Victor Ciganek

Military
media-17134.png UPL 17134 Victor Ciganek at Army Air Forces Technical School, Madison, WI 1942

Uploaded

Object Number - UPL 17134 - Victor Ciganek at Army Air Forces Technical School, Madison, WI 1942

Sgt Victor Ciganek was assigned to the 91st Bomb Group 322nd Squadron based at Bassingbourn. Victor served as radio operator on the B-17 #42-3119 "Destiny's Tot" on the Hamburg mission of 26 July 1943. Upon returning the B-17 ditched into the North Sea due to a malfunction of the fuel tank. The crew were picked up by Air-Sea rescue.



On 17 August 1943 mission to Schweinfurt Sgt Ciganek was shot down in B-17 #42-2990 "Dame Satan." Due to his injuries, Victor was immediately captured and taken to the local hospital in Jemappes, Belgium. He was then transferred to Stalag IXC in Obermassfeld where he spent Christmas of 1943. In 1944 he was transferred to Stalag Luft VI Heydakrug, then was moved to Stalag Luft IV Gross Tychow via train and cargo ship SS Masuren. On 6 Feb 1945 Sgt Ciganek began the March to freedom and was met by the Timberwolf outfit on 25 April 1945.

Connections

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

Units served with

Unofficial emblem of the 91st Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 35430340
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Engineer/Top Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-673492
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 35380608
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19092104 and O-734080
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 15321001
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Aircraft

Bob Campbell Crew
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Dame Satan
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Destiny's Tot
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft 4, Gross Tychow, Pomerania
  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft VI, Heydekrug

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Jersey City, NJ 19 April 1915

Enlisted

Newark, New Jersey, United States 15 July 1942

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Germany 17 August 1943 - 24 May 1945 MACR : "Was thrown out by Sgt Tucker while unconscious from a Flak wound." Landed In Belgium and was hosipitalized at a Jemappes, Belgium hospital. Later transferred to Stalag Luft 4 in Gross Tychow (Tychow), Poland.

Died

Anchorage, Alaska, United States 25 August 2001

Buried

Hollywood Cemetery, Harrington, Delaware, United States

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Removed punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.

Date
ContributorV York
Changes
Sources

my father's diary

Date
ContributorV York
Changes
Sources

Ragged Irregular ( Apr 1985) and my father's diary

Date
ContributorV York
Changes
Sources

My father's diary and Ragged Irregular ( Apr 1985) article by navigator Turcotte.

Date
ContributorV York
Changes
Sources

My father's very detailed diary...pls do not alter

Date
ContributorV York
Changes
Sources

My father's very detailed diary. The Veterans Admin. does not have all this information. Please do not alter.

Date
ContributorV York
Changes
Sources

My Father's diary

Date
ContributorV York
Changes
Sources

My father's diary

Date
ContributorV York
Changes
Sources

My father's diary

Date
ContributorV York
Changes
Sources

My father's crew.

Date
ContributorV York
Changes
Sources

My father's records

Date
ContributorV York
Changes
Sources

My fathers docs

Date
ContributorV York
Changes
Sources

Airman's diary

Date
ContributorV York
Changes
Sources

official VA docs

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

MACR 277
NARA WWII Enlistment records
NARA WWII POW records

Date
ContributorV York
Changes
Sources

official docs

Date
ContributorV York
Changes
Sources

official docs

Date
ContributorV York
Changes
Sources

official docs

Date
ContributorV York
Changes
Sources

airman's diary and official docs

Date
ContributorV York
Changes
Sources

official docs

Date
ContributorV York
Changes
Sources

V Lampi

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 277 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Roll of Honor; MACR 277

Victor Ciganek: Gallery (17 items)