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Mason, Jack Leslie (#2)

Individual Personnel Data
Name Mason, Jack Leslie (#2)   
Rank Staff Sergeant / Technical Sergeant
Serial Number 16069918   
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho, Special Orders #32 dated 1 February 1943, effective 1 February 1943.
Duty Flexible Gunner
MOS757 - Radio Operator / Mechanic / Gunner, AAF
Last Duty Date 13 December 1943
Results Completed Tour, Returned to USA
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 10 September 1920
  • Ordered to attend Gunnery School at Snettisham, Norfolk, for approximately 10 days beginning on or about 30 May 1943, on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #21 dated 30 May 1943. Students are required to bring .50 cal. Ammunition, gas mask, steel helmet, mess equipment, blankets, clothing for ten days, and draw 'PX rations' in advance.
  • Promoted to Technical Sergeant on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #103 dated 24 September 1943.
Related Documents Wartime Press Releases (0.763 MB)
Photo Album:Crew Photo Album




Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Original 384th Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Armstrong, Lloyd RowlandPilotCT
2nd Lt. Van der Haeghen, Joseph AlbertCo-pilotCT
2nd Lt. Wilson, Eugene TheodoreNavigatorMIA
2nd Lt. Kinney, William BrownieBombardierCT
S/SGT. Carroll, George HenryRadio Operator / GunnerCT
S/SGT. Estes, Lloyd StackEngineer / Top Turret GunnerWIA
S/SGT. Thurman, Fillman CliftonBall Turret GunnerCT
SGT. Grimes, Robert AlbertTail GunnerPOW
S/SGT. Mason, Jack Leslie (#2)Flexible GunnerCT
S/SGT. Renfro, Alvin EveretteFlexible GunnerCT

Crew History

The Armstrong Crew joined the 545th BS at Wendover on 1 February 1943. Identified as "Crew #5" on the assignment order, they became the first "Crew #53" in the squadron. They trained at Wendover, Sioux City, and Kearney, and then flew to England together.

They flew numerous missions together, with Wilson and Grimes not flying the first few missions, for unknown reasons. In September, Van der Haeghen was rated First Pilot and given his own crew; Mason and Grimes went with him, and were replaced by S/Sgt Michael Polito and S/Sgt Ralph Voorhees. Most of the members of this crew completed their combat tour, with only Wilson not surviving the war.

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
Ball Turret 42‑3218 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
3 26 June 1943 Target: Villacoublay Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Paris, France
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑3218 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
4 28 June 1943 Target: Fighter Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Beaumont-le-Roger, France
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑3218 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
5 29 June 1943 Target: duNord Aircraft Works, Villacoublay Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Paris, France
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑3218 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
6 4 July 1943 Target: Gnome et Rhone Aircraft Engine Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Le Mans, France
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑3218 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
7 10 July 1943 Target: Drucat Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Abbeville, France
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑3218 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
9 24 July 1943 Target: Aluminum & Magnesium Plants
Type: Industry
Location: Herøya, Norway
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑3218 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron deputy.
Sortie Report
10 25 July 1943 Target: Blohm & Voss Aircraft Works and Shipyard
Type: Industry
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑3218 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
14 12 August 1943 Target: Synthetic Fuel Hydrogenation Plant
Type: Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑3218 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back at 0810 hrs because of supercharger failure on #3 & #4 engines.
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
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑3074 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑3218. Turned back for unknown reasons.
Sortie Report
16 16 August 1943 Target: Le Bourget Airport & Air Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Paris, France
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑3218 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
17 17 August 1943 Target: Ball-Bearing Plant
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑3216 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
18 27 August 1943 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Watten, France
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑3218 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
19 31 August 1943 Target: Fighter Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Romilly-sur-Seine, France
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑3218 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back with #2, #3, and #4 engines very rough.
Sortie Report
21 6 September 1943 Type: Industry
Location: Stuttgart, Germany
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑3218 Combat Mission Credit
Group lead. Landed at Grafton Underwood.
Sortie Report
23 9 September 1943 Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Lille-Vendeville, France
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑3218 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
25 23 September 1943 Target: Submarine Repair Ship
Type: Submarine Facility
Location: Nantes, France
Radio Operator 42‑5051 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
26 27 September 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Emden, Germany
Radio Operator 42‑3216 Combat Mission Credit
One engine went out before the target, and a second was hit by flak. A third engine quit on the way home. The crew threw as much as possible overboard, and the pilot was able to bring it in on one engine.
Sortie Report
27 2 October 1943 Target: Port Facilities
Type: Transportation
Location: Emden, Germany
Radio Operator 42‑5051 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron Deputy.
Sortie Report
29 8 October 1943 Target: Workshops
Type: Submarine Facility
Location: Bremen, Germany
Radio Operator 42‑3216 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
31 10 October 1943 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Münster, Germany
Radio Operator 42‑3216 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Sortie Report
33 20 October 1943 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Düren, Germany
Radio Operator 42‑5444 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
-- 30 October 1943 Target: Marshaling Yard
Type: Transportation
Location: Geilenkirchen, Germany
Radio Operator 42‑3218 Sortie Report
34 3 November 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Wilhelmshafen, Germany
Radio Operator 42‑5444 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
35 5 November 1943 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Radio Operator 42‑37816 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
36 16 November 1943 Target: Knaben II Molybdenum Mine
Type: Industry
Location: Knaben, Norway
Radio Operator 42‑37776 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
39 1 December 1943 Target: Non-Ferrous Metals Plant
Type: Industry
Location: Solingen, Germany
Radio Operator 42‑29828 Combat Mission Credit
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑37816.
Sortie Report
40 5 December 1943 Target: Fighter Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Saint-Jean-d'Angély, France
Radio Operator 42‑39888 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
41 11 December 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Emden, Germany
Radio Operator 42‑29828 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
42 13 December 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Bremen, Germany
Radio Operator 42‑5404 Combat Mission Credit
Low group, high Squadron deputy.
Sortie Report

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