Frank Leo Misiak

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-29887.jpeg UPL 29887 Lt. James and crew of the 427th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, beside Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'Winning Run'. England, 18 July 1943.
Crew Standing L-R: 2Lt Paul W Scroggins, 2Lt Walter E Witt, 2Lt Howard C Ness, 2Lt Jacob C "Jake" James.
Kneeling L-R: Sgt Ollem D Johnson, Sgt A.J. Hamilton, Sgt Angelo L. Longo, S/Sgt Jesse Earl Tripp, S/Sgt Leonard A. Kesky, S/Sgt Frank L Misiak.

Object Number - UPL 29887 - Lt. James and crew of the 427th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, beside Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'Winning Run'. England, 18 July 1943. Crew...

Frank Misiak flew on 'Winning Run' a B-17 that crash-landed after all 4 engines gave out, while returning from raid on Stuttgart on 6 September 1943. It ran out of fuel. Many of the other B-17s were low on fuel that day, 10 out of 19. This particular plane was written up by Life Magazine War Correspondent Frank Schershel because he was on the plane during the mission.



Misiak was murdered by German civilians on 21 July 1944 after baling out of his crashing B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-97350).



Misiak safely parachuted from the aircraft, landing between Urach and Schollach in Germany, along with Meredith Mills and Charles Woolf. The three flyers were taken as Prisoners of War to Urach and incarcerated in a local police building. The three men were then marched towards Shollach where they were shot by their captors and left dead in the woods.

Connections

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Units served with

Official emblem of the 303rd Bomb Group approved 7 November 1942.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
Unofficial emblem, 305th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 305th Bomb Group 365th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 33586853
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 305th Bomb Group 365th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 33501841
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 305th Bomb Group 365th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 1408483
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 305th Bomb Group 365th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-710359
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Aircraft

The crumbled nose of a crashed B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Winning Run"of the 303rd Bomb Group. First handwritten caption on reverse: '6/9/43 B.' Second handwritten caption on reverse: '6/9/43 GNE crashed on approach.'
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Buzzing Bronco, Winning Run
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 305th Bomb Group 365th Bomb Squadron

Events

Event Location Date Description

Enlisted

Chicago, IL, USA 19 August 1942 Residence: Cook County, Illinois Private, Branch Immaterial

Died

21 July 1944

Born

Illinois, USA

Other

Killed in Action

Germany 21 July 1944

Buried

Plot E Row 13 Grave 22

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added some punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid readability.

Date
Contributorbombercommand
Changes
Date
ContributorEmily
Changes
Sources

Records from the US Military Tribunal at Dachau, US POW cases, January- December 1947, at the Jewish Virtual Library, Case No. 12-779 (US vs. Heinrich Birnbreier et al) Tried 25 April 47

Nazi crime on 5 US soldiers marks the 70th anniversary (Translated title), German newspaper article on the murder from 2014.

MACR 7276 via Fold 3

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Brought in information from duplicate record (now deleted). Source:
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop & Hey p. 276 w/ picture of crew an ac in Kent field

Also see: https://www.abmc.gov/node/537681#.VwY4I032aM8

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Date
Contributorbombercommand
Changes
Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 7276 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Frank Leo Misiak: Gallery (2 items)