Van Riper, Charles (NMI), Jr

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Van Riper, Charles (NMI), Jr ‡ ⇗
Rank	Private / Sergeant
Serial Number	06151019 ‡
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #53, effective 20 July 1943.
Duty	Tail Gunner
Last Duty Date	10 April 1944
Results	Completed Tour, Returned to USA
Decorations	Awarded the Good Conduct Medal on 15 January 1944.
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 9 December 1919 Promoted to Sergeant on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #54 dated 21 July 1943.

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 27 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
16⇗	16 August 1943	Target: Le Bourget Airport & Air Depot Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Paris, France	Tail Gunner	42‑5852⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron deputy. Sortie Report⇗
18⇗	27 August 1943	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Watten, France	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑3441⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron lead. Sortie Report⇗
24⇗	16 September 1943	Target: Blockade Runner Ship (in Loire River) Type: Transportation Location: Nantes, France	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑3429⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back; unable to locate formation after passing through cloud layer. Sortie Report⇗
25⇗	23 September 1943	Target: Submarine Repair Ship Type: Submarine Facility Location: Nantes, France	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑29651⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
28⇗	4 October 1943	Type: Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	41‑24560⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back due to oxygen filler line to ball turret broken off and top turret filler line leaking, after having aborted 42‑5444 immediately after takeoff. Sortie Report⇗
28⇗	4 October 1943	Type: Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑5444⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Landed 5 minutes after takeoff. Replaced AC with 41-24560. Sortie Report⇗
33⇗	20 October 1943	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Düren, Germany	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	41‑24560⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
36⇗	16 November 1943	Target: Knaben II Molybdenum Mine Type: Industry Location: Knaben, Norway	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑3429⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron lead. Sortie Report⇗
37⇗	26 November 1943	Target: City Center Type: Non-Military Location: Bremen, Germany	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑29651⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
41⇗	11 December 1943	Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Emden, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑29651⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
42⇗	13 December 1943	Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Bremen, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑3218⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group. Sortie Report⇗
43⇗	16 December 1943	Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Bremen, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑39784⇗	Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed Sortie Report⇗
46⇗	24 December 1943	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Croisette, France	Tail Gunner	42‑31274⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
48⇗	31 December 1943	Target: Blockade Runner 'Orsone' (name of ship) Type: Transportation Location: [Mouth of River Garonne], France	Tail Gunner	42‑29651⇗	Combat Mission Credit Landed away at RAF Thorney Island, West Sussex. Sortie Report⇗
50⇗	5 January 1944	Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Kiel, Germany	Tail Gunner	41‑24560⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
56⇗	30 January 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑29651⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group. Sortie Report⇗
57⇗	3 February 1944	Target: Submarines (under construction) Type: Submarine Facility Location: Wilhelmshaven, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑31495⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Group. Sortie Report⇗
58⇗	4 February 1944	Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑3440⇗	Combat Mission Credit High group, 41st B Combat Wing. Sortie Report⇗
59⇗	5 February 1944	Target: Bricy Aerodrome, Luftwaffe Training and Bomber Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Orleans, France	Tail Gunner	41‑24560⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
60⇗	6 February 1944	Target: Nancy/Essey Aerodrome Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Nancy, France	Tail Gunner	41‑24560⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
63⇗	20 February 1944	Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Leipzig & Bernburg, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑39888⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41A Group. Sortie Report⇗
64⇗	21 February 1944	Target: Fighter Field & Aircraft Storage Depot Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Werl, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑31235⇗	Combat Mission Credit Landed away at Attlebridge on return due to technical failure. Sortie Report⇗
65⇗	22 February 1944	Target: Aircraft Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Halberstadt & Aschersleben, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑31235⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off 41A Group. Sortie Report⇗
68⇗	28 February 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Preuseville, France	Tail Gunner	42‑3440⇗	Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed 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	Tail Gunner	42‑29723⇗	Combat Mission Credit Flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
70⇗	3 March 1944	Target: Roller-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑31364⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron deputy. Sortie Report⇗
75⇗	16 March 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑31435⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron deputy, high group, 40th B Composite Combat Wing. Sortie Report⇗
76⇗	18 March 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑37785⇗	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	Tail Gunner	42‑31495⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
79⇗	22 March 1944	Target: Heinkel Aircraft Assembly Plant at Annahof Airfield Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oranienburg, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑31346⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
81⇗	24 March 1944	Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑31346⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron lead. Sortie Report⇗
83⇗	27 March 1944	Target: Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Tours & Chartres, France	Tail Gunner	42‑31235⇗	Combat Mission Credit 94 Group, Low Squadron Lead. Sortie Report⇗
85⇗	29 March 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑31235⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron lead. Landed away at Kimbolton, due to weather. Sortie Report⇗
87⇗	10 April 1944	Target: Evere Airfield (50°54'3"N 4°20'9"E) Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Brussels / Bruxelles, Belgium	Tail Gunner	42‑31346⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron lead. Sortie Report⇗

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