John Arthur Sainio Jr.
Corporal • U.S. Army Air Forces • Serial 13152875
765th Bomb Squadron, 461st Bomb Group
Entered service from New Jersey • Died December 17, 1944
Awards: Purple Heart, Air Medal
Introduction
Corporal John Arthur Sainio Jr. was born in 1924 to J. Arthur and Hilda Sainio. The Sainios had both come to America from Finland, and met and wed in America. J. Arthur Sr. was a carpenter, and in 1920 the Sainios lived with their daughter Aili at 2529 Hancock Street in Philadelphia, PA. The family moved to New Jersey, and by 1930 they had bought a home at 18 2nd Street in Brooklawn, NJ.
John Arthur Sainio Jr. was a graduate of Gloucester (NJ) High School. He had worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad prior to enlisting in the Army Air Force in November of 1942. Once qualifying for flight duty, he qualified in aerial gunnery and as a flight engineer.
Corporal Sainio was serving as right waist gunner aboard the B-24J 42-50953 “Flying Finger” of the 765th Bomb Squadron, 461st Bomb Group, on December 7, 1944. The aircraft was shot down by fighters while on a bombing raid against oil refineries at Odertal, Germany, crashing 8 miles southwest of Kutzendorf, Czechoslovakia. Besides Corporal Sainio, tail gunner Sgt. Bernard Freeman, the ball turret gunner, and the left waist gunner went down with the plane. The other six crewmembers bailed out and were captured by German ground forces.
Corporal Sainio was reported missing in action over Germany on December 7, 1944. His death was officially confirmed on December 17, 1944.
The Flying Finger — Crew of B-24J 42-50953
Crew of B-24J 42-50953 “Flying Finger,” 765th Bomb Squadron, 461st Bomb Group, 49th Bomb Wing, 15th Air Force. Front row, left to right: Sainio Jr., John; Freeman, Bernard C.; Geier, Leonard G.; White, William C. (BG); Barnson, Valden A.; Eidsmore, Lawrence M. Back row: Hanley, Hugh H.; McLain, Mac; Kreps, Earl W.; and Crossman, Philip J. (P). Photo courtesy of Kathy White Glisson, niece of William C. White.
The “Flying Finger” was flying number three position on its 10th mission when it was hit by more than 50 fighters in the Muglitz area. Tail controls were shot up badly and the ship went down fast. The crew began to bail out at 22,000 feet; the last man out was at 1,500 feet. The ball turret, tail, and both waist gunners went in with the bomber. Most of the crew who bailed out were rounded up by Germans at 2 PM; the pilot, 2Lt Philip J. Crossman, was not captured until 9:50 AM on December 18, 1944.
| AAF# | Type | Group | Sq | Nickname |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42-50953 | B-24J | 461 | 765 | Flying Finger |
Legion Post Gives Brooklawn Prizes
Camden Courier-Post —
LEGION POST GIVES BROOKLAWN PRIZES
John Sainio, Jr., and Dorothy Mae Sayre Win Scholastic Honors
John Arthur Sainio, Jr., and Dorothy Mae Sayre were awarded the Brooklawn American Legion Post and auxiliary prizes for outstanding scholastic achievements at the closing exercises of the Brooklawn Grammar School, held in the school auditorium. There were 30 eighth grade pupils who received promotion certificates.
The awards were made by Morton S. Broomall and Mrs. Henry Milhausen. One of the program features was an original dramatization by the class entitled, “Visitors from Storyland.” Frank Hildebrand, president of the Board of Education, presented diplomas, class pins and copies of the Constitution.
The graduates: Beatrice L. Barron, John E. Bodenschatz, Edward J. Conlon, Marjorie M. Decker, Elsie M. DeTurk, Grace E. Faust, William H. Goldy, William T. Haley, Robert Hanley, John B. Hoffbauer, Erika L. Henkel, Doris J. Koykka, Melvin Levy, Edwin F. Lyons, Della L. Lyons, Hughie A. McCaughey, Edward H. Murphy, Kathryn E. Penrose, Thomas Phillips, Charles L. Poole Jr., David C. Reich, John A. Sainio Jr., Dorothy M. Sayre, William H. Schweibenz, George D. Stevenson, Richard A. Thomson, Joseph D. Walton, Clara L. Whitten, Marjorie M. Wilks, Helen A. Zaun.
The American Flyers Memorial, Hostasovice, Czech Republic
The American Flyers Memorial kept by the people of Hostasovice, Czech Republic, near the crash site at Palacov. The plaque records the four crew members who died with the aircraft: Lt. Waist Gun, Barnson, Valden A.; Ball Tur. Gun, White, William C.; Rt. Waist Gun, Sainio, John A.; Tail Tur. Gun, Freeman, Bernard C. — “Only dead have seen the end of war — Plato.” For 41 years of communist rule, Czech people cared for this memorial despite possible inflictions from the communist regime. Thanks to Metodej Plesek of Hostasovice for his information about this memorial.