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Rich, John (NMI), Jr

Individual Personnel Data
Name Rich, John (NMI), Jr   
Rank Second Lieutenant / First Lieutenant
Serial Number O-798677   
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 546th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #136 dated 5 November 1943, effective 5 November 1943.
Duty Pilot
MOS1091 - Pilot, B-17
Last Duty Date 11 April 1944
Results Prisoner Of War
POW Camp: Stalag Luft 1 Barth-Vogelsang Prussia 54-12
Related Documents Missing Air Crew Report # 3820 (21.642 MB)
Photo Album:Crew Photo Album




Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Rich, John (NMI), JrPilotPOW
2nd Lt. Wehry, George EllsworthCo-pilotPOW
2nd Lt. Indest, Joseph AlbertNavigatorKIA
2nd Lt. Marvin, William VernBombardierKIA
SGT. Montagne, Henry Julien LouisRadio Operator / GunnerPOW
S/SGT. Eklund, Howard JosephEngineer / Top Turret GunnerPOW
SGT. Henken, Norman (NMI)Ball Turret GunnerPOW
PVT. Goddard, Kenneth DouglasTail GunnerWIA
PVT. Louden, Jack ElmerFlexible GunnerPOW
PVT. Mejia, Richard CarltonFlexible GunnerTR

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 26 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
38 29 November 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Bremen, Germany
Co-pilot 42‑31058 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
39 1 December 1943 Target: Non-Ferrous Metals Plant
Type: Industry
Location: Solingen, Germany
Pilot 41‑24525 Combat Mission Credit
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑31274. Landed away at Woodbridge.
Sortie Report
40 5 December 1943 Target: Fighter Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Saint-Jean-d'Angély, France
Pilot 42‑37801 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
41 11 December 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Emden, Germany
Pilot 42‑5404 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
42 13 December 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Bremen, Germany
Pilot 42‑29723 Combat Mission Credit
Lead group.
Sortie Report
45 22 December 1943 Target: Steel Shops/Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Osnabrück, Germany
Pilot 42‑31045 Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed
Sortie Report
48 31 December 1943 Target: Blockade Runner 'Orsone' (name of ship)
Type: Transportation
Location: [Mouth of River Garonne], France
Pilot 42‑37725 Combat Mission Credit
Ditched. Eight crewmen bailed out in vicinity of Offham, Sussex
Sortie Report
50 5 January 1944 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Kiel, Germany
Co-pilot 42‑3483 Combat Mission Credit
PFF aircraft, Pilot Miller, and unidentified crewmembers loaned by 482nd BG. Aircraft landed at its home airfield, Alconbury. Assignment of Rich to this sortie as Co-pilot is based on inference from the horizontal format TO&L Sheet.
Sortie Report
52 11 January 1944 Target: Ju-88 Aircraft Parts Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Halberstadt, Germany
Pilot 42‑29723 Combat Mission Credit
Flying spare; joined formation of the 305th BG.
Sortie Report
55 29 January 1944 Target: Aircraft Parts Plants
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Pilot 42‑31045 Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed
Low group
Sortie Report
57 3 February 1944 Target: Submarines (under construction)
Type: Submarine Facility
Location: Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Pilot 42‑39991 Combat Mission Credit
Low Group.
Sortie Report
58 4 February 1944 Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Pilot 42‑31222 Combat Mission Credit
High group, 41st A Combat Wing.
Sortie Report
63 20 February 1944 Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Leipzig & Bernburg, Germany
Pilot 42‑39809 Combat Mission Credit
41B Group.
Sortie Report
64 21 February 1944 Target: Fighter Field & Aircraft Storage Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Werl, Germany
Pilot 42‑37776 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron deputy, lead group. Landed away at Horham on return with wounded tail gunner.
Sortie Report
66 24 February 1944 Target: Ball-Bearing Plant
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany
Pilot 42‑30026 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron, low group.
Sortie Report
67 25 February 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly & Ball Bearings Plants
Type: Industry
Location: Augsburg & Stuttgart, Germany
Pilot 42‑31058 Combat Mission Credit
41A Group.
Sortie Report
68 28 February 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Preuseville, France
Pilot 42‑31871 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron.
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 42‑97477 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
70 3 March 1944 Target: Roller-Bearing Factory
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Berlin, Germany
Pilot 42‑31740 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
72 6 March 1944 Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Berlin, Germany
Pilot 42‑31740 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing.
Sortie Report
76 18 March 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
Pilot 42‑97139 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron deputy, lead group, 41st Combat Bombardment Wing.
Sortie Report
77 19 March 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-2 Storage and Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Wizernes, France
Pilot 42‑31375 Combat Mission Credit
Flying spare; joined formation, but did not drop bombs because there was an aircraft below him.
Sortie Report
78 20 March 1944 Type: Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Pilot 42‑31740 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
79 22 March 1944 Target: Heinkel Aircraft Assembly Plant at Annahof Airfield
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Oranienburg, Germany
Pilot 42‑31740 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron, high composite group.
Sortie Report
80 23 March 1944 Target: Airdrome and Airpark
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Gütersloh, Germany
Pilot 42‑31740 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
82 26 March 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Le Grismont, Rebecques, France
Pilot 42‑31740 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
83 27 March 1944 Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Tours & Chartres, France
Pilot 42‑31740 Combat Mission Credit
94 Group, Flying Spare. Joined formation.
Sortie Report
84 28 March 1944 Target: Dijon-Longvic Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Dijon, France
Pilot 42‑31740 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
88 11 April 1944 Target: FW Aircraft Parts Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Sorau, Germany
Pilot 42‑31375 Combat Mission Credit
Failed To Return
Suffered a direct hit by flak that blew off plexiglass nose of aircraft at 1111 hrs; aircraft started descending under control; 7 chutes observed; aircraft seen to land in a river, but actually crashed in a forested area just north of Bokensdorf, Germany. MACR 3820
Sortie Report

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