Staff Sargeant Thaddeus M. Damsz - 366th Bombardment Squadron
Thaddeus M. Damsz was born on January 11, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois. The son of Polish immigrants, he enlisted in the US Army on May 28, 1943. Damsz saw basic training, followed by gunnery school, and was employed as B-17 tail gunner by summer with 366th Bombardment Squadron, 305th Bombardment Group (H). With an escalation in attacks on Europe by the US Army Air Corps, and mounting losses as a result, airmen like Damsz saw immediate action. By August 27, 1943, only three months after his enlistment, Damsz was decorated with the Air Medal in recognition of five missions. Four days later, while on a mission to bomb Luftwaffe airfields in France, Damsz was wounded, resulting in the award of the Purple Heart two weeks later. He was one of four men to be wounded in his Bomb Group that day.
Three days before the bestowal of Damsz’s Purple Heart, he was awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster to his Air Medal, this time for the downing of an aircraft from his position as tail gunner. It is unknown when he shot down the German plane, but two aircraft were shot down by his bomb group on the day he was wounded.
Damsz continued to fly combat mission over occupied Europe. On September 25, 1943, he was decorated with a second Oak Leaf Cluster for five more combat missions. Less than a month later, on October 22, 1943, Damsz received a third Oak Leaf Cluster for, yet another five combat missions. He also went on to shoot down another German plane. Finally, on October 29, 1943, Damsz was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for displaying great courage and skill and “… fighting from his gun position has destroyed two enemy airplanes, warded off many enemy attacks and has materially aided in the success of each of the fifteen missions.”
The remainder of Damsz’s career is unknown, apart from a wound received in action in February 1945. He survived the war, had a family, and passed away on July 6, 1981.
Damsz's medals with their cases. Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart and Air Medal.