Lt. Andrew Sinila was a B-24 Pilot, flying in the Co-Pilot's position on 14 Feb.1944 when they were shot-down over Italy. 450th Bomb Group HEAVY, 723 BS. B-24 Liberators.

"The PEN" … it was a B-24, which crashed on 14 February 1944. From Professor Agostini Alberti (of the "Air Crash PO" Recovery Team) to The WWII Historical Research Team; John T Fitzgerald, Patti Johnson and Barbara Connolly.
" I would have another request for you: investigating around the planes crashed in the Mantua area, I have found several intersting cases. Let's have a glance at the following message to have an idea of how many pilots and planes went down in that small area.

Today I have received a phone call from and old woman who has told me her parents rescued and assisted and American airman whose plane was downed in Spring 1944 at Bondeno (Mantua). The airman was helped and was hidden in a farnhouse. When he walked
away, he made a present: a pen with the inscription ALEXANDER SINILA. May be this was the name of the airman?"

It's one story that we will appreciate, and Never Forget. We can only hope, he told
his family about The "PEN Story".

14 February 1944--450thBG--723rdBS--Time:1328 A/C: B-24(H)--42-7710--No Nickname Listed MACR: 3157 Depart: Manduria A/B, Italy Combat (Bombing) Mission
Target/Destination: Verona, Italy Dropped out of Formation, Last Seen Over Mantova, Italy

P: Robert H. Germand; 1Lt.; O-799755--POW; RTD.
HOMETOWN: Baltimore, MARYLAND

CP: Alexander Sinila, 2Lt.; O-691001--POW; RTD
HOMETOWN: Chicago, ILLINOIS

N: Edward A. Wojcoski, 2Lt.; O-809793--POW; RTD
HOMETOWN: New London, CONNECTICUT

B: Anthony Santomango, F/O; T-121810--POW; RTD
HOMETOWN: Essex County, MASSACHUSETTS

E: Peter J. Venezia, S/Sgt.; 31193038--KIA
HOMETOWN: Norwalk, Fairfield County, CONNECTICUT

AE: Rocco J. Mitchell, S/Sgt.; 13100323--POW; RTD
HOMETOWN: Duryea, Lackawana, PENNSYLVANIA

R: Luis A. Vasquez, S/Sgt.; 39268416--POW; RTD
HOMETOWN: Colton, CALIFORNIA

AR: Zelford D. Mathis, S/Sgt.; 34425502--POW; RTD
HOMETOWN: Rienzi, MISSISSIPPI

AG: William J. Rossman, S/Sgt.; 36296586--POW; RTD
HOMETOWN: Racine, WISCONSIN

AAG: Ronald J. Boucher, Sgt.; 19113401--KIA
HOMETOWN: King County, WASHINGTON

==========================================
Cook County, Illinois, Birth Certificates Index, 1871-1922
Name: Alexander Sinila
Birth Date: 11 Mar 1922
Birth Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Gender: Male
Father Name: John Sinila
Father's Age: 45
Mother Name: Alexandra Snarska

Mother's Age: 35

World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938 - 1946
ARMY SERIAL NUMBER 16078796 NAME SINILA ALEXANDER;
RESIDENCE: STATE ILLINOIS: COUNTY COOK; PLACE OF ENLISTMENT CHICAGO ILLINOIS; DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY 08 June, 1942; AC# Air Corps;
BRANCH: Air Corps; EDUC. SPEC. ## ## DEFER. DATE MONTH 04 DEFER. DATE YEAR 03 SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL Civil Life NATIVITY ILLINOIS YEAR OF BIRTH 1922 RACE AND CITIZENSHIP White, citizen; EDUCATION 4 years of high school
CIVILIAN OCCUPATION 688 Semiskilled occupations in mechanical treatment of
metals (rolling, stamping, forging, pressing, etc.), n.e.c. MARITAL STATUS 6 Single, without dependents
COMPONENT OF THE ARMY 3 Reserves - exclusive of Regular Army Reserve and
Officers of the Officers Reserve Corps on active duty under the Thomason

Act (Officers and Enlisted Men -- O.R.C. and E.R.C., and Nurses-Reserve Status)

World War II Prisoners of War Data File, 12/7/1941 - 11/19/1946
SERIAL NUMBER O&691001 O&691001 NAME SINILA ALEXANDER SINILA ALEXANDER
GRADE, ALPHA 2 LT Second Lieutenant ARM OR SERVICE AC Air Corps
DATE REPORT: DAY 14 Feb. 1944 RACIAL GROUP; WHITE; STATE OF RESIDENCE Illinois TYPE OF ORGANIZATION 215 Bombardment, Heavy PARENT UNIT NUMBER 0450
PARENT UNIT TYPE 06 Group/Regiment/Commands/System
AREA North African Theatre: Italy ; LATEST REPORT DATE: DAY 04 June, 1945
STATUS Returned to Military Control; DETAINING POWER GERMANY
CAMP 032 Stalag Luft 1 Barth-Vogelsang Prussia 54-12
REP …POW TRANSPORT SHIPS

Social Security Death Index about - Name: Alexander Sinila; Last Residence: 60010 Barrington, Lake, Illinois, USA; Born: 11 Mar 1922 - Died: 24 Sep 2000

State (Year) SSN issued: Illinois (Before 1951)

Alexander Sinila Sr.: Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice
Barrington Courier-Review (IL) - September 28, 2000
Deceased Name: Alexander Sinila Sr.
A funeral service for Alexander Sinila Sr., 78, will be held at 11 a.m.
today (Thursday) at Davenport Family Funeral Home, 149 W. Main St.,
Barrington. Illinois
Born March 11, 1922, in Chicago, he died Sunday from complications of
surgery.

A graduate of Bowen High School's Class of 1940, Mr. Sinila was a pilot in
the Army Air Forces during World War II as part of the 723rd unit of the
450th Bomb Group known as the "Cottontails." His plane was shot down near
Verona, Italy, on Feb. 14, 1944, and he was a prisoner of war until May 1,
1945.

In 1950 he earned an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering,
followed by a master's degree in engineering in 1952, specializing in heat
transfer, from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.

Mr. Sinila and his lifelong friend, Charles Soderquist, formed their own
company, Instrument & Development Products Inc., specializing in the design
of scientific products. Later he formed Alsin Associates, a manufacturers
representative, and Aptec Corp., a design, development and sales organization
for the medical diagnostic field. A longtime ham operator, he quickly
embraced computers, eventually becoming an Internet enthusiast.

He is survived by his wife, Gloria; a son, Alex; daughters Leslie Puget and
Lauren Tripp; and grandsons, Reese and Ross Tripp.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Linda.

http://www.wwiimemorial.com/registry/search/pframe.asp?HonoreeID=550337&
Alexander Sinila
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Army Air Forces
HONORED BY: Karen L. Hermansen

ACTIVITY DURING WWII
SERVED AS A PILOT; SPENT 17 MONTHS IN A GERMAN POW CAMP AFTER BEING SHOT
DOWN OVER ITALY.