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Pryor, Raymond Thomas

Individual Personnel Data
Name Pryor, Raymond Thomas
Rank Second Lieutenant / First Lieutenant
Serial Number O-672157
Unit Assignments
  • Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #164 dated 10 December 1943, effective 10 December 1943.
  • Transferred to a non-384th unit, per 545th Bomb Squadron Morning Report - 305th Bomb Group, effective 20 March 1944.
Duty Pilot
MOS1091 - Pilot, B-17
Last Duty Date 24 July 1944
Results Completed Tour, Returned to USA
Additional Information
  • Appointed First Lieutenant effective 23 February 1944 per 545th Bomb Squadron Morning Report dated 2 March 1944.
  • Promoted to Captain on 25 June 1944. Microfilm record A0640-01601.
Photo Album:Crew Photo Album




Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Pryor, Raymond ThomasPilotCT
2nd Lt. Helmley, Loyd ElmerCo-pilotCT
2nd Lt. Harmon, Frank JamesNavigatorCT
S/SGT. Lewis, James William, JrRadio Operator / GunnerWIA
SGT. Coppage, Raymond DonaldTail GunnerTR

Crew History

The Pryor crew, composed of only 5 members when assigned, did not stay together for their entire combat tour. In fact, James Lewis flew no missions with Pryor. The others flew together for eighteen to twenty-two missions, with the balance of the crew provided by a variety of other personnel.

