John C Flanyak
Military ROLL OF HONOURHandwritten caption on reverse: 'Appears to be AW-O, 238133. If AW - Prior 20/8/44. 8/5/44?'
Printed caption on reverse: '59804 A.C. - The three airmen who all alone brought the 8th Air Force Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Reluctant Dragon" home from a bombing attack on war plants in Berlin, after six of the crew bailed out and the remaining man was killed at his guns, survey the jagged remains of the left stabilizer shot off by Nazi cannon fire. At left is 2nd Lt. John C. Flemynk, 21, bombardier, of Chicago, who navigated the Fortress home; in center T/Sgt. Leon H. Sweatt, 24, top turret gunner and engineer, of Divine, Texas, who doubled as co-pilot; and at right, pilot, 2nd Lt. Jerry T. Musser, 25, of Coral Gables, Florida, who wrestled with the controls to right the plane after a 10,000 foot dive. England. U.S. Air Force Photo.' Roger Freeman Collection
IWM, Roger Freeman Collection
John Flanyak served as a bombardier with the 96th Bomb Group. On 8 May 1944, he was one of three crew members who managed to get their damaged B-17 42-38133 'Reluctant Dragon' back to base. The aircraft had been shot up by fighters and the other seven crew members had bailed out. Six survived and were taken as Prisoners of War. One, Robert Blevins, was killed.
On 27 May 1944, Flanyak was flying in B-17 42-102561 when it collided with another aircraft. He was Killed in Action (KIA).
Awards: PH.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 337th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 337th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-733961
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Boots II
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 337th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 337th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Reluctant Dragon
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 337th Bomb Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Station 138
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Enlisted |
Chicago, IL | 3 June 1942 | Chicago, Illinois |
Died |
Germany | 27 May 1944 | |
Born |
Chicago, Illinois, USA | Son of Frank and Theresa [Cisacsek] Flanyak. | |
Buried |
Saint Joseph Cemetery River Grove, Cook County, IL | Saint Joseph Cemetery River Grove, Cook County, Illinois | |
Based |
Snetterton Heath | 27 May 1944 | Assigned to 337BS, 96BG, 8AF USAAF. |
Revisions
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 5164 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Snetterton Falcons pp. 74, 133, 146-7, 149, 151 ; MACR 5164