Luick Ferdinand W.

Name:

Ferdinand W. Luick

Rank:

Technical Sergeant

Serial Number:

32590251

Unit:

86th Troop Squadron, 437th Troop Carrier Group

Date of Death:

1945-03-24

State:

New Jersey

Cemetery:

Netherlands American Cemetery, Netherlands

Plot:

Tablets of the Missing

Row:

Grave:

Decoration:

Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters

Comments:

Ferdinand W. Luick entered the military service in New Jersey. He served in the 86th Squadron, 437th Troop Carrier Group as a Technical Sergeant and Crew Chief on the C-47 #42-92881 "Scotty" during World War II.

On March 24, 1945, the C-47 transport plane was hit by flak and small arms fire during the the Rhein crossing (Operation Varsity). It operated on a glider tow mission. Both gliders detached and the airplane descended in flames and crashed. Two occupants bailed out and were taken prisoners by the Germans and were held until the paratroopers arrived. TSGT Luick's remains were never found. His name is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing, Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands.

Crew of C47 #42-92881:
CPT Samuel Fleming - Pilot
2LT Robert C. Regan - Co-Pilot
TSGT Ferdinand W. Luick - Crew Chief
SSGT Railly - Radio Operator (survived)
1LT Sterba - Navigator (survived)

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, aviation-safety.net, www.abmc.gov