Martin Kenez Jr. was born, 28 August 1918 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey to the parents of Martin Kenez and Erzebet Jakab. His parents were immigrants from Hungary. His father immigrated in 1910 and his mother in 1904. Both of his parents preceded him in death, his father in 1943 and his mother in 1931. In the 1940 US Census, Martin was residing with his uncle and aunt, the Pajak family, in Perth Amboy.

Martin listed his employer as American Smelting and Refining Company in Barber, New Jersey on his WWII Draft Card. He enlisted in the service 13 Jan 1942 at Trenton, New Jersey.

Staff Sergeant Martin Kenez Jr., met with his death on 4 November 1945, after the war in Europe was over. According to the American Air Museum records, a crash of a C-47 Skytrain, a troop transport aircraft, occurred on 4 November with the loss of all 16 on board. The flight was bound for Munich and crashed near Schlatt, Germany. According to a Missing Air Crew Report, the weather had deteriorated in Germany while the plane was enroute. The pilot flew below the clouds and struck trees on a mountain. The crew and passengers aboard the C-47, Tail Number 43-15104 were:

2nd Lt., Apple, Albert Bernard, Pilot, 16159449/O-831078, buried Ferndale, Michigan

2nd Lt., Dibble, Roger James, Co-Piot, 17114490/O-2009502, buried Lorraine Amer. Cem., France

Cpl., Jendral, Heinz Fred, Flight Engineer, 36851369, buried Barrancas Nat. Cem., Pensacola, Florida

1st Lt., Henderson, Norman Paul, Passenger, O-783765, ***

Flight Officer, Daves, Jackie Eugene, Passenger, 19181826/T-006255, buried Inglewood, California

S-Sgt., Moore, Morris E, Passenger,, 15383040, ***

S-Sgt., Millsaps, Ray A, Passenger, 19138243, buried Chrome, California

S-Sgt., Block, Earl Leroy, Passenger, 39410912, buried Lorraine Amer. Cem., France

Sgt., Cederberg, Arthur Bernhart, Passenger, 19176619, ***

S-Sgt., Gattermeir, John P, Passenger, 16052697, ***

S-Sgt., Jack, David, 36676404, Passenger, buried Lorraine Amer. Cem., France

S-Sgt., Kenez, Martin Jr., 12034722, Passenger, buried Perth Amboy, New Jersey

1st Lt., Koskela, Ernest William, Passenger, 16115826/O-828193, buried Wakefield, Michigan

S-Sgt., Peters, Harry V, Passenger, 35761629, ***

Tech. Sgt., Redfield, Laverne Frederick, Passenger, 36824420, buried St. Johns Lutheran Cem. Old Ahippun, Wisconsin

Tech. Sgt., White, Claude Morris, Passenger, 17127786, ***

*** Note: Cederberg, Gattermeir, Henderson, Moore, Peters, and White are all buried in the same plot at the Fort Scott National Cemetery in Fort Scott, Kansas. Due to the plane crash, their remains were, no doubt, co-mingled.

In January 1949, Staff Sergeant Martin Kenez Jr. was interred at the Calvary Cemetery in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. His Service Number was 12034722.

References

From - ancestry.com:

Family Tree

From - Fold3:

Service Record

Missing Air Crew Report

Online Resources:

americanairmuseum.com (American Air Museum in Britain), plane crash record

Findagrave:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/94463672/martin-kenez

Findagrave Memorial ID: 94463672

SBTS:

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3. Can you help write these stories? These stories will be accessible via smartphone app at any war memorial or cemetery. If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please email: feedback@storiesbehindthestars.org.

SBTSProject/New Jersey/Middlesex