545th Bomber Squadron (I think), 384th Group, 8th AAF

[jack aranda]

Hi:
I spent some time today talking with (mostly listening to) a friend of Dad's who flew as ball turret gunner on board a B-17 with the 545th, or perhaps the 546th. I'm curious if anyone knows what their unit patch looked like. This quiet gentleman told me he was shot down on his 6th mission and spent time in Stalag 17 near the end of the war. Quite a guy. Any info or pics would be greatly appreciated. And, no, he does not have any of his gear--it was all stolen from his footlocker once the plane went down over Germany. Thanks.

 

[hairpin151]

I had an Uncle that was a navigator in the 544th BS in the 384th BG.He was lost with his entire crew on his eleventh trip,it was to Regensburg on 9 October 1943.His ship was the Dallas Rebel.Been trying to find a picture of his plane and crew,but no luck as of yet.

 

[Andrew]

I had an Uncle that was a navigator in the 544th BS in the 384th BG.He was lost with his entire crew on his eleventh trip,it was to Regensburg on 9 October 1943.His ship was the Dallas Rebel.Been trying to find a picture of his plane and crew,but no luck as of yet.

HP, I presume that you've got this stuff already.... unfortunately no pics.

http://www.384thbombgroup.com/php/One38 ... y=42-29814

 

[Andrew]

Hi:
I spent some time today talking with (mostly listening to) a friend of Dad's who flew as ball turret gunner on board a B-17 with the 545th, or perhaps the 546th. I'm curious if anyone knows what their unit patch looked like. This quiet gentleman told me he was shot down on his 6th mission and spent time in Stalag 17 near the end of the war. Quite a guy. Any info or pics would be greatly appreciated. And, no, he does not have any of his gear--it was all stolen from his footlocker once the plane went down over Germany. Thanks.

Jack, here's something of use;
http://www.384thbombgroup.com/gallery/384thBG

Always an experience to spend time with these guys.

 

[hairpin151]

Andrew,
I have been there before,I had even met a guy,like me,who had an uncle that was the radio operator on the same ship and he is on the same quest as myself with no luck as of yet.

 

[jack aranda]

Hi, Leadsky:
Excellent! Thanks. Dad's friend is quite reticent to speak of his 'adventures'. I mentioned to him the Wings of Freedom traveling air show with a B-17, B-24 and other planes that makes the rounds of the U.S. He has no desire to ever get near another B-17; too many close calls, terrifying moments seen/lived in that little bubble on the belly of the beast. Again, Leadsky, thanks for the reference; looks like a lot of useful material.

 

[shedonwanna]

Here are some images from my files:

545th squadron

546th squadron

Two of my friends from the 388th BG were brought down by flak on their 5th mission and pow'd. The pilot continued to fly after the war and retired from the AF. The navigator refused to fly for many years and only attended the reunions he could drive to. We finally got him on commercial flights in the 1990's. I've offered to get my dad a ride in a B-17 but he is not interested in flying in anything that old! I did get dad to take my daughter on a walk through a B-17 a few years ago.

 

[hairpin151]

Fine looking patches,are they of your collection or reference?

 

[jack aranda]

Indeed, those are fine-looking patches.

 

[shedonwanna]

Fine looking patches,are they of your collection or reference?

Pilferage from the eBay...use to be a great source for vintage images. I keep hoping to get a 388th patch someday.

 

[hairpin151]

I see one or two different vendors offering patches of that quality occasionaly on epay,but way out of my price range!

 

[hairpin151]

Here's a link to a good site thats all about the 384th.Ken Decker's book is wealth of info too.

http://384thbombgroup.com/

 

[Andrew]

Andrew,
I have been there before,I had even met a guy,like me,who had an uncle that was the radio operator on the same ship and he is on the same quest as myself with no luck as of yet.

HP, at Footnote they have missing A/C reports- gotta buy them though. The top one on this list was to Hamburg- Rostock. Maybe worth a poke around?

http://www.footnote.com/search.php?query=544th+squadron

 

[hairpin151]

Andrew,
Several years ago I wrote the National Records Archive Center and got the actual MACR on microfiche.Back then it was free but took forever to recieve.The report gave firsthand accounts from other ships in formation of the loss of my Uncle's ship.A sobering read.Lost to fighters not flak.

James

 

[hairpin151]

Andrew,
As an aftrethought here's a link to a 40' contract Aero that Jerome painted up for me a few years ago.Its what I thought my Uncles A2 would've looked like.Nothing like that ever made it home.I have both of his dress tunics with wings and ribbons and a few other odds and ends including a diary of sorts but not alot of info on his trips over the channel.He was kind of a legacy in as he joined the Army in 39' I believe in the artillary then in 41' went to flight but washed out because of his eyesight,hence the nav. wings.

http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/8084773