Golka, Larry John

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Golka, Larry John ‡ ⇗
Rank	Sergeant / Staff Sergeant
Serial Number	36257123 ‡
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 547th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #168 dated 15 December 1943, effective 15 December 1943.
Duty	Tail Gunner / Flexible Gunner
MOS	612 - Airplane Armorer / Gunner
Last Duty Date	16 July 1944
Results	Prisoner Of War POW Camp: Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow (formerly Heydekrug) Pomerania, Prussia (moved to Wobbelin Bei Ludwigslust) (To Usedom Bei Savenmunde) 54-16
Decorations	Awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received on 16 July 1944 per General Orders #44, Headquarters, Miami District, AAF Personnel Distribution Command (no date listed).
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 29 March 1921 Last name amended to GELKA on SO #11 dated 16 January 1944, apparently another typo on his last name, rather than GOLKA. Promoted to Staff Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #33 dated 18 February 1944.
Related Documents	Missing Air Crew Report # 7553⇓ (5.863 MB)

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 29 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
55⇗	29 January 1944	Target: Aircraft Parts Plants Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑38013⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group. Sortie Report⇗
56⇗	30 January 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑39809⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead group. Sortie Report⇗
57⇗	3 February 1944	Target: Submarines (under construction) Type: Submarine Facility Location: Wilhelmshaven, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑39809⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Group. Sortie Report⇗
58⇗	4 February 1944	Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑39809⇗	Combat Mission Credit High group, 41st A Combat Wing. Dropped nickles (propaganda leaflets) as well as incendiaries. Sortie Report⇗
60⇗	6 February 1944	Target: Nancy/Essey Aerodrome Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Nancy, France	Tail Gunner	42‑39809⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
62⇗	11 February 1944	Target: Propeller Factory (Foundry) Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑37801⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back at 1011 hrs; #2 engine running rough and pulling 20" to 25". Sortie Report⇗
63⇗	20 February 1944	Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Leipzig & Bernburg, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑29717⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41B Group. Sortie Report⇗
64⇗	21 February 1944	Target: Fighter Field & Aircraft Storage Depot Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Werl, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑29927⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
66⇗	24 February 1944	Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑29927⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron, low group Sortie Report⇗
67⇗	25 February 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Ball Bearings Plants Type: Industry Location: Augsburg & Stuttgart, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑3440⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41A Group. Sortie Report⇗
69⇗	2 March 1944	Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant and Machine Shop Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑37788⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
70⇗	3 March 1944	Target: Roller-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑37801⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
71⇗	4 March 1944	Type: Military Location: Berlin, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑38208⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
72⇗	6 March 1944	Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑97449⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing. Sortie Report⇗
73⇗	8 March 1944	Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑31871⇗	Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed Sortie Report⇗
76⇗	18 March 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑38208⇗	Combat Mission Credit Dropped ten parcels of 'nickles' (propaganda leaflets) in addition to bombs. Sortie Report⇗
84⇗	28 March 1944	Target: Dijon-Longvic Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Dijon, France	Tail Gunner	42‑38158⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron deputy. Sortie Report⇗
86⇗	9 April 1944	Target: FW-190 Fighter Aircraft Assembly Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Marienburg, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑38208⇗	Combat Mission Credit Joined the #4 position of the low Squadron, high group, 41st Composite Combat Wing A and bombed with them. Sortie Report⇗
89⇗	13 April 1944	Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑38208⇗	Combat Mission Credit High group deputy; led mission after high group lead went down. Sortie Report⇗
92⇗	20 April 1944	Target: V-Weapon Service Bunker (under construction) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Sottevast, France	Tail Gunner	42‑38208⇗	Combat Mission Credit A Wing, High Group Lead. Sortie Report⇗
95⇗	25 April 1944	Target: Metz-Frescaty Airdrome Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Metz, France	Tail Gunner	42‑38208⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group lead. Col. William L Travis, 41st Bomb Wing, aboard as combat flight leader. Sortie Report⇗
98⇗	29 April 1944	Target: Industrial District Type: Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑38208⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Group lead. Co-pilot and navigator became violently ill. Sortie Report⇗
101⇗	7 May 1944	Target: Friedrichstrasse Railroad Station Type: Transportation Location: Berlin, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑38208⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group lead. Sortie Report⇗
105⇗	11 May 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Saarbrücken and Ehrang, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑38208⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41B Group, Group Lead. Sortie Report⇗
107⇗	13 May 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly Components Factory. Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Poznań, Poland	Tail Gunner	42‑31484⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group lead, 40th CBW. Col. William L Travis, 41st Bomb Wing, aboard as combat flight leader and pilot. Sortie Report⇗
111⇗	21 May 1944	Target: NOBALL (Supergun Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Mimoyecques, France	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑97204⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group A. Sortie Report⇗
116⇗	27 May 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑97263⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Group, High Squadron Lead. Sortie Report⇗
117⇗	28 May 1944	Target: Junkers Aircraft Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Dessau, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑37792⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
119⇗	29 May 1944	Target: Focke-Wulf Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Krzesiny District, Poznań, Poland	Tail Gunner	42‑97237⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
150⇗	4 July 1944	Target: Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Dreux (Conches-en-Ouche), France	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑97150⇗	Combat Mission Credit High group flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
156⇗	12 July 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Munich / München, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑97204⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
157⇗	13 July 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Munich / München, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑97204⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41B Group, High Squadron Lead. Sortie Report⇗
158⇗	16 July 1944	Target: Aero Engine Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Munich / München, Germany	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑107064⇗	Combat Mission Credit Failed To Return Lead Squadron. Knocked down by FLAK. Sortie Report⇗

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