Joseph P. “Jersey Joe” Owsianik was born on May 3, 1924, in New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey. He was the son of Paul Owsianik and Mary Locke Owsianik. He was married to Josephine Kosky Owsianik. He enlisted in the service on March 23, 1943. He served in the 20th Bombardment Squadron, 2nd Bomber Group, as a Staff Sergeant and Waist Gunner of B-17G #42-97159 nicknamed “Tail End Charlie” during World War II. He participated in 35 missions over European targets before being shot down.

On August 29, 1944, the 15th Air Force launched Mission 263, a major raid against the Moravská Ostrava industrial complex in German-occupied Czechoslovakia. Flying from Amendola Air Base in Foggia, Italy, the 2nd Bomb Group took part in what became known as the Air Battle over the White Carpathians. During the attack, the formation was ambushed by nearly 90 German fighters, resulting in one of the group’s worst losses of the war. Within twenty minutes, eight of the nine B-17s from the 20th Bomb Squadron were shot down, crashing across Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. One of these aircraft was B-17G “Tail End Charlie” (42-97159), flying in the rear position of the formation where attacks were heaviest. After sustaining severe damage, the bomber fell from formation and crashed near Bojkovice or in the Přečkovice Woods in the Zlín region of Moravia. Two crewmen were killed, six were captured, and two evaded capture.

SSgt Owsianik was captured and held at Stalag Luft IV in Germany. His wartime experiences were later featured in the books Mighty by Sacrifice and Mission 263. After the war, he remained active in veterans’ organizations, including the Ex-Prisoners of War, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV). He died on November 1, 2010, and is now buried in the Hillside Cemetery, Scotch Plains, Union County, New Jersey, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, b17flyingfortress.de, www.legacy.com