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Stanislaus L. Mikolajczyk

Co-Pilot · 328th Squadron
HometownBrooklyn, NY

2nd Lt. Stanislaus L. Mikolajczyk served as co-pilot of B-24J 42-99949 ("Naughty Man"), 328th Bombardment Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group.

On 21 September 1944 over Belgium, Mikolajczyk was observing while the pilot flew on instruments. He spotted an aircraft approaching in a right bank at ten o'clock and grabbed the controls in a desperate attempt to pull their ship up and over it. The collision could not be avoided. He managed to escape the stricken aircraft and landed safely, returning to duty.

From the 2nd Air Division Association Yearbook

Assigned to 93rd Bomb Group, 328th Sqdn. (Ted's Flying Circus) in June 1944 as B-24 co-pilot. On Sept. 21, 1944, was in a mid-air collision with a 330th Sqdn. B-24 — only the flight deck of his plane survived. Flew an additional 16 missions to complete his tour.

Completed Tour

Sortie Log

7 CATALOGUED SORTIES
21 SEP 1944 — 30 DEC 1944

The sorties below are those we have been able to document for this airman, drawn from flight logs, mission records, and archival sources. It is not necessarily a complete account of every mission flown; gaps may reflect missing documentation, transferred assignments, or records lost to time.

8AF Mission
Date
Target
Aircraft
№ 644
21 SEP 1944
Koblenz
B-24J serial 42-99949, nicknamed 'Naughty Man' (with a Warga Girl drawing on the side), was assigned to the 328th Bombardment Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, based at Hardwick. On 21 September 1944 the aircraft departed Hardwick on an operational mission to Koblenz, Germany. At approximately 1256 hours, at coordinates 50 53N 03 18E at 16,000 feet over Belgium, the aircraft was involved in a mid-air collision while forming up in clouds. The nose section of 42-99949 struck the tail assembly of another B-24 (plane 'C', flying in the 3-3 position). The collision sent 42-99949 into a left bank and then into an unrecoverable spin. Pilot Lt. Johnson was thrown half out of his seat and unable to open the escape hatch. He was flung clear when the forward bomb bay door opened under his weight. The radio operator escaped through a large hole in the nose section. The aircraft crashed and two bombs exploded on the ground. The fuselage from the nose section to the waist windows was completely demolished. Four crew members did not survive: the tail gunner (found half out of his turret), the bombardier, the waist gunner (both found at the rear escape hatch), and the navigator and nose gunner (found near the nose section). The other B-24 involved in the collision (plane 'C') crashed approximately 1/4 mile away. Unmatched crew (not in DB): Johnson Everett (pilot, RTD).
Naughty Nan42-99949
№ 644
21 SEP 1944
Koblenz
B-24J serial 42-99949, nicknamed 'Naughty Man' (with a Warga Girl drawing on the side), was assigned to the 328th Bombardment Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, based at Hardwick. On 21 September 1944 the aircraft departed Hardwick on an operational mission to Koblenz, Germany. At approximately 1256 hours, at coordinates 50 53N 03 18E at 16,000 feet over Belgium, the aircraft was involved in a mid-air collision while forming up in clouds. The nose section of 42-99949 struck the tail assembly of another B-24 (plane 'C', flying in the 3-3 position). The collision sent 42-99949 into a left bank and then into an unrecoverable spin. Pilot Lt. Johnson was thrown half out of his seat and unable to open the escape hatch. He was flung clear when the forward bomb bay door opened under his weight. The radio operator escaped through a large hole in the nose section. The aircraft crashed and two bombs exploded on the ground. The fuselage from the nose section to the waist windows was completely demolished. Four crew members did not survive: the tail gunner (found half out of his turret), the bombardier, the waist gunner (both found at the rear escape hatch), and the navigator and nose gunner (found near the nose section). The other B-24 involved in the collision (plane 'C') crashed approximately 1/4 mile away. Unmatched crew (not in DB): Johnson Everett (pilot, RTD).
Naughty Nan42-99949
№ 670
09 OCT 1944
Target unrecorded
Beaver's Baby42-99994
№ 674
12 OCT 1944
OsnabrückM/Y
Lead aircraft (circle-1 marker); annotation '2nd Lt. H. E. [unclear]' appears in navigator row — possibly an additional officer or alternate; full meaning unclear
42-40480
№ 761
25 DEC 1944
HallschlagC/C
44-48480
№ 769
29 DEC 1944
Duppach??
Circled P indicates lead/command pilot
I'll Get By44-40480
№ 770
30 DEC 1944
MechernichM/Y
I'll Get By44-40480
§ Personal Record
Before the War

Born March 29, 1922 in Brooklyn, NY. Enlisted in USAAC in November 1942. Graduated pilot training at Moody Field, GA in March 1944. Trained as B-24 co-pilot at Savannah, GA.