Shot down 20 December 1942 in B-17F 41-24489 'Terry and the Pirates' while serving as Waist Gunner. Listed as Prisoner of War (POW).

According to The Saratogian (24 JAN 1945, page 1) article "Dejnozka, Freed from Nazis In Exchange), my father was a Technical Sergeant when repatriated and was taken to Walter Reed hospital before returning home in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. However, after repatriation he remained in the Air Force (after its separation from the Army Air Corps) until 1958/59. Ludvik was held at different Nazi POW camps. According to the Stalag XVIIB website (2011), his last POW camp was Stalag XVIIB since the Nazis were moving prisoners, combining officers with noncommissioned officers as the Allies advanced. My father personally told he was a POW at Stalag XVIIB as well. While a POW, he translated for the physician POWs to improve communication, since he spoke Czech, German, English and some Russian.