John Anthony Kurrack (1923 - 1985)

Born 20 Dec 1923 in Cook, Cedar Lake, Hanover Township, Lake, Indiana, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Dorothy Jane (Feldmann) Kurrack — married about 15 Jan 1945 in Smyrna, Tennessee, USA

Descendants

Died 5 Aug 1985 at age 61 in Prospect Heights, Cook, Illinois, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Barbara Cooper [send private message]

Biography

John Kurrack was a B-17 Co-Pilot and Pilot during the final months of WW II. While on his first mission (as co-pilot) of the aircraft "Slightly Dangerous", February 3, 1945 they received heavy flak damage and were forced to divert and land at Rinkaby, Sweden, landing with two burnt engines feathered and two still turning. In keeping with their official status as a "neutral country", Sweden held all such aircrews that landed there during the war - impounding their planes and "interning" their crews. They were released, unharmed, after the war.^{[1] [2]}

Sources

[2]

• Entry for the Slightly Dangerous Mission.

• POW Listing for Lt. John A. Kurrack

• Mission to Berlin: The American Airmen Who Struck the Heart of Hitler's Reich By Robert F. Dorr, Published 2011 by Zenith Press, an imprint of MBI Publishing Company, 400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA. Page 234. Copyright 2011 by Robert F. Dorr. This book is available online as a Google EBook or in print as a paperback. It is a wonderfully written, easy to read account of the final months of the World War II Air War over Europe.

• "United States Census, 1930," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XH96-WYT : accessed 12 Aug 2012), John Kurrack in household of John Kurrack, Hanover, Lake, Indiana; citing enumeration district (ED) 0078, sheet 5A, family 107, NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 600.

• "United States Census, 1940," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V1TG-JT5 : accessed 12 Aug 2012), John Kurrack in household of Otto Kurrack, Hanover Township, Lake, Indiana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 45-14A, sheet 10A, family 183, NARA digital publication T627, roll 1064.

• "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8GH-PWJ : 5 December 2014), John A Kurrack, enlisted 09 Dec 1942, Chicago, Illinois, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smyrna,_Tennessee#History

• "United States Social Security Death Index," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V396-JY8 : accessed 12 Aug 2012), John Kurrack, August 1985; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

Acknowledgements

• Entered by Barbara Cooper based upon personal first-hand knowledge and research, and Keith Baker based upon research. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Barbara, Keith and others.

1. ↑ Entered by Keith Baker and Barbara Cooper 2012 and following
2. ↑ [1]