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name
NOWICKI, Walter Stanley - Date of
birth
26 December 1917 -
Age
26 - Place of
birth
Brooklyn, Kings County, New York -
Hometown
Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-766342 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Bombardier -
Unit
563rd Bombardment Squadron,
388th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
28 September 1944 - Place of
death
Merseburg, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| L | 12 | 3 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Stanley Nowicki (father)
Anastasia P. (Miecznikowska) Nowicki (mother)
Chester Nowicki (brother)
Helen Nowicki (sister)
Ann M. Nowicki (sister)
Henry S. Nowicki (brother)
Wanda (Gasparski) Nowicki (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-102953 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Sky Anne
Destination: Merseburg, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the Leuna oil refinery
MACR: 9380
More information
2nd Lt Walter S. Nowicki joined the Air Corps of the Regular Army in Detroit, Michigan on 19 August 1941.He was married to Wanda Gasparski on 23 March 1943 in Detroit, Michigan.
Over the target and after the bombs were dropped, this airplane was hit by flak in the nose section and started evasive action, lost altitude and in a right turn cut in on his right wing plane, #43-38404. This airplane was out of formation at that moment and was trying to get back in. The tail of #42-102953 was cut off and the left wing of #43-38404 was damaged with #1 engine being knocked out. This airplane went into a spin, cutting off the wings.
From the crew of this airplane, two crew members survived and were taken prisoner. Seven men were killed.
According to one of the surviving crew members, S/Sgt Bland P. Carter, Lt Nowicki was already hit by flak before the collision and was paralyzed.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - 1940 Census / Marriage Record, WWII Draft Card
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.newspapers.com - Detroit Free Press, Terry Gasparski