Albert E Batich

Military
media-19323.jpeg UPL 19323 * 42-5917 * "The Bouncing Bitch".
Albert Batich, navigator, is standing in the middle of the back row (not wearing a hat).
Eugene Lescarbeau, waist gunner, is kneeling on the far left.

This ship came to the 379th BG in June 1943 & was originally assigned to the 524th BS Fuselage Code WA-Y. After a few missions she was transferred to the to the 526th BS & given two codes LF-Y then LF-L. She had only nine missions.. Pilot: We were flying at 28,000 and were hit by AA fire. The order to bail out was given but only six of the crew were able to do so. I believe the rest of the crew were killed before or during the way down; all controls & communications were out. The ship crashed near Ratzburg, Germany.

Albert Batich was identified in this photo by his son-in-law, Louis LaRusso.

Object Number - UPL 19323 - * 42-5917 * "The Bouncing Bitch". Albert Batich, navigator, is standing in the middle of the back row (not wearing a hat). Eugene Lescarbeau,...

Albert Batich served as a navigator with the 524th Bomb Squadron of the 379th Bomb Group, flying missions out of Kimbolton, England. On 25 July 1943, he was flying in B-17 42-5917 when it crashed near Hamburg. Batich survived and was taken as a Prisoner of War. He was held in Stalag Luft III.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 379th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Bouncin Bitch
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron 526th Bomb Squadron

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Germany

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Cleveland, Ohio 26 September 1921

Died

31 October 1984

Buried

Callahan, FL 32011, USA

Revisions

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Research shared by Albert Batich's son-in-law, Louis LaRusso. Sources:
Records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force
NARA WWIII POW records (see also: http://www.ww2pow.info/index.php?page=directory&rec=42962)

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1767

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