F/O Carlo Charles Starkovich

1919 – 6 June 1944

36th Bombardment Squadron, 801st Bomber Group, Heavy, Eighth Air Force

Died of wounds as a POW on a German operating table after plane was shot down on D-day mission

Carlo Charles Starkovich was born in 1919 to Matt and Stella Starkovich in New Mexico. He was the middle child of five sons. When he enlisted, his first Service Number was 20847835; his second was T-121795. He became a flight officer and bombardier in the U.S. Army Air Forces until his plane was shot down by flak during a secret mission over Belgium. Most of the crew died immediately, but Starkovich was found alive by enemy troops who took him prisoner. He suffered spinal injuries and succumbed to his wounds on a German operating table that same night – D-day, June 6, 1944.

Carlo’s parents, Matt and Estanka “Stella” Starkovich, were originally from eastern Europe, possibly Croatia, Yugoslavia, or Austria. They probably spoke Croatian or Hungarian. Matt and Stella had elementary school educations and arrived in the U.S. in 1906. Carlo and his four brothers were born in New Mexico.

In Gardiner, New Mexico, about three miles from Raton, the Starkoviches found work in the coal mines. At the time, there were probably less than 1,000 people residing there, and today is it is a ghost town. Matt was working in the mines at least as early as 1920, and in 1930, during the Great Depression, Stella joined him working there. In 1940, Matt and one of his other sons continued to work in the mines. It is safe to say that Carlo grew up in a small town that revolved around the coal mines and where everyone knew each other.

In 1940, at the age of 21, Carlo was, not surprisingly, working as a coal digger. He was living with his parents and was single. Somewhere in the next four years, Carlo and Celine M. Starkovich (maiden name unknown) of Raton were married.

Carlo enlisted on 6 January 1941 in Raton, New Mexico. He was Catholic. He entered the National Guard, infantry. He had finished four years of high school. He was 6 feet tall and weighed 160 pounds. He had a Service Number of 20847835. When he later became a flight officer, his Service Number became T-121795.

Flight officer Starkovich became a bombardier, who was the crewmember of a bomber aircraft responsible for the targeting of aerial bombs. He may trained on B-17 “Flying Fortresses”, but he eventually would find a spot on a B-24D Liberator heavy bomber, known to crews as “The Flying Coffin.”

“The B-24 planes dropped more than 630,000 bombs in the Second World War. They were the most produced aircraft in America. The four engine plane was notorious among its pilots and crews. Officially called ‘The liberator’, B-24 could easily turn into a death trap. The controls were heavy and rigid, which made it hard to handle so, unofficially, it was named ‘The Flying Coffin’. It had only one exit, through the plane’s tail, and the crew couldn’t reach the back of the flight deck wearing a parachute.” – warhistoryonline.com

However, Carlo’s Group would not drop bombs as most Groups did. Some planes of the 36th used Radio Counter Measures (RCMs) to confound the enemy’s radar and warning system, which helped in the success of the beachhead invasion on D-day. Their missions can be explained by a description of their insignia: “It depicts a winged radar gremlin whose body and nose consisted of radio tubes and from whose fingertips emitted the radio transmissions which fouled the enemy radar devices. Placed between the wings above the ‘Gremlin’ was the term RAFU meaning Radar All Fouled Up.” – heroesofourtime.co.uk

Starkovich’s squadron was involved in what was perhaps an even more dangerous assignment. The 36th Bombardment Squadron was part of the 801st Bomb Group. “The 801st Bomb Group was established as part of the Eighth Air Force in late March 1944 to carry out 'Carpetbagger' missions. These were night missions over France and other parts of occupied Europe to support resistance forces by dropping in agents, supplies, and leaflets. The B-24 Liberators flown by the Group were painted black to help the crews evade detection by enemy anti-aircraft positions.” – americanairmuseum.com

In an effort to give them an idea of what they were in for, Lt. Col. Robert W. Fish briefed the men of the 788th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) by telling them they could forget their training in high-altitude strategic bombing. “You are going to learn to fly your airplane 400 feet above the ground—10 miles per hour above stalling. And in addition, you’re going to do this at night and you’re going to do it as a single ship mission. I’m going to give you five minutes to think about it. Now, if you don’t want to be a part of this all you have to do is to get up and walk out. You’ll go back to your group and nothing will be said and it won’t reflect against your record.” – historynet.com

