VRATNY, Franck

Name: Franck VRATNY

Born 31 October 1917

Birthplace: Lehigh, Iowa

Age at arrival in Buchenwald: 26

Died 5 September 2005 in Lehigh, Iowa, age 87

Service: USAAF

Service ID: O-743141

Service Rank: 1st Lieutenant

Duties: Pilot

Air Group: 8th Air Force, 487th Bomb Group, 838th Bomb Squadron

Airbase: Lavenham, Suffolk UK

Aircraft: B-24 41-29468

Date shot down: 11 May 1944

Fate of crew: All 11 crewmen evaded, 7 captured; included HEIMERMAN,  Vratney, PELLETIER, and WATSON.

Evasion summary: A helper in Vincennes (an old cobbler) and his wife turned Vratny to another team inside Paris… Girard confirmed that Vratny was turned over to Prevot

Date captured: 19 July 1944

Capture summary: Other crew members were captured on 5 August 1944.

Boxcar Transport: 15-20 August 1944, in boxcar #1 or #2

Buchenwald ID: 78328

Notes on Buchenwald internment:

Transferred from Buchenwald to: Stalag Luft III, North Compound

Kriege ID: 8158

Notes on SLIII internment:

Subsequent transfer to: Stalag XIII-D, Nurnberg.

Notes on internment: Forced march and boxcar to Stalag VIIA 2-16 April 1945.

Liberation: 29 April 1945 by units of the 14th Armored Division from Patton’s Third Army.

Repatriation from ETO:

Discharged:

VA status:

Notes on Post-War period: