Kudej Elmer

Name:

Elmer Kudej

Rank:

Staff Sergeant

Serial Number:

35316181

Unit:

329th Bomber Squadron, 93rd Bomber Group, Heavy

Date of Death:

1944-01-07

State:

Ohio

Cemetery:

Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-Sur-Mer, France

Plot:

B

Row:

18

Grave:

39

Decoration:

Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart

Comments:

Elmer Kudej was born on November 29, 1921, in Cleveland, Ohio. He was the son of James Kudej and Marie Stika Kudej.

Elmer served in the 328th Bomber Squadron, 93rd Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Right Waist Gunner on the B-24 #42-40990 'On the Ball' during World War II.

On January 7, 1944, his crew took off from Station 104 airfield in Hardwick, England, on a mission to bomb the Krupp factories in Ludwigshafen/Mannheim, Germany. On their return from the mission, their plane was shot down by an Fw190 of JG2 at 1:20 PM. Six members were able to bail out and survived, while the three that didn't make it were killed, including SSgt Kudej. Out of the six survivors, two were taken as prisoners.

SSgt Kudej is now buried in the Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-Sur-Mer, France.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, francecrashes39-45.net, www.abmc.gov