The Office of Strategic Services – the precursor to the CIA – came up with and ordered the missions. The Carpetbaggers essentially became the air arm of the OSS. Supply containers with parachutes were loaded and dropped just like bombs. They dropped small arms, bazookas, mortar tubes, jerrycans of gasoline, bicycles (with French trademarks), ammunition, grenades, sabotage equipment, clothing, food, medical supplies, field dressings, radio sets, and eventually thousands of carrier pigeons. An on-base sewing factory labored around the clock to turn out enough silk parachutes and harnesses for everything. Stationed at RAF Harrington in Northamptonshire, England, 40 to 50 Liberators took off each night. – historynet.com

Starkovich had flown in 15 such missions over Belgium and France, and he had always made it back home to England. That night before D-day, however, would prove different. The OSS was sending them on a secret mission alone, in the dark, to connect with Underground forces behind enemy lines in the wee hours before the invasion of the Continent. The crew of eight loaded themselves into B-24D bomber #42-63784. They took off from RAF Harrington at 2:15 AM for Belgium on 6 June 1944. Carlo Starkovich was never to see England again.

The pilot, Lt. Kenneth Pratt, would later describe that night in his own words. “Our 16th mission was to a small target in Belgium near Luxembourg. Due to a low ceiling and bad visibility we were unable to locate target. Returning, slightly off course, we hit Namur, Belgium and was fired upon. We turned west, picked up our course and decided to climb above the overcast since pilotage was impossible even at such a low altitude [1,000 feet]. Reaching about 4,500 ft, we were supposedly directly on course to Hal, Belgium over next checkpoint. Bombardier [Starkovich] and tail gunner both shouted flak over intercom. No. 4 engine lost power, No. 2 and 3 caught fire, then the ship exploded. This all took place so quickly no one had a chance to act.” -- https://catalog.archives.gov/id/90983136

The explosion above La Hulpe, Belgium, blew a few of the men free from the rest of the plane, resulting in their survival (for one, only temporarily). It appears that four of the crew died either in the explosion from flak or in the blast when the remnants of the plane hit the ground. Nearby American crewmen saw flames erupt when Carlo’s plane smashed into the earth.

All of those who were alive were seriously injured. The co-pilot was taken prisoner by the Germans and lived to see the end of the war from a POW camp. The pilot managed to walk away and find members of the Belgian Underground. He hid and worked with them until the country was liberated by Americans several months later, -- http://www.801492.org/Air%20Crew/Parnell%20-%20Carpetbaggers%202ndEd.pdf, p. 52

Carlo Starkovich was one of those who was blown free from the rest of the fuselage. He suffered serious spinal cord injuries, but was picked up by the enemy and taken to a Luftwaffe hospital. He had a broken leg and nose with much blood loss. Later that same night, the very long day of D-day, Carlo Starkovich died as a prisoner of war on a German operating table.

The dead crewmen were identified by their dog tags, which were recovered by the Germans and returned to the American government, along with possessions that were on their bodies at the time of death. Carlo’s included an opened package of emergency rations, a wrist watch, two rings, a pocket knife, pencils, India rubber, a rosary, and a key, . -- Missing Air Crew Report number 5393

On July 25, 1944, The Gallup Independent reported Carlo Starkovich, husband of Mrs. Celine M. Starkovich, as missing in action. He was laid to rest in the Ardennes American Cemetery, Plot B, Rowe 23, Grave 10, Neupré, Belgium.

Carlo Starkovich was in the military for over three years. Two days before his death, he was awarded an Air Medal with oak leaf clusters. The Air Medal is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.

Supplies dropped by the Carpetbaggers to the Underground were essential for sabotage and spying in order to bring down the Germans.“By the end of the war in Europe, the 801st and 492nd Bomb Groups had dropped some 4,500 tons of supplies and hundreds of personnel over enemy territory. 25 Liberators were shot down and eight more so badly that they were scrapped.” – http://donhollway.com/carpetbaggers/

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