Melo Volavka was born at Caldwell, Sumner County, Kansas on November 8, 1918. He was one of eight children of Karel Volavka (24 Oct 1885 – 28 Apr 1957) and Antonie (Anton) Volavka (29 May 1894 – 15 Jan 1962), who were born in Czechoslovakia. His father immigrated to America at the Port of New York in April 1910, and became a naturalized citizen in September 1916. His mother immigrated in 1914 and became a naturalized citizen by 1930. His parents married in 1914 and lived at Bluff Township, Sumner County, Kansas (near Caldwell), where his father was a farmer.

He registered for the draft at Caldwell, Kansas on October 16, 1940. He was 6 feet tall, weighed 185 pounds, and had blue eyes and brown hair. At that time he was a self-employed farmer in Bluff Township, Kansas. A note on his draft registration shows that his address changed to Fort Smith, Arkansas in December 1941; but by March 1943 he lived at Chikaskia Township, Kansas, just north of Caldwell.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army (place and date unknown) and completed Army Air Forces flight engineer and aerial gunnery training. He was assigned to the heavy bomber crew of Lt Richard F. Lee in the 836th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group. The Lee crew completed B-24 crew training with the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico, and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. They flew B-24H 42-52657 from Alamogordo, New Mexico to Lavenham, England via the southern Atlantic ferry route—a journey of about 10,000 miles—and arrived at Lavenham 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.

By August 1944 the 487th Bomb Group transitioned to flying the B-17 'Flying Fortress'; and by September 1944 T/Sgt Volavka was assigned as engineer on the crew of Lt Harold E. Oesch in the 836th Bomb Squadron. (Lt Oesch was Lt Lee's original copilot.)

On September 30, 1944, the 487th Bomb Group took off from Lavenham Airfield to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Bielefeld, Germany. The Oesch crew flew B-17G 43-38154 'Heavenly Body' on this mission. T/Sgt Volavka and seven of his crewmates were killed in action when their aircraft collided with another aircraft after bombs away over Bielefeld. Apparently Lt Oesch, flying in the number 7 position of the Low Squadron, was caught in prop wash turbulence during the descending turn away from the target. His aircraft flipped over on its back and collided with B-17G 43-38037 'Liberty Belle', piloted by Lt Raymond F. Jackson, who was flying in the number 9 position. (Note: This is based on an eyewitness account, and differs from the report in MACR 9423.) 'Liberty Belle' lost its outboard starboard wing, and both ships went down. Lt Zalneraitis, bombardier on the Oesch crew, was able to parachute safely and survived as a prisoner of war. Seven members of the Jackson crew were killed; two survived and became prisoners of war.

After the war his remains were returned to the United States and reinterred in the family plot at Czechoslovakian Cemetery near Caldwell, Kansas.

B-17G 43-38154 crew:
• Oesch, Harold E – 1/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Furr, Wilburn E – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Miller Jr, Henry J – 1/Lt – Navigator – KIA
• Zalneraitis, Vitold A – 1/Lt – Bombardier – POW
• Volavka, Melo – T/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• Stanley, Martin E – T/Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Graves, Hudie E – S/Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – KIA
• Green, Willard A – S/Sgt – Tail Gunner – KIA
• Focht, William J – S/Sgt – Waist Gunner – KIA

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