Preller, Robert Henry

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Preller, Robert Henry, "Bob" ‡ ⇗
Rank	Second Lieutenant / First Lieutenant
Serial Number	O-758621 ‡
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 546th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #91 dated 16 May 1944, effective 16 May 1944. Transferred to the 70th Replacement Control Depot, AAF Station Stone, per 546th Bomb Squadron Morning Report dated 17 September 1944, effective 14 September 1944.
Duty	Co-pilot
MOS	1091 - Pilot, B-17
Last Duty Date	17 September 1944
Results	Completed Tour, Returned to USA
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 4 February 1918 Preller flew a B-17G to England in May 1944 with the Gibson crew. En route, they landed at Gander, Newfoundland and visited the PX while awaiting clearance to proceed. There he found chocolate NECCO wafers. Knowing this was his father's favorite candy (and with wartime scarcity in the USA) he bought a carton of them and asked the clerk to mail it back home for him. He never found out if his dad received it. Bob Preller's brother Gordon served with the 95th Bomb Group in Horham. Their assignments in England overlapped for over a month, but, try as they might, they never managed to get together. They both survived the war, and went on to full careers with the USAF. Returned to the USA in October 1944, aboard the Queen Mary.
Photo Album:	Crew Photo Album⇗

Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER	POSITION	RESULTS
2nd Lt. Gibson, James Allen⇗	Pilot	CT
2nd Lt. Preller, Robert Henry, "Bob"	Co-pilot	CT
2nd Lt. O'Neill, John P⇗	Navigator	CT
2nd Lt. Flowers, James Richard⇗	Bombardier	TR
S/SGT. Gramc, Edward (NMI)⇗	Radio Operator / Gunner	TR
S/SGT. Bowers, Henry Melvin⇗	Engineer / Top Turret Gunner	CT
S/SGT. Holderbaum, Kenneth (NMI), Jr⇗	Ball Turret Gunner	TR
SGT. Kennemer, Frank Winifred⇗	Tail Gunner	CT
SGT. Gilmore, James Karry, Jr⇗	Flexible Gunner	CT
PVT. Lafferty, Cornelius Michael⇗	Flexible Gunner	TR

Crew History

The Gibson Crew was formed at Drew Field (now Tampa International Airport) in Tampa, Florida in March 1944. After crew training, they picked up a new B-17G at Hunter Field, Georgia on 29 April and flew it to England via Dow Army Airfield, Bangor, Maine, RCAF Station Gander, Newfoundland, and Iceland in early May. The crew then moved to the 8th Air Force Replacement Depot at Stone, Staffordshire, for theater orientation while awaiting their combat assignment. They joined the 546th BS on 16 May 1944 as a replacement crew. The squadron crew number is currently unknown.
About half the crew flew nearly all its missions together: Lafferty flew no missions with Gibson, Gramc was transferred to the 305th BG with the Fitzgerald Crew, Holderbaum was removed from flying status, and the others were reassigned as needed by the Army. All survived the war without loss.

