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Merritt, William Thomas, Jr

Individual Personnel Data
Name Merritt, William Thomas, Jr   ‡
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Rank Corporal / Staff Sergeant
Serial Number 37708880   ‡
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #8 dated 9 January 1945, effective 9 January 1945.
Duty Ball Turret Gunner
MOS611 - Aerial Gunner
Last Duty Date 25 April 1945
Results Flying Combat Missions At End Of War
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 17 November 1925
  • Promoted to Sergeant effective 12 January 1945 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #10 dated 12 January 1945.
  • Reclassified from MOS 611 to MOS 612 effective 12 April 1945 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #79 dated 12 April 1945.
  • Promoted to Staff Sergeant effective 15 April 1945 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #82 dated 15 April 1945.
Photo Album:Crew Photo Album⇗
Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Haaf, Arthur Herschel, "Hersch"⇗PilotFCMEW
2nd Lt. Hoffman, Dennis M⇗Co-pilotFCMEW
2nd Lt. Wilson, Roger Earl⇗NavigatorFCMEW
S/SGT. Tompkins, George Cleveland⇗TogglierTBD
PVT. Lazzaro, August Michael⇗Radio Operator / GunnerCT
CPL. Beardshear, Paul Francis⇗Engineer / Top Turret GunnerFCMEW
CPL. Merritt, William Thomas, JrBall Turret GunnerFCMEW
CPL. Lind, Eldon Warren⇗Tail GunnerFCMEW
CPL. Cayce, Lawrence Wendell⇗Flexible GunnerFCMEW
Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 33 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
263⇗ 1 February 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Mannheim, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑37788⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Originally assigned to Tebo; replaced 43‑38673 for Welsh.
Sortie Report⇗
265⇗ 9 February 1945 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Lützkendorf, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑37917⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
266⇗ 14 February 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Dresden, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑37917⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
267⇗ 15 February 1945 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bohlen, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑37917⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron hot camera ship. Landed away at Bassingbourn Airfield, AAF Station 121.
Sortie Report⇗
270⇗ 21 February 1945 Target: Tank Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Nuremberg / Nürnberg, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑37917⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron flying spare; joined formation.
Sortie Report⇗
271⇗ 22 February 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Ülzen, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑37917⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
272⇗ 23 February 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Plauen, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑37917⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at Bury St. Edmunds (Rougham) Airfield, AAF Station 468.
Sortie Report⇗
274⇗ 25 February 1945 Target: Tank & Submarine Engine Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Friedrichshafen, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑37917⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
274⇗ 25 February 1945 Target: Tank & Submarine Engine Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Friedrichshafen, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑38823⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
275⇗ 26 February 1945 Target: Schlesicher Railroad Station (Bahnhof)
Type: Transportation
Location: Berlin, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑37917⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
276⇗ 27 February 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Wahren (Leipzig area), Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑37917⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
278⇗ 1 March 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Bruchsal, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑37917⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
279⇗ 2 March 1945 Target: Low Temperature Carbonization Plant and Refinery of Deutsche Petroleum A.G.
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Rositz, Germany 		Ball Turret 44‑8679⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at B-53, an RAF airfield near Merville, France, on return, due to low fuel.
Sortie Report⇗
280⇗ 3 March 1945 Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Misburg, Germany 		Ball Turret 44‑6590⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
282⇗ 7 March 1945 Target: Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bochum, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑37917⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
283⇗ 8 March 1945 Target: Oil Refinery - 'Benzol Plant'
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Essen, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑37971⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron deputy and hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
284⇗ 9 March 1945 Target: Henschel Tank and Locomotive Works
Type: Industry
Location: Kassel, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑37917⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
291⇗ 18 March 1945 Target: Schlesischer Railway Station
Type: Transportation
Location: Berlin, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑102518⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
296⇗ 24 March 1945 Target: Vechta Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Vechta, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑97309⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
298⇗ 26 March 1945 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Zeitz, Germany 		Ball Turret 44‑8679⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
299⇗ 28 March 1945 Target: Berlin/Spandau Motor Transport Works
Type: Industry
Location: Spandau (Berlin), Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑37917⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
301⇗ 31 March 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Lützkendorf, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑37717⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
306⇗ 7 April 1945 Target: Underground Oil Storage Plant
Type: Military
Location: Hitzacker, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑97510⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
307⇗ 9 April 1945 Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑97309⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
308⇗ 10 April 1945 Target: Ordnance Depot Workshop Area
Type: Military
Location: Oranienburg, Germany 		Ball Turret 44‑6882⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
309⇗ 11 April 1945 Target: Underground Oil Storage Depot
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Freiham, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑37917⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
310⇗ 14 April 1945 Target: Gun Battery
Type: Military
Location: Royan (Bordeaux), France 		Ball Turret 42‑107125⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
311⇗ 15 April 1945 Target: Flak guns at Pointe de Suzac
Type: Military
Location: Royan, France 		Ball Turret 42‑107125⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
312⇗ 16 April 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Regensburg, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑107125⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
313⇗ 17 April 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Dresden, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑38839⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
314⇗ 19 April 1945 Target: Railroad Station & Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Elsterwerda, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑38839⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
315⇗ 20 April 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Seddin, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑38839⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
316⇗ 25 April 1945 Target: Skoda Armament Works
Type: Industry
Location: Pilsen / Plzeň, Czechoslovakia 		Ball Turret 42‑97309⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗

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