John Patrick Barks

Military

Assigned to 767BS, 461BG, 15AF USAAF. Nick Sidovar crew. Failed to Return (FTR) Odertal oil refinery in B-24 42-95304; hit by fighters and with one engine shut down, but unable to feather it, last contacted over Bratislavia, Czech via radio. Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 10701





Awards: PH, POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

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Units served with

A B-24 Liberator of the 461st Bomb Group, 15th Air Force drops supplies over a Prisoner of War camp in Austria, May 1945. Handwritten caption on reverse: '9 May 1945, Last 'combat' mission of 461st BG to British POW camp near Villack, Austria. #33 flown by Lt John Stegman- 765th BS.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Fifteenth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 461st Bomb Group 766th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-823998
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Unit: 461st Bomb Group 766th Bomb Squadron

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
Prisoners of war, including Colonel Hubert Zemke of the 479th Fighter Group at Stalag Luft I.
  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany
  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Cerignola #3

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Rhode Island, USA 3 June 1922 Son of Olin Freed and Alice A Barks.

Enlisted

Fort Rodman, New Bedford, MA 5 November 1942 Fort Rodman, New Bedford, Massachusetts

Other

Baled out POW

17 December 1944 Failed to Return (FTR) Odertal oil refinery in B-24 42-95304; shot down by fighters POW MACR 10701

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Barth, Germany 17 December 1944 Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft I.

Other

Discharged USAAF

19 October 1945 Honourable discharge.

Died

Bernalillo, NM 14 August 1994

Buried

Santa Fe National Cemetery Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, NM 17 August 1994 Santa Fe National Cemetery Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, NM
Covington, IN NoK: Wife Margaret Jean [Clem] Barks.

Based

Torretta 17 December 1944 Assigned to 767BS, 461BG, 15AF USAAF.