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 33 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
116⇗	27 May 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑107121⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Group. Sortie Report⇗
117⇗	28 May 1944	Target: Junkers Aircraft Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Dessau, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑31222⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
119⇗	29 May 1944	Target: Focke-Wulf Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Krzesiny District, Poznań, Poland	Co-pilot	42‑97142⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
122⇗	2 June 1944	Target: Gun Battery with six 155mm guns, Tactical Support Type: Military Location: Hardelot (5 miles S of Boulogne), France	Co-pilot	42‑97251⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
125⇗	4 June 1944	Target: Artillery Battery Type: Military Location: Hardelot (Boulogne area), France	Co-pilot	42‑97273⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
126⇗	5 June 1944	Target: Field Artillery Battery Type: Military Location: La Fosse, France	Co-pilot	42‑97273⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Group, Low Squadron Deputy. Sortie Report⇗
128⇗	6 June 1944	Target: Two Bridges Type: Transportation Location: Caen, France	Co-pilot	42‑102601⇗	Combat Mission Credit J Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
130⇗	7 June 1944	Target: Transportation Hub Type: Military Location: Condé-sur-Noireau, France	Co-pilot	42‑107057⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Group Flying Spare. Joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
131⇗	8 June 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards (41C) & Loire River Railroad Bridge (41D) Type: Transportation Location: Orleans, France	Co-pilot	42‑97510⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41D Group. Bombed Primary Target. Sortie Report⇗
134⇗	13 June 1944	Target: Dreux Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Dreux, France	Co-pilot	42‑102501⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
135⇗	14 June 1944	Target: Coulommiers Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Coulommiers, France	Co-pilot	42‑97251⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41B Wing, Lead Group. Sortie Report⇗
137⇗	16 June 1944	Target: Athies Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Laon, France	Co-pilot	42‑97251⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Low Group. Turned back over England because they could not find the formation. Sortie Report⇗
141⇗	20 June 1944	Target: Oil Refineries Type: Oil Industry Location: Harburg (Hamburg area), Germany	Co-pilot	42‑97251⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Group. Sortie Report⇗
142⇗	21 June 1944	Target: Friedrichstrasse Industrial Area Type: Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Co-pilot	43‑37713⇗	Combat Mission Credit Composite High Group. Sortie Report⇗
145⇗	24 June 1944	Target: German Vacuum Oil Company Type: Oil Industry Location: Oslebshausen (Bremen area), Germany	Co-pilot	43‑37713⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
146⇗	25 June 1944	Target: Railroad Bridge & Embankment Type: Transportation Location: Sens, France	Co-pilot	42‑97251⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
147⇗	27 June 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Storage Depot) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Saint-Martin-L'Hortier, France	Co-pilot	42‑97251⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41st B section. Sortie Report⇗
153⇗	7 July 1944	Target: Me-109 Aircraft Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Leipzig, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑97948⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron deputy, high group, 41st A wing. Sortie Report⇗
154⇗	8 July 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Renescure, France	Co-pilot	42‑102620⇗	Combat Mission Credit High group. Sortie Report⇗
155⇗	11 July 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Munich / München, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑97948⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
156⇗	12 July 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Munich / München, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑97948⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron deputy, low group. Sortie Report⇗
157⇗	13 July 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Munich / München, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑102601⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41B Group. Sortie Report⇗
160⇗	18 July 1944	Target: Rocket Research & Development Complex Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Peenemünde & Zinnowitz, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑102501⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41B Group. Sortie Report⇗
161⇗	19 July 1944	Target: Hydrogen Peroxide Plant Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Höllriegelskreuth District, Pullach, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑38014⇗	Combat Mission Credit High group deputy. Sortie Report⇗
164⇗	24 July 1944	Target: Tactical - Enemy Strong Points Type: Military Location: La Chapelle en Juger & Hébécrevon, France	Co-pilot	42‑97948⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead group. Sortie Report⇗
168⇗	31 July 1944	Target: Aero Engine Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Munich / München, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑107057⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Group, High Squadron Lead. Sortie Report⇗
169⇗	1 August 1944	Target: Railroad Bridge Type: Transportation Location: Chartres, France	Tail Gunner	42‑102933⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Group Lead. Sortie Report⇗
182⇗	18 August 1944	Target: Tactical: Bridge Type: Transportation Location: Vise, Belgium	Co-pilot	42‑102500⇗	Combat Mission Credit High section deputy, high group. Sortie Report⇗
184⇗	25 August 1944	Target: Airfield & Airpark Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Anklam, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑107083⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
185⇗	26 August 1944	Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑107083⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group. Sortie Report⇗
188⇗	5 September 1944	Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑97510⇗	Combat Mission Credit Landed away at Manston due to battle damage: flak shot out hydraulic system. Sortie Report⇗
190⇗	9 September 1944	Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑97510⇗	Combat Mission Credit Dropped eight bombs on target; four after target (equipment malfunction). Sortie Report⇗
191⇗	10 September 1944	Target: BMW Motor Component Parts Plant Type: Industry Location: Sindelfingen, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑97251⇗	Combat Mission Credit Hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
194⇗	13 September 1944	Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑97251⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗

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