S/Sgt
Joseph A. KRYSTOF
Army Serial Number: 36503371
Enlistment Date: June 2, 1942
Assigned to the 100th Bombardment Group
Location:
Unit: 350th Bombardment Squadron
Rank:
Position: Ground personnel
Beginning Date of 100th Service: Unknown
Time of Service at Thorpe Abbotts: Unknown - Unknown
Additional 100th Service Notes
Comments: POSSIBLE SPARE GUNNER
Biography
Born August 11, 1942
Died postwar on December 22, 1961
Additional Military Documents
Joseph Krystof
Headstone application
Comments and Notes
Memo 1:
In a message dated 5/12/2005 6:01:38 PM Pacific Daylight Time, gkrystof2002@earthlink.net writes:
Subj: RE: Feedback: from 100thbg.com
Date: 5/12/2005 6:01:38 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: gkrystof2002@earthlink.net
To: MPFaley@aol.com
Sent from the Internet
Hi Michael,
I truly appreciate your reply and time...
I will scan the picture into jpg this evening and have it to you tomorrow by email attachment.
My reference to the 100th is from his grave marker in Detroit, Michigan. It states, "Joseph Anthony Krystof...S. Sgt. 100 Bomb GP AAF...World War II". He was born on August 11, 1912 and died on December 22, 1961.
From family comments, I was told he was a side gunner on a B-17 and that he flew many missions. One family member said that his plane was once shot down, but he had parachuted to safety (not captured). He then apparently was assigned to another plane.
I will get the photo and scan it for email as soon as possible.
Again, thank you for your time. Finding details of him is extremely interesting to me....
Gary Krystof
Hi Gary,
That photo will come in mighty handy, It has to be an overseas shot. Your Dad was ORIGINAL 100th Bomb Group Cadre, but not Air echelon but Ground Echelon. On October 21, 1942, he was transferred from the 29th Bomb Group, 43rd Bomb Squadron, commanded by Capt. Gale "Buck" Cleven, Stationed at Gowan Field, Boise ID, to to Army Air Base, Walla Walla Washington. He was a Private at the time. He was with the Group as a Corporal in Walla Walla Washington on Nov 23, 1942 and they have his name mispelled as Krystoff, Joseph A. His serial number was #36503371. By the move overseas in May 1943, he was a S/Sgt but still part of the Ground Echelon. Now your Dad may have become a gunner once he was overseas and been put into what was called the Spare Gunners poll. A spare gunner would fill in whenever a gunner was sick. If he did fly missions, this took place in late 44 early 45 because we have no record of him flying any missions before that time. I am sorry I could not come up with more for you.
Regards,
Michael Faley
100th Bomb Group Historian and Photo Archives
