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DeCelles, Charles Bender

Individual Personnel Data
Name DeCelles, Charles Bender
Rank Second Lieutenant / First Lieutenant
Serial Number O-765575
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #139 dated 16 July 1944, effective 16 July 1944.
Duty Bombardier
MOS1035 - Bombardier
Last Duty Date 7 March 1945
Results Completed Tour, Returned to USA
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 25 April 1916
  • Graduated from Bombardier School at Kirtland AAF, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Class #44-01, 15 January 1944.
  • Placed on seven (7) days Temporary Duty at Palace Hotel, AAF Station 524 (a Flak House) to carry out the orders of the Commanding General per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #182 dated 14 September 1944. Will Proceed date omitted on SSO. 15 September 1944 listed on 545th BS Squadron Morning Report of 14 September 1944.
  • Appointed First Lieutenant (AUS) effective 17 February 1945 per 545th Bomb Squadron Morning Report dated 6 March 1945.
Related Documents Accident Report # 44-10-23-527 (2.444 MB)
Photo Album:Crew Photo Album




Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Johnstone, William AndrewPilotCT
Flt. Ofcr. Weaver, Paul HansonCo-pilotCT
Flt. Ofcr. Simpson, MorrisNavigatorCT
2nd Lt. DeCelles, Charles BenderBombardierCT
S/SGT. Markley, Harland DeanRadio Operator / GunnerCT
S/SGT. Williams, J C (IO)Engineer / Top Turret GunnerCT
SGT. Curtin, John (NMI)Ball Turret GunnerCT
SGT. David, Lloyd PrestonTail GunnerCT
SGT. Nolan, Richard ThomasFlexible GunnerCT
SGT. Trimble, Frederick CushingFlexible GunnerCT

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 35 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
Bombardier 42‑97251 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
Bombardier 42‑32106 Combat Mission Credit
Lead Group.
Sortie Report
166 28 July 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil & Chemical Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany
Bombardier 42‑32106 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
172 4 August 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Crepieul, France
Bombardier 42‑102933 Combat Mission Credit
Group deputy and hot camera ship.
Sortie Report
175 8 August 1944 Target: Tactical - Enemy Strong Points
Type: Military
Location: Bretteville-sur-Laize, France
Bombardier 42‑32106 Combat Mission Credit
Lead group hot camera ship.
Sortie Report
176 9 August 1944 Target: Erding Airdrome & Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Erding, Germany
Bombardier 42‑32106 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead, high group.
Sortie Report
177 11 August 1944 Target: Tactical: Coastal Artillery Emplacements
Type: Military
Location: Brest, France
Bombardier 42‑32106 Combat Mission Credit
Low group hot camera ship.
Sortie Report
181 16 August 1944 Target: Delitzsch Air Field and Air Equipment Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Delitzsch, Germany
Bombardier 44‑6135 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
184 25 August 1944 Target: Airfield & Airpark
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Anklam, Germany
Bombardier 42‑31484 Combat Mission Credit
High section lead, low group.
Sortie Report
190 9 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Bombardier 42‑102501 Combat Mission Credit
Low group flying spare; joined formation.
Sortie Report
191 10 September 1944 Target: BMW Motor Component Parts Plant
Type: Industry
Location: Sindelfingen, Germany
Bombardier 43‑37971 Combat Mission Credit
Dropped two minutes early on primary target; hit marshalling yards instead. Returned with #2 feathered.
Sortie Report
198 25 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Bombardier 42‑32106 Combat Mission Credit
B Wing, low group. Did not bomb because unable to see wing lead release bombs.
Sortie Report
201 28 September 1944 Target: Steelworks
Type: Industry
Location: Magdeburg, Germany
Bombardier 42‑97941 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
-- 23 October 1944 None
Non-combat sortie
Bombardier 42‑102518 Landing gear collapsed after returning from a training mission. There were no crew injuries.
Sortie Report
219 4 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany
Bombardier 44‑8409 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
220 5 November 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Bombardier 43‑38673 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
223 9 November 1944 Target: Ground Installations
Type: Military
Location: Ouvrages de Sorbey (Metz), France
Bombardier 44‑8409 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report
225 11 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Bombardier 44‑8409 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
226 16 November 1944 Target: Tactical - Artillery Positions
Type: Military
Location: Eschweiler, Germany
Bombardier 42‑32106 Combat Mission Credit
Hot camera ship. Landed away at RAF Cranfield, Bedfordshire, due to weather.
Sortie Report
227 20 November 1944 Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Bombardier 42‑102430 Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron, 41st Bomb Wing D group
Sortie Report
230 26 November 1944 Target: Railroad Viaduct
Type: Transportation
Location: Altenbeken, Germany
Bombardier 42‑32106 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
231 27 November 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Offenburg, Germany
Bombardier 42‑97271 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
234 2 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Oberlahnstein, Germany
Bombardier 43‑38721 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
235 4 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Soest, Germany
Bombardier 43‑37717 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron.
Sortie Report
236 6 December 1944 Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany
Bombardier 42‑102518 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
237 9 December 1944 Target: Airfield and Daimler Factory
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Böblingen (Stuttgart area), Germany
Bombardier 42‑31484 Combat Mission Credit
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑102518.
Sortie Report
238 11 December 1944 Target: Road & Rail Bridge
Type: Transportation
Location: Mannheim, Germany
Bombardier 42‑97309 Combat Mission Credit
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑107148.
Sortie Report
241 19 December 1944 Target: Railway Junction
Type: Transportation
Location: Glaadt, Germany
Bombardier 42‑102518 Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off
Low Squadron hot camera ship. Did not take off due to weather which deteriorated after lead aircraft took off.
Sortie Report
243 24 December 1944 Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Kirch Göns, Germany
Bombardier 42‑102501 Combat Mission Credit
41C Group.
Sortie Report
245 28 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Brühl, Germany
Bombardier 42‑102518 Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report
246 30 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Limburg, Germany
Bombardier 42‑102518 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron flying spare; joined low Squadron formation.
Sortie Report
247 31 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Neuss, Germany
Bombardier 42‑102518 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
248 1 January 1945 Target: Oil Storage Depot
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Derben, Germany
Bombardier 43‑38823 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron.
Sortie Report
249 2 January 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Gerolstein, Germany
Bombardier 43‑37917 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
263 1 February 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Mannheim, Germany
Bombardier 44‑8679 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron deputy.
Sortie Report
280 3 March 1945 Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Misburg, Germany
Bombardier 43‑39019 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron deputy and hot camera ship.
Sortie Report
282 7 March 1945 Target: Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bochum, Germany
Bombardier 43‑37971 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron deputy and hot camera ship.
Sortie Report

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