| Name | Palecek, George Frank ‡ |
| Rank | Corporal / Technical Sergeant |
| Serial Number | 37610631 ‡ |
| Unit Assignments | Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #153 dated 31 July 1944, effective 31 July 1944. |
| Duty | Radio Operator / Gunner |
| MOS | 611 - Aerial Gunner |
| Last Duty Date | 10 January 1945 |
| Results |
Missing In Action Final Resting Place or Memorial: Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England: Tablets of the Missing |
| Additional Information |
|
| Related Documents | Missing Air Crew Report # 11578⇓ (6.263 MB) Accident Report # 44-11-16-527⇓ (10.047 MB) |
| Photo Album: | Crew Photo Album⇗ |
| CREWMEMBER | POSITION | RESULTS |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd Lt. Peters, Lloyd Arman⇗ | Pilot | CT |
| 2nd Lt. Rose, Gerald Dale⇗ | Co-pilot | CT |
| 2nd Lt. Simpson, Hubert Daniel, Jr⇗ | Navigator | CT |
| S/SGT. Covell, Charles Francis⇗ | Radio Operator / Gunner | CT |
| CPL. Palecek, George Frank | Radio Operator / Gunner | MIA |
| S/SGT. Hornack, William Paul⇗ | Engineer / Top Turret Gunner | CT |
| SGT. Ketchledge, Edward (NMI)⇗ | Ball Turret Gunner | CT |
| SGT. Bridget, John Harold⇗ | Tail Gunner | CT |
| SGT. Hatfield, Lowell Charles⇗ | Flexible Gunner | WIA |
| Number | Date | Target | Position | Aircraft | Mission/Sortie Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 187⇗ | 3 September 1944 |
Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany |
Radio Operator | 44‑8007⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit PFF ship. Wing lead. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 190⇗ | 9 September 1944 |
Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany |
Radio Operator | 42‑107125⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Low group lead. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 191⇗ | 10 September 1944 |
Target: BMW Motor Component Parts Plant Type: Industry Location: Sindelfingen, Germany |
Radio Operator | 44‑8007⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit PFF ship; wing lead. Air commander is Lt. Col. Calhoun Wing Leader, 41st CBW HQ. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 195⇗ | 17 September 1944 |
Target: Tank and Gun Concentrations, Tactical Type: Military Location: Eindhoven & 's‑Hertogenbosch (den Bosch), The Netherlands |
Radio Operator | 42‑97941⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit C Squadron Lead. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 196⇗ | 19 September 1944 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Hamm, Germany |
Radio Operator | 42‑97941⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit High Squadron lead. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 197⇗ | 21 September 1944 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Mainz, Germany |
Radio Operator | 44‑8007⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Wing lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 204⇗ | 3 October 1944 |
Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Wesseling, Germany |
Radio Operator | 44‑8008⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Deputy lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 205⇗ | 5 October 1944 |
Type: Industry Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany |
Radio Operator | 42‑107125⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron lead. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 215⇗ | 25 October 1944 |
Target: Nordstern Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany |
Radio Operator | 44‑8409⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit High Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 216⇗ | 30 October 1944 |
Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany |
Radio Operator | 44‑8008⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Group deputy. PFF ship. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 217⇗ | 1 November 1944 |
Target: Nordstern Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany |
Radio Operator | 43‑38721⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 218⇗ | 2 November 1944 |
Target: Ruhr-Chemie A.G. Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Sterkrade (Holten), Germany |
Radio Operator | 43‑38721⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
| 219⇗ | 4 November 1944 |
Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany |
Radio Operator | 44‑8008⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit PFF ship; group lead. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 225⇗ | 11 November 1944 |
Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany |
Radio Operator | 44‑8401⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Lead PFF Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 44‑8007. Lead Squadron lead. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 226⇗ | 16 November 1944 |
Target: Tactical - Artillery Positions Type: Military Location: Eschweiler, Germany |
Radio Operator | 43‑38721⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit On return to England, in bad weather, pilots were instructed to divert and land at Stratford. Lt. Green landed long and collided with an aircraft still on the runway. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 227⇗ | 20 November 1944 |
Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany |
Radio Operator | 44‑8211⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Gee-H ship; lead Squadron deputy, 41st Bomb Wing D group. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 238⇗ | 11 December 1944 |
Target: Road & Rail Bridge Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany |
Radio Operator | 44‑8007⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Group lead, B Group. PFF & Gee-H ship. Dropped bombs using PFF. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 242⇗ | 23 December 1944 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Ehrang, Germany |
Radio Operator | 42‑97592⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Ground Spare Aircraft, replaced 43‑37917. Landed away at RAF Wethersfield, Essex, due to weather. Apparently ferried to Ridgewell prior to 24 December mission. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 243⇗ | 24 December 1944 |
Target: Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Kirch Göns, Germany |
Radio Operator | 42‑97592⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Took off from Ridgewell Airfield, AAF Station 167 (was unable to return to GU after prior day's mission due to weather), to lead a Squadron of the 381st BG to attack Steinbach Airfield in Germany. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 244⇗ | 27 December 1944 |
Target: Bridge (Tactical) Type: Transportation Location: Altenahr, Germany |
Radio Operator | 44‑8008⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Division lead. PFF & Gee-H ship. The Gee-H failed prior to the IP so a visual bomb run was attempted. The navigator and bombardier located the target too late to make a good run, so a second visual run was made and bombs were released on the primary target. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 249⇗ | 2 January 1945 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Gerolstein, Germany |
Radio Operator | 44‑8221⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Group lead. with Lt. Col William C Sipes of the 41st Combat Bombardment Wing as Air Commander. PFF & Gee-H ship. Gee-H failed prior to IP; turned over lead to high Squadron. Did not attack target because bombardier noticed, approaching the bomb release point (high Squadron leading), that they were a mile to the left of the target. Bombs were held with the intention of making another run, but the remainder of the group had dropped on the high Squadron leader. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 250⇗ | 3 January 1945 |
Target: Enemy Strong Point & Transportation Hub Type: Military Location: St Vith, Belgium |
Radio Operator | 42‑98027⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Group lead. PFF & Gee-H ship. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 252⇗ | 7 January 1945 |
Target: Enemy Strong Point Type: Military Location: Blankenheim, Germany |
Radio Operator | 44‑8007⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Group lead. PFF & Gee-H ship. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 254⇗ | 10 January 1945 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Bonn, Germany |
Radio Operator | 44‑8216⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Failed To Return Group lead. PFF & Gee-H ship. Left formation 20 minutes prior to the IP, apparently due to flak damage. No communication was received from this aircraft regarding the abort. Crash site and fate of crew are unknown. MACR 11578 Sortie Report⇗ |