Holloman/Nicholson crew.



20 December 1943 in B-24 41-29135 "The Last Frontier" Exterminator mission to Bremen, aircraft crashed at Wendling on return from mission. 1 KOM, 9 RTD. Wyeth Everhart was the pilot.



John Slowik was a champion swimmer at school and college and a possible Olympic contender. During the Depression of the 1930's he and his two sisters swam in competitions to earn money for food. John was the first of his family to attend college and, after graduating in 1939, he worked as an engineer for the Department of Transportation.



Later - probably in 1942 - he enlisted in the military hoping to become a pilot but, as this was not possible because he wore glasses, trained as a navigator. He was assigned to the 392ndBG and joined the group at Wendling in Norfolk.



On March 18th 1944 the target was Freidrichshafen, visibility was good but the Germans anticipating a raid had shrouded the city in a smoke screen. The 392nd along with the ill-starred 44th BG encountered flak of 'unexpected severity' and the formation broke up.

Consequently without fighter protection the 14th Wing were hit from the rear by an estimated 75 German fighters. The 392nd lost 14 of its B-24s including that of navigator John Slowik.

In later years his family, particularly his sister Kitty, tried to follow up his story using the journal he left behind. One entry stated 'If the Jerries don't give up they will end up a corpse with its skeleton destroyed'.