Matthew R. PELCZAR

 

PELCZAR Matthew R
NUMBER OF SERVICE36725277
AGE21 yo
DATE OF BIRTH1923
ETATChicago, ILLINOIS
FAMILY

 

RANKStaff Sergeant
FONCTION

Engineer Top Turret Gunner

JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENT IL
DATE of ENLISTEMENT 
 SQUADRON330th Bomber Squadron
 GROUP93rd Bomber Group, Heavy
ARMY8th US Air Force
DATE OF DEATH13 June 1944pelczar matthew r tombe
STATUSKIA
PLACE OF DEATHBeetwen Pont-Scorff and Caudan
DATA PLAN

B-24 Liberator - type H-25-FO - s/n 42-95153 AG*G OU AG*M

"Per Diem"

B 24 Liberator

Macr: 5912

Mission: Ponts de Vannes and Ploermel (56)

Takeoff Station 104 Hardwick, Norfolk UK

All the bodies were initially buried in the cemetery of Guidel (56)

Fired by the flak or collision in flight with the B-24 42-110104 piloted by 1Lt Cool (same squadron) at 20h57

Airplane evacuated partially before the crash

 
CEMETERY TEMPORARY

 

CEMTERY TEMPORARY of  Guidel (56)

 

 

CEMTERY TEMPORARY of St James N°3578

 

Story of Cemetery Temporary

CEMETERYBRITTANY AMERICAN CEMETERY of St James

Map of St James American Cemetery

GRAVE
PlotRowGrave
K514
DECORATION

Air Medal

Purple Heart

World War II Victory Medal 

 

am

Photo FDLM

victory medal

 

usaf 8air force 93bg 330bs
STORY

Matthew lived in Chicago with his parents, originally from Poland, and his sister, when he joined the US Air Corps.

After completing his various training phases, including at Sioux City Air Base, he concluded with a machine-gunner instruction.

Next, he began training on the B-24 bomber.

He was assigned to the 330th Bomber Squadron of the 93rd Bomber Group of the 8th US Air Force.

In March 1944, Matthew left the Army Air Base in Colorado Springs after three months of training at the Heavy Bomber Crew School.

In April, he was in Africa.

Matthew was a member of Lieutenant Hoffmann’s crew as Engineer Top Turret Gunner, joining USAAF Station 104 in Hardwick (Suffolk).

On 13 June 1944, a new mission is given to Matthew and the crew of the B-24 "Per Diem".

The objectives are the bridges of Vannes and Ploërmel (Morbihan).

The mission is carried out with more or less success; during their return, they are subjected to a heavy fire from the Flak defending the submarine base of Lorient.

Matthew’s B-24 is hit North of Lorient above the town of Caudan; the bomb bay gets blown up, the plane forms a spiral to the right and dives to the ground before the crash.

Two members of the crew manage to evacuate the aircraft during its fall, they are taken prisoner on arrival on the ground, namely   Sergeants Hines and Matlock.

Matthew and the rest of the crew did not survive.

They were buried in Guidel Cemetery.

On Tuesday, June 13, shortly before taking off from England, Matthew wrote what would be his last letter to his parents, in which he said, “I hope this will end soon, because I have had enough of life in the army.”

He closed it by saying: “Well, that’s about all I have to say today. Until next time, I say goodbye and God bless you all.”

PELCZAR Matthew R

B-24 Liberator - type H-25-FO

 
PELCZAR Matthew R

 

Crew of B-24 Liberator - type H-25-FO - s/n 42-95153 AG*G OU AG*M 

"Per Diem"

 

2nd Lieutenant John R. HOFFMANN Pilot Dead Cim Brit Am St-James  O-807545 - AM+1 - Orangeburg, NEW YORK
2nd Lieutenant Vern C. BROWN CoPilot Dead Cim Brit Am St-James  O-761868 - AM/PH - Glendale, CALIFORNIA
2nd Lieutenant David J Jr MAHONEY Navigator/Bomber Dead Cim Brit Am St-James  O-698895 - AM/PH - Bayonne, NEW JERSEY
S/Sergeant Matthew R. PELCZAR Mechanic/Gunner Dead Cim Brit Am St-James  36725277 - AM/PH - Chicago, ILLINOIS
Sergeant John J HINES Gunner Prisoner- Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow  11081419 - Medford, MASSACHUSETTS 
Sergeant Glenn A CREASEY Gunner Dead Cunningham Mem Park, St-Albans, Kanawha Co, WEST VIRGINIA 35656392 - Born the 09/02/1925 - Cabin Creek, WEST VIRGINIA - Initialement inhumé au Cim de Guidel (56)
Sergeant Daniel Venoye MATLOCK Gunner Prisoner - Camp inconnu 18184978 - Mercury, Texas 
Sergeant Eldon B PICKETT Gunner Dead Cim Am Ardennes Neupre  18046539 - Sstar/DFC/AM+2 - Woodland Park, COLORADO
S/Sergeant William Charles KRAFT Radio Dead Laurel Hill Cem. Millcreek Township, PENNSYLVANIA 33409323 - 22 yo- Erie, MASSACHUSETTS
b24   equipage42 95153
SOURCE INFORMATION & PHOTO Abmc.gov - Francecrashes39-45.net - USAAF Class Book Project ABMC American Cemeteries - Findagrave.com - Nathalie - Bruno
PROGRAMMERGarrett, Clive, Frédéric & Renaud
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