Jerks's Berserk and Serrafine Corrales completed their final mission together.

Serrafine Corrales was a Watsonville boy born in the Pajaro Valley in 1923. Information regarding his birth and parentage has not been located. In addition to his parents, his family included brothers Frank, Manuel and Gaspar, and a sister Andrea. He attended local grammar schools and Watsonville High School for three years. After leaving high school, he was employed as a warehouseman.

Serrafine Corrales was inducted into the US Army in San Francisco on November 1, 1943. He was assigned to the Army Air Force and after completing basic training, he received radio operator and top turret gunner instruction on a B-24 Liberator bomber.

In April 1944, he joined the 4th Bomber Squadron of the 34th Bomber Group posted at Mendlesham, England. Upon arrival, Serrafine was assigned as a crewman aboard a B-24 bomber named Jerks Berserk, and for the next five months, he and Jerks Berserk flew twenty-four bombing missions over Germany.

On August 24, 1944, came the fateful day of his 25th and final mission. Under the command of Major Joseph Garret, Jerks Berserk left Mendlesham and flew to its European target. After completing their bombing run,
“[Jerks Berserk] was hit by flak in #1 engine causing considerable loss of fuel. Engineer reported only three minutes fuel remaining so the crew was ordered to bail out. Nine men did bail out but Major Garrett was unable to leave when the plane went into a spin. He was able to right the plane and decided to fly until the fuel ran out. The plane did reach England and Major Garrett bailed out and the plane crashed into a house at Holt, Suffolk. Fortunately there were no injuries to anyone on the ground.”

Technical Sergeant Serrafine Corrales did not survive the mission of August 24, 1944, nor was his body recovered. He was memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery. His awards include the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster.

(ABMC; NARA2; WRP September 9, 19441:2; Mackey Crew, Mission List, http://valortovictory.tripod.com/crews/Mackey.htm, [16 Sept 2008])