032 'My Gal Sal', piloted by Ralph H. Stinson, crash-landed along the coast of Greenland 27 June, 1942. All crew were rescued uninjured and plane was salvaged.



Joined 44th BG 68th BS Squadron 21-Sep-42.

ETO/Flight Echelon 2-Oct-42.



Injured 3-Jan-43 in B-24D 41-23806 'Bat Out of Hell' when aircraft crashed south-west of Haverfordwest returning from target U/B yards (submarine) at St. Nazaire, France. Fuel shortage caused the crash. Hospitalized and transferred to St. Athan.



DS/Bengahzi 26-Jun-43.



Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 41-24211.



Returned to base 26-Aug-43.

DS/Tunis 16-Sep-43.

Returned to base 12-Oct-43.

Completed tour 16-Feb-44.

Trans/458 BG. Pilot: Lehnhausen, R.



Fw 190 destroyed 1-Oct-43. Me 109 destroyed 1-Oct-43.



Awards: DFC (OLC), AM (3OLC), PH, WWII Victory, EAME (2 x Battle Stars).

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

The insignia of the 44th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
Personnel of the 458th Bomb Group gather around a B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-29303) nicknamed "Liberty Lib" in order to transfer a casualty into a waiting ambulance. Image via Harry Holmes. Written on slide casing: '458th BG.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
B-24 Liberators of the 44th Bomb Group line up for takeoff at Shipdham in 1943. The 'Flying Eight-Ball' emblem of the 68th Bomb Squadron is visible on the nose of the leading aircraft. Image stamped with field press censor, 1943. Press Agency photograph- original printed caption has been removed.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
Ground personnel of the 97th Bomb Group reservice a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-9023) nicknamed "Yankee Doodle", following the raid on Rouen. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 18 Aug 1942.' [stamp], 'Air=SER (Boeing).' [written annotation] and '216112.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'U.S FLYING FORTRESSES RAID ROUEN IN DAYLIGHT. Associated Press Photo Shows: No sooner had one of the huge Fortresses landed after the raid than ground crew im
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 68th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-728890
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot/Pilot/Squadron Commander
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 342nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14067224 / O-415876
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Bat Out Of Hell
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 68th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Wing and a Prayer
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 68th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: My Gal Sal
  • Unit: 342nd Bomb Squadron 97th Bomb Group

Missions

Places

  • Site type: Aircraft crash site
  • Known as: Haverfordwest

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Scranton, Pennsylvania 23 May 1917 Son of Thomas A Sr and Mary Laskowski.

Enlisted

Wilkes Barre, PA 11 December 1941 Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania

Based

Horsham St Faith 16 February 1944 Transferred to 458BG.

Other

Discharged USAAF

26 March 1945 Honourable discharge.

Died

Binghamton, NY 30 November 1994

Buried

Saint Stanislaus Kostka Roman Catholic Cemetery Maine, Broome County, NY Saint Stanislaus Kostka Roman Catholic Cemetery Maine, Broome County, New York

Based

Shipdham 16 February 1944 Assigned to 68BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date
Changes
Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 5-Feb-43. Made connections to Place, Aircraft and Mission within existing website data; converted dates in Biography to military-style signification.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Webb Todd, Losses of the 8th and 9th Air Forces Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey p. 61, 44th BG Roll of Honor and Casualties by Lundy p. 39, The 44th BG in WWII by MacKay and Adams p.27

Thomas Anthony Laskowski: Gallery (2 items)