Stanislaus Nowak
Military22-Feb-43 Assigned to the 303BG/358BS at Molesworth, UK as an Aerial Gunner of the 2LT James R. Dunn crew.
31 Mar 1943 was one of only 3 survivors when serving as the Left Waist Gunner of B-17F #42-29573 "Two Beauts", 303BG/358BS sustained a mid-air collision with B-17F #41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG 360BS during assembly for a mission to bomb the shipyards at Rotterdam, Holland. This occured less than an hour from takeoff with each carrying 6 bombs for the mission to Rotterdam. The planes crashed at Mears Ashby and 303rd reports a memorial to the two crews is there. SSGT Nowak was one of 3 crew members who returned from the mission. He was injured when he bailed out and hospitalized. Afterward he was reassigned to the 427th and flew on 'Susfu' under pilot Broussard.
Mission Participations (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) See Biography events.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-727194
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Fertile Myrtle
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 323rd Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Two Beauts
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: The Hunting Club
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 31 March 1943
- Date: 28 March 1943
- Date: 18 March 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Assigned to Unit |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 22 February 1942 | Assigned as an Aerial Gunner with the 2LT James R. Dunn crew at Molesworth, UK. |
Other Mission #1, SSGT Stanislaus Nowkak, w/B-17F 42-29520, 303BG/358BS |
Bremen-Vegesack, Bremen, Germany | 18 March 1943 | Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 42-29520, 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat construction yards at Vegesack, Germany. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #2, SSGT Stanislaus Nowkak, w/B-17F 42-5432, 303BG/358BS |
Rouen, France | 28 March 1943 | Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 42-5432 "The Hunting Club", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Roeun, France. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #3, SSGT Stanislaus Nowkak, w/B-17F 42-29573, 303BG/358BS - BO/INJ |
Rotterdam, Netherlands | 31 March 1943 | Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 42-29573 "Two Beauts", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the shipyards at Rotterdam, Holland. The aircraft sustained a mid-air collision with another B-17 during assembly and crashed near Mears Ashby, UK. He was injured in the collision but manage to bale out. He was in hospital for a time. BO/INJ |
Revisions
Added a "#" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.
Lee Cunningham 14-Mar-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG Website, Gary Mocnur, Historian, Mission Report of 31-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/027.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-Mar-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG Website, Gary Mocnur, Historian, Mission Report of 28-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/026.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-Mar-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG Website, Gary Mocnur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/024.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-Mar-2016. Added Assigned to Unit event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, James R. Dunn crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/358dunn.html
Lee Cunningham 14-Mar-2016. Added initial assignment info, loss details and Mission Participation statement to Summary Biography; Made connections to Place. Aricraft (through 31-Mar-43) and Aircraft (through 31-Mar-43) per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, James R. Dunn crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/358dunn.html
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit history, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey, p. 94,
href="http://303rdbg.com/rost-nopq.html#N">http://303rdbg.com/rost-nopq.html#N>