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Coburn, Ellsworth Gorden

Individual Personnel Data
Name Coburn, Ellsworth Gorden   
Rank Corporal / Staff Sergeant
Serial Number 35772707   
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #134 dated 11 July 1944, effective 11 July 1944.
Duty Tail Gunner
MOS611 - Aerial Gunner
Last Duty Date 9 February 1945
Results Completed Tour, Returned to USA
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 11 February 1925
  • Promoted to Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #147 dated 25 July 1944.
  • Promoted to Staff Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #186 dated 20 September 1944.
  • Ordered on seven days Temporary Duty to Spetchley Park, AAF Station 562 (a Flak house) on 29 November 1944 to carry out the instructions of the Commanding General per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #234 dated 28 November 1944.




Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Martin, Donald FrancisPilotCT
Flt. Ofcr. Weisenberg, LeonardCo-pilotCT
2nd Lt. Harrison, Arthur SeymourNavigatorCT
2nd Lt. Saunders, James BernardBombardierCT
S/SGT. Flatt, James EdwardRadio Operator / GunnerCT
S/SGT. Bianca, Buddy ArmandEngineer / Top Turret GunnerPOW
CPL. Claxon, Ernest HaydonBall Turret GunnerCT
CPL. Coburn, Ellsworth GordenTail GunnerCT
SGT. Emberlin, Jessie LeeFlexible GunnerTR
SGT. Winiarski, Eugene AlphonseFlexible GunnerCT

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 32 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
164 24 July 1944 Target: Tactical - Enemy Strong Points
Type: Military
Location: La Chapelle en Juger & Hébécrevon, France
Tail Gunner 43‑37917 Combat Mission Credit
Low group.
Sortie Report
165 25 July 1944 Target: Tactical - Enemy Strong Points
Type: Military
Location: Montreuil-sur-Lozon, Le Châtel,
& La Chapelle en Juger, France
Tail Gunner 42‑102430 Combat Mission Credit
Lead Group.
Sortie Report
173 5 August 1944 Target: Luftwaffe Controlling Station
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Langenhagen, Germany
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑37917 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
174 7 August 1944 Target: Aircraft Fuel Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Dugny (Paris), France
Tail Gunner 42‑102430 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
High group. Turned back over the English Channel after the Engineer was seriously injured after being 'caught between the upper local turret and the wall.'
Sortie Report
175 8 August 1944 Target: Tactical - Enemy Strong Points
Type: Military
Location: Bretteville-sur-Laize, France
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 44‑6294 Combat Mission Credit
Low section deputy, lead group.
Sortie Report
178 12 August 1944 Target: "Landing Ground"
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: La Perthe, France
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑97510 Combat Mission Credit
High group. On return, arrived an hour-and-a-half late, possibly due to landing elsewhere to refuel.
Sortie Report
180 14 August 1944 Target: Echterdingen Airdrome
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Stuttgart, Germany
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 44‑6294 Combat Mission Credit
High section lead, low group.
Sortie Report
184 25 August 1944 Target: Airfield & Airpark
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Anklam, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑37971 Combat Mission Credit
High section lead, lead group.
Sortie Report
186 30 August 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Crepieul, France
Tail Gunner 44‑6109 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
189 8 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑6109 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
190 9 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑37971 Combat Mission Credit
Low group deputy. Hot camera ship.
Sortie Report
192 11 September 1944 Target: Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Lützkendorf & Merseburg, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑102933 Combat Mission Credit
41B Group.
Sortie Report
195 17 September 1944 Target: Tank and Gun Concentrations, Tactical
Type: Military
Location: Eindhoven & 's‑Hertogenbosch (den Bosch), The Netherlands
Tail Gunner 44‑6109 Combat Mission Credit
C Squadron Deputy. Hot Camera ship.
Sortie Report
196 19 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Hamm, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑6294 Combat Mission Credit
Hot camera ship; high Squadron.
Sortie Report
197 21 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Mainz, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑31484 Combat Mission Credit
Hot camera ship.
Sortie Report
198 25 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑8008 Combat Mission Credit
B Wing, low group deputy.
Sortie Report
200 27 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards (PFF Aiming Points)
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑97592 Combat Mission Credit
Wing deputy. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
209 11 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Wesseling, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑8007 Combat Mission Credit
Second Squadron lead. PFF ship. While on the bomb run to attack the primary target using Gee-H, with the deputy in the lead, the equipment failed. The Squadron then proceeded to the secondary target and attacked using PFF.
Sortie Report
213 18 October 1944 Target: Ford Motor Works
Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑38016 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead. Relinquished lead to deputy on bomb run after Gee-H equipment failed.
Sortie Report
217 1 November 1944 Target: Nordstern Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑97592 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead. PFF ship. Led Squadron in PFF attack on secondary target.
Sortie Report
221 6 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑8008 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
224 10 November 1944 Target: Ostheim Airfield & Butzweilerhof Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑107125 Combat Mission Credit
41C Group, Group Deputy. Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report
226 16 November 1944 Target: Tactical - Artillery Positions
Type: Military
Location: Eschweiler, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑8401 Combat Mission Credit
PFF ship; high Squadron lead, 41st Bomb Wing A group. Landed away at Stratford, due to weather.
Sortie Report
229 25 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Lützkendorf, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑8007 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead; PFF ship; landed at Grafton Underwood.
Sortie Report
238 11 December 1944 Target: Road & Rail Bridge
Type: Transportation
Location: Mannheim, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑8211 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead, B Group. PFF & Gee-H ship. Released bombs on group leader.
Sortie Report
243 24 December 1944 Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Kirch Göns, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑32106 Combat Mission Credit
41C Group.
Sortie Report
249 2 January 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Gerolstein, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑97986 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
250 3 January 1945 Target: Enemy Strong Point & Transportation Hub
Type: Military
Location: St Vith, Belgium
Tail Gunner 42‑97592 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead. PFF ship. Low Squadron released bombs when the group lead released.
Sortie Report
251 5 January 1945 Target: Landing Ground
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Neiderbreisig, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑8216 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
253 8 January 1945 Target: Railroad
Type: Transportation
Location: Kyllburg, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑97986 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
254 10 January 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Bonn, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑97986 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead. PFF ship. Left his position and assumed lead at IP and led group on a PFF bomb run on secondary target (primary was obscured with clouds). The (secondary) target was picked up visually half-way down the bomb run but prior to release it was found that the bomb racks were frozen. He circled around and completed a second run with successful bomb release.
Sortie Report
256 17 January 1945 Target: Railroad Viaduct
Type: Transportation
Location: Bielefeld, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑38678 Combat Mission Credit
Division deputy. Ordered to fly as the low Squadron deputy to make room for the low Squadron leader to fly in the division deputy position.
Sortie Report
260 23 January 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Neuss, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑38647 Combat Mission Credit
Assigned as low Squadron lead, took over group lead when Maj Strickland aborted. Landed away at North Pickenham Airfield, AAF Station 143.
Sortie Report

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