George Joseph Back
Second Lieutenant George J. Back was a Marine pilot assigned to Naval Air Station, Miami.
He was killed in an airplane accident near Delray Beach, Florida, on 20 February 1942.
Branch
Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number O-6842
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
CONUS Loss
Because this individual died within the limits of the continental United States, they are not tracked by the DPAA.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
February 25, 1915
at Chicago, IL
Parents
Anthony Baczkowski (d. 1933)
Anelia “Nellie” Baczkowski
Education
University of Miami (1940)
Occupation & Employer
Enlisted from college
Service Life
Entered Service
June 17, 1941 (commission)
at Miami, FL
Home Of Record
2025 West Cortez Avenue
Chicago, IL
Next Of Kin
Mother. Mrs. Nellie Back
Military Specialty
Pilot
Flight Instructor
Primary Unit
Naval Air Station Miami
Campaigns Served
None
Individual Decorations
—
Additional Service Details
—
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
On the morning of 20 November 1942, Second Lieutenant George Back – an instructor assigned to the US Naval Air Station at Miami, Florida – departed from the field at Opa-Locka for a routine flight. With him was Aviation Radioman Third Class George Bryan Junior, a Navy man from Oak Hill, West Virginia.
Lieutenant Back’s flight path took him over Delray Beach at approximately 0830 hours. Witnesses saw the airplane skimming over the surf at low altitude; from the shore, it appeared that Back was inspecting an offshore buoy. Curiosity turned to horror as the plane’s wingtip dipped too low, catching a wave and slamming the craft into the water. Patrol planes were quickly dispatched, and a fishing boat recovered a few pieces of equipment, but the wreckage could not be reached in the rough seas.
Back and Bryan were subsequently reported as “missing, presumed dead.” Searches for remains continued for several days, but were ultimately unsuccessful.
Burial Information or Disposition
Lost at sea and not recovered.
A few days after the crash, the Naval Air Station held services for Lieutenant Back and ARM3c Bryan. The station chaplain tossed a wreath from a plane “over the approximate location of the tragedy.”
Memorials
None known.
Next Of Kin Address
Address of mother, Mrs. Nellie Back.
George Back resided in Coral Gables, Florida.
Location Of Loss
The crash occurred about 3/4 mile offshore of Delray Beach, Florida.