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 31 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
51 7 January 1944 Target: Powerhouse
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Co-pilot 42‑37885 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Became separated from formation in dense clouds after group assembly; failed to make wing rendezvous.
Sortie Report
52 11 January 1944 Target: Ju-88 Aircraft Parts Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Halberstadt, Germany
Co-pilot 42‑37792 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
54 21 January 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Preuseville, France
Co-pilot 42‑37792 Combat Mission Credit
41A Group.
Sortie Report
55 29 January 1944 Target: Aircraft Parts Plants
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Pilot 42‑37974 Combat Mission Credit
Lead group.
Sortie Report
56 30 January 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany
Pilot 42‑31433 Combat Mission Credit
Low group. Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑31484.
Sortie Report
57 3 February 1944 Target: Submarines (under construction)
Type: Submarine Facility
Location: Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Pilot 42‑3441 Combat Mission Credit
Lead Group.
Sortie Report
59 5 February 1944 Target: Bricy Aerodrome, Luftwaffe Training and Bomber Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Orleans, France
Pilot 42‑29809 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
60 6 February 1944 Target: Nancy/Essey Aerodrome
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Nancy, France
Pilot 42‑29809 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back at 1031 hrs due to defective bomb racks; bombs were released when bombardier released bomb bay tanks over North Sea.
Sortie Report
61 8 February 1944 Target: Piston Ring Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Pilot 42‑97477 Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron.
Sortie Report
62 11 February 1944 Target: Propeller Factory (Foundry)
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Pilot 42‑29809 Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at RAF Stansted, Essex, due to low fuel and #1 engine knocked out by flak.
Sortie Report
63 20 February 1944 Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Leipzig & Bernburg, Germany
Pilot 42‑97521 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
41A Group. Turned back with #1 engine out.
Sortie Report
66 24 February 1944 Target: Ball-Bearing Plant
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany
Pilot 42‑31926 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron, lead group.
Sortie Report
67 25 February 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly & Ball Bearings Plants
Type: Industry
Location: Augsburg & Stuttgart, Germany
Pilot 42‑29632 Combat Mission Credit
41C Group, High Squadron, Lead Group. Landed away at RAF Boreham, Essex, on return due to low fuel.
Sortie Report
69 2 March 1944 Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant and Machine Shop
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Pilot 42‑31166 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
71 4 March 1944 Type: Military
Location: Berlin, Germany
Pilot 42‑37792 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back at 1010 hrs because engineer was knocked out while fixing the ball turret; when azimuth power switch was released, it caused the turret to swing around and hit the engineer in the head; he was taken to Thrapston Hospital for observation.
Sortie Report
72 6 March 1944 Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Berlin, Germany
Pilot 42‑3440 Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off
Did not take off because of gas leak.
Sortie Report
73 8 March 1944 Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Berlin, Germany
Pilot 42‑37982 Combat Mission Credit
Flying spare; joined formation.
Sortie Report
74 9 March 1944 Target: Heinkel Aircraft Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Oranienburg, Germany
Pilot 42‑38208 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
75 16 March 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
Pilot 42‑97521 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back at 0955 hrs because #3 & #4 engines failed; #1 oil cooler was leaking very badly and the lead was off of sparkplug of #7 cylinder, #2 engine.
Sortie Report
76 18 March 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
Pilot 42‑97081 Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed
Sortie Report
77 19 March 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-2 Storage and Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Wizernes, France
Pilot 42‑31166 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
91 19 April 1944 Target: Fieseler Aircraft Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Kassel (Waldau), Germany
Pilot 42‑97522 Combat Mission Credit
Wing deputy. PFF ship and unidentified crew members supplied by the 305th BG.
Sortie Report
100 4 May 1944 Target: Friedrichstrasse Railroad Station
Type: Transportation
Location: Berlin, Germany
Pilot 42‑97533 Combat Mission Credit
41st Combat Wing deputy. PFF aircraft and unidentified crew members were provided by the 305th BG at Chelveston, AAF Station 105.
Sortie Report
106 12 May 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany
Pilot 42‑39766 Combat Mission Credit
Wing deputy. PFF aircraft and unidentified crew members provided by 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105.
Sortie Report
109 19 May 1944 Target: Unidentified Industrial Area
Type: Industry
Location: Berlin, Germany
Pilot 42‑97574 Combat Mission Credit
Wing lead. PFF aircraft and unidentified crew members provided by the 305th BG, Chelveston AAF, AAF Station 105.
Sortie Report
112 22 May 1944 Target: Warehouse District in the Dock Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Kiel, Germany
Pilot 42‑97533 Combat Mission Credit
Wing Lead. PFF aircraft and remainder of unidentified crew members supplied by 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105.
Sortie Report
114 24 May 1944 Target: Unidentified Military Installations
Type: Military
Location: Berlin, Germany
Co-pilot 42‑97647 Combat Mission Credit
Wing Lead. PFF ship and radio operator (T/Sgt L A Taylor) provided by the 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105. Col. William L Travis, 41st Bomb Wing, aboard as combat flight leader.
Sortie Report
116 27 May 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Mannheim, Germany
Pilot 42‑97699 Combat Mission Credit
Lead Group, Wing Deputy. PFF ship provided by the 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105.
Sortie Report
123 2 June 1944 Target: Four Medium Howitzer Batteries, Tactical Support
Type: Military
Location: Neufchatel (5 miles SE of Hardelot), France
Pilot 42‑97699 Combat Mission Credit
Group Lead. PFF ship and unidentified crew members provided by the 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105.
Sortie Report
124 3 June 1944 Target: Coastal Artillery Battery
Type: Military
Location: Le Touquet, France
Pilot 42‑97699 Combat Mission Credit
Group Lead. PFF aircraft and unidentified crew members provided by the 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105.
Sortie Report
126 5 June 1944 Target: Field Artillery Battery
Type: Military
Location: La Fosse, France
Pilot 42‑97574 Combat Mission Credit
Lead Group, Wing Lead. PFF ship and unidentified crew members provided by the 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105.
Sortie Report
128 6 June 1944 Target: Two Bridges
Type: Transportation
Location: Caen, France
Pilot 42‑97699 Combat Mission Credit
L Squadron Lead. PFF ship and unidentified crew members provided by the 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105.
Sortie Report
141 20 June 1944 Target: Oil Refineries
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Harburg (Hamburg area), Germany
Pilot 42‑97699 Combat Mission Credit
Lead Group, Wing Lead. PFF ship provided by 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105.
Sortie Report
142 21 June 1944 Target: Friedrichstrasse Industrial Area
Type: Industry
Location: Berlin, Germany
Pilot 42‑97699 Combat Mission Credit
Lead Group, Wing Lead. PFF aircraft and unidentified crew members provided by 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105.
Sortie Report
155 11 July 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Munich / München, Germany
Pilot 42‑97699 Combat Mission Credit
Wing lead. PFF ship and unidentified crew members provided by the 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105.
Sortie Report
156 12 July 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Munich / München, Germany
Pilot 42‑97699 Combat Mission Credit
Wing lead. PFF ship and unidentified crew members provided by the 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105.
Sortie Report
158 16 July 1944 Target: Aero Engine Factory
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Munich / München, Germany
Pilot 42‑97543 Combat Mission Credit
Wing Lead. This PFF ship was provided by the 305th BG, with a radar navigator, 1Lt Albert G D'Amico, from the 306th BG.
Sortie Report
161 19 July 1944 Target: Hydrogen Peroxide Plant
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Höllriegelskreuth District, Pullach, Germany
Pilot 42‑97699 Combat Mission Credit
Division lead; Col. William L Travis, 41st Bomb Wing, aboard as combat flight leader. PFF ship and unidentified crew members provided by the 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105.
Sortie Report

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