World War II Honoree

Joseph F. Quirk, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Collingdale, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

ARMY AIR FORCES TAIL GUNNER ON B-24’S WITH 8TH AIR FORCE, 446TH BOMB GROUP, 707TH SQUADRON. WAS SHOT DOWN OVER GERMAN OCCUPIED FRANCE AND ESCAPED TO ENGLAND VIA THE FRENCH RESISTANCE. HE WAS ABOARD A 446TH BOMB GROUP B-24 ON NOVEMBER 18, 1943 BOUND FROM AFRICA TO ENGLAND, WHEN GERMAN FORCES INTERCEPTED THE PLANE’S RADIO TRAFFIC. THE GERMAN’S TRANSMITTED FALSE DIRECTIONS, GUIDING THE BOMBER TO OCCUPIED FRENCH AIRSPACE, WHERE IT WAS SHOT DOWN OVER THE FRENCH PORT OF BREST. AS THE AIRCRAFT BURST INTO FLAMES, HE PARACHUTED OUT. AT DUSK MEN FROM THE FRENCH RESISTANCE FOUND HIM AND HELPED HIM ESCAPE. ON DECEMBER 1, 1943, HE SWAM TO AN ISLAND AND FOUND ROWBOATS THAT WOULD TAKE HIM TO A BRITISH GUNBOAT. AS THE GUNBOAT NEARED, HIS ROWBOAT CAPSIZED HURLING HIM INTO THE SEA. A BRITISH SAILOR THREW HIM A ROPE AND PULLED HIM ONTO THE GUNBOAT’S DECK. THIRTY-TWO MEN WERE RESCUED THAT NIGHT.