U.S. Army Service No. (ASN): #6994841

Entered the Service from: Pennsylvania

8th Combat Camera Unit, Eighth Air Force

Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart

August Kurjack is listed under Finding Of Death in the 1946 Army and Army Air Forces Personnel Casualty List for Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania, U.S., Marriages, 1852-1968 lists August T. Kurjack with marriage date of 4 Jun 1942 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania to Mary Erdeky. Father and mother listed as Joseph Kurjack and Irma Tarnok.

U.S., Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Unaccounted-for Remains, Group B (Unrecoverable), 1941-1975 lists his MIA Place as English Channel (France) on 13 Aug 1944.

Pennsylvania, U.S., Veteran Compensation Application Files, WWII, 1950-1966 lists enlistment date of May 1942 and overseas service starting in July 1943.

***I would like to thank Al Skiff Find A Grave ID 49788721 for adding his photo of August to this memorial***

***I would like to thank Laura Phillips Find A Grave ID 47011310 for adding her photo of August to this memorial***

***I would like to thank Ardennes Cemetery Find A Grave ID 48030729 for adding their photo to this memorial***

***I would like to thank ernie Find A Grave ID 48454782 for linking his father to this memorial***

Father, Joseph Kurjack

Mother, Irma Kojack

Wife, Mary M Kojack

Rank: Staff Sergeant

Function: Aerial Photographer

Division – Transport: 8th Air Force

Company – Squadron: 654th Reconnaissance Squadron

Unit – Group: 25th Bomber Reconnaissance, 8th Combat Camera Unit

Plane data:

(Serialnumber, MACR, etc.) Serialnumber: MM-370

Type: Mosquito, MK XVI

Destination: Sub Pens of Le Havre, France

Mission: Photo

MACR: 8543

Place of death: Le Havre, France

Spot: North side of the river Seine

Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart

Aircraft 370 - Mosquito - was briefed to take movies of the operation of August 13, 1944.

The pilot 1st Lt Dean H. Sanner, in his eagerness to do a great job, stayed too low, and his plane was hit by bomb fragments, causing it to crash. Southeast of Le Havre on the north bank of the mouth of the river Seine was the spot where the first bomb struck. Ship 370 flew through the bomb burst approximately ten seconds after strike on near side of bomb burst.

The plane appeared to be hit by fragments of the bomb. It immediately began to smoke, the right wing went down at about 400 feet, went into a right bank, causing the plane to crash and burn. One parachute opened just before the crash and the parachutist hit on the muddy delta. On last observation he had not spilled his parachute.

Statement from Lt Col Roy W. Forrest, A.C. Commanding:

"August didn't bail out. He was last seen in the nose of the plane. The pilot believed that he hit the ground with the plane. The pilot asked the Jerries right away if they had seen S/Sgt Kurjack, because he knew that he would be seriously hurt or dead but the Jerries said they could not find him."