Bruno Matika was born at Clifford, Blairsville Township, Williamson County, Illinois on September 5, 1916. He was one of at least eight children of George Matika (1876 – 1933) and Mary (Bielak) Matika (15 Mar 1880 – 20 Oct 1951), who were born in Poland. His parents married about 1899. His father immigrated to America about 1900, and his mother about 1902. His father was a coal miner. In 1920 the family lived at Clifford in Blairsville Township, Williamson County, Illinois. Clifford was located along Hurricane Creek just north of Colpville in Blairsville Township, and was the site of Consolidated #8 Mine of the Big Muddy Coal & Iron Company. In 1930 the family home was at 312 East 6th Street, West Frankfort, Franklin County, Illinois.

His father died in 1933, and because of the Depression there were few jobs. The family moved to California about 1938, where Bruno and many of his brothers found work. In April 1940 the family home was at 3846 South Hill Street, Los Angeles, California. He had only a grammar school education, but found work as a sheet metal worker at the Douglas Aircraft factory in Santa Monica, California. He registered for the draft at Los Angeles on October 16, 1940. He was 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighed 142 pounds, and had blue eyes and brown hair. At that time he lived with his mother at 1954 South Bedford Street in Los Angeles. He applied for and was accepted into the U.S. Army Aviation Cadet training program. He was single when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Los Angeles, California on August 31, 1942.

He probably entered Aviation Cadet training at Santa Ana Army Air Base, California. Following the classification process, he was selected for Army Air Forces pilot training in Class 43-J. He completed the Primary phase of pilot training at Thunderbird Field II, Scottsdale, Arizona; the Basic phase at Pecos Army Air Field, Texas; and the Advanced phase at Marfa Army Air Field, Texas. He graduated at Marfa and received his wings and commission on November 3, 1943.

He was assigned as copilot on the heavy bomber crew of Lt James A. Logan. By December 1943 the Logan crew began B-24 crew training at Davis-Monthan Field in Tucson, Arizona. In January 1944 the crew was assigned to the 836th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. There they completed B-24 crew training, and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. They flew B-24H 41-29520 from Alamogordo, New Mexico to Lavenham, England via the southern Atlantic ferry route—a journey of about 10,000 miles—and arrived in England by mid-April 1944. The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.

On July 2, 1944 the 487th Bomb Group dispatched two squadrons of B-24s to bomb the German V-weapon site at Belloy-sur-Somme, France, northwest of Amiens near the River Somme. The Logan crew flew B-24H 42-52609 on this mission. On the return route, Lt Matika and five of his crewmates were killed in action when their aircraft was shot down by flak in the area of Bethune-St. Pol, France. After the aircraft was hit and on fire, Lt Logan pulled up to avoid colliding with another aircraft in the formation, B-24H 42-52766 'Sammy's Niece' with the crew of Lt Joseph P. Peyton aboard. This selfless act saved Lt Peyton's aircraft and crew. Lt Logan's aircraft then broke up and went down in flames. It crashed 3.5 kilometers west of Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise, and 2 kilometers east of Siracourt, in the vicinity of 50.373°N, 2.291°E. Three men survived and became prisoners of war.

Lt Matika was buried initially at Evreux, France. After the war his remains were reinterred at Normandy American Cemetery, France.

B-24H 42-52609 crew:
• Logan, James A – 2/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Matika, Bruno – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Doran, Harry LeRoy – 2/Lt – Navigator – POW
• Greer, George Hubert – T/Sgt – Engineer – POW
• Johnson, William T – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Pellizzer, Louis – S/Sgt – Nose Turret Gunner – KIA
• Wilson, Max W – S/Sgt – Upper Turret Gunner – KIA
• Buck, Herman W – S/Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – KIA
• Ross, John Finlay – S/Sgt – Tail Turret Gunner – POW

Source of information: Paul M. Webber, www.findagrave.com