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Ralston, William Clark

Individual Personnel Data
Name Ralston, William Clark   
Rank Staff Sergeant / Technical Sergeant
Serial Number 33263982   
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 547th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho, Special Orders #70 dated 11 March 1943, effective 11 March 1943.
Duty Engineer / Top Turret Gunner
MOS748 - Army Airplane Mechanic / Gunner, Flight Engineer
Last Duty Date 10 October 1943
Results Completed Tour, Returned to USA
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 6 August 1918
  • Appointed Technical Sergeant effective 15 April 1943 per 547th Bomb Squadron May 1943 Payroll Roster.
Photo Album:Crew Photo Album




Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Original 384th Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. LeFevre, Charles HPilotTBD
2nd Lt. Fields, LeonCo-pilotCT
2nd Lt. Hegstad, Lester Olaf, "Red"NavigatorCT
2nd Lt. Carlson, Clyde PembertonBombardierTR
S/SGT. Griffith, Roy WesleyRadio Operator / GunnerCT
S/SGT. Ralston, William ClarkEngineer / Top Turret GunnerCT
S/SGT. Savage, Clyde HenryBall Turret GunnerCT
PVT. McNutt, Julius FrederickTail GunnerCT
S/SGT. Shelton, William Abner, JrFlexible GunnerCT
S/SGT. Retherford, Archie (NMI), JrFlexible GunnerCT

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 25 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
1 22 June 1943 Target: General Motors Truck Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Antwerp, Belgium
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑30043 Combat Mission Credit
Group Lead.
Sortie Report
2 25 June 1943 Target: Industrial Area & Submarine Pens
Type: Military
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑30058 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back with gyrocompass out and altimeter erratic. Landed away at Bottisham, AAF Station 374.
Sortie Report
4 28 June 1943 Target: Fighter Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Beaumont-le-Roger, France
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑5838 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
5 29 June 1943 Target: duNord Aircraft Works, Villacoublay Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Paris, France
Tail Gunner 42‑5838 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
6 4 July 1943 Target: Gnome et Rhone Aircraft Engine Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Le Mans, France
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑5849 Combat Mission Credit
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑5838. Frink had taken off in 838, detected a short circuit that made the aircraft unusable for combat, and landed. It took him 20 minutes from landing to taking off again!
Sortie Report
7 10 July 1943 Target: Drucat Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Abbeville, France
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑5838 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
8 14 July 1943 Target: Villacoublay Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Paris, France
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑5838 Combat Mission Credit
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑5848.
Sortie Report
9 24 July 1943 Target: Aluminum & Magnesium Plants
Type: Industry
Location: Herøya, Norway
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑30043 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
11 28 July 1943 Target: Aircraft Engine Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Kassel, Germany
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑29699 Combat Mission Credit
Aborted Mission After Taking Off
High Squadron deputy. Turned back with #2 & #3 engines unable to produce enough power to stay with the formation.
Sortie Report
12 29 July 1943 Target: Naval Base
Type: Military
Location: Kiel, Germany
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑29699 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
13 30 July 1943 Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Kassel, Germany
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑29699 Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at Martlesham Heath, AAF Station 369, on return, reason unknown.
Sortie Report
14 12 August 1943 Target: Synthetic Fuel Hydrogenation Plant
Type: Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑29699 Combat Mission Credit
Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back because #1, #3 and #4 oil pressure dropped off between nothing and ten; feathered #1 and #3.
Sortie Report
15 15 August 1943 Target: Poix-en-Picardie and Amiens-Glisy Airfields
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Poix-de-Picardie & Amiens, France
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑5849 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
16 16 August 1943 Target: Le Bourget Airport & Air Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Paris, France
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑30043 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
17 17 August 1943 Target: Ball-Bearing Plant
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑29699 Combat Mission Credit
Returned Early
Turned back before target because of trouble with three engines; dropped his bombs on a target of opportunity (TOO), an unidentified fighter airfield.
Sortie Report
18 27 August 1943 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Watten, France
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑5838 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron deputy.
Sortie Report
19 31 August 1943 Target: Fighter Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Romilly-sur-Seine, France
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑5838 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
20 3 September 1943 Target: Air Park and Aerodrome
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Romilly-sur-Seine, France
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑5838 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead
Sortie Report
21 6 September 1943 Type: Industry
Location: Stuttgart, Germany
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑5838 Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at Hornchurch, Essex, due to low fuel.
Sortie Report
22 7 September 1943 Target: Bruxelles-Evere Airfield/Repair Depot
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Brussels / Bruxelles, Belgium
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑3218 Combat Mission Credit
Group lead.
Sortie Report
23 9 September 1943 Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Lille-Vendeville, France
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑5838 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
24 16 September 1943 Target: Blockade Runner Ship (in Loire River)
Type: Transportation
Location: Nantes, France
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑5838 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead.
Sortie Report
25 23 September 1943 Target: Submarine Repair Ship
Type: Submarine Facility
Location: Nantes, France
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑5838 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
26 27 September 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Emden, Germany
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑5852 Combat Mission Credit
Group lead.
Sortie Report
28 4 October 1943 Type: Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑5838 Combat Mission Credit
Group lead.
Sortie Report
31 10 October 1943 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Münster, Germany
Engineer/Top Turret 42‑3441 Combat Mission Credit
Group lead.
Sortie Report

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