Ora Castrup
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) Shot down by flak and crashed at Schleissheim in B-17 Devil's Luck #4232030
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Chester C Pluta
Military
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F/O Chester C. Pluta Bombardier Ora Castrup Crew 388th BG - 561st BS KIA - 31 July 1944
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Photo of "Devil's Luck" (42-32030) exploding over Munich on July 31, 1944. All crew were killed except for one, Fred Justus, who managed to bail out and spent the rest of the war as a POW. Photo taken by Byron Cook from an adjacent B-17 in formation.
Killed in Action (KIA) Shot down by flak and crashed at Schleissheim in B-17 Devil's Luck #4232030
Service
People
Units served with
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388th Bomb Group
Group
The 388th Bomb Group flew strategic bombing mission from Knettishall, Suffolk from June 1943 to the end of the war. During this time, though, detachments were sent to Fersfield, Norfolk to conduct Aphrodite missions. In these Aphrodite missions veteran... -
561st Bomb Squadron
Squadron
Aircraft
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42-32030 Devil's Luck
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 17/1/44; Gr Island 4/2/44; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 11/2/44; Missing in Action Munich 31/7/44 with Ora Castrup, Co-pilot: Joe DeRidder, Navigator: Harvey Dellward, Bombardier: Chester Pluta, Flight engineer/top turret gunner:...
Missions
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503
29 July 1944
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8th Air Force 507FE
31 July 1944
Associated Place
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Knettishall
Military site : airfield
Knettishall was built to Class A standard for an American Bomb Group that would be bringing up to forty heavy bombers with them in three or four Squadrons. The 388th Bomb Group, which stayed at Knettishall for their entire service in the ETO, flew B-17...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Illinois, USA | 22 March 1921 |
| Enlisted | Chicago, IL, USA | 12 September 1942 |
| Killed in Action (KIA) | Schleissheim , Oberschleißheim, Germany | 31 July 1944 |
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F. O. Chester C. Pluta, 29 years of age, late of 7400 W. 62d street, Argo, Ill., killed in action over Germany on July 31st, 1944, son of Camilla Pluta, brother of Anthony, Stella, Irene, Ann, and Helen, brother-in-law of Betty Pluta, Steven Pajewski, and Chester Nowak, uncle of Patricia, Barbara, Chester, Marcia, Pamela, Steve, and Lorraine. Funeral Monday, Aug. 21, 1950, 10 a.m., from chapel, 6039 Archer road, Argo, to St. Blase's church. Interment Resurrection cemetery |
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| Buried | 21 August 1950 | |
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Resurrection Catholic Cemetery |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 24 February 2018 03:55:13 | 466thHistorian | Changes to service number, awards, events, place associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2375/40050_2421402106_0401-03701?pi... |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:06:08 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 7744 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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