DeFrancesco, John Joseph

Individual Personnel Data
Name	DeFrancesco, John Joseph ‡ ⇗
Rank	Second Lieutenant / First Lieutenant
Serial Number	O-825120 ‡
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #190 dated 26 September 1944, effective 26 September 1944.
Duty	Pilot
MOS	1091 - Pilot, B-17
Last Duty Date	8 January 1945
Results	Prisoner Of War POW Camp: Stalag 13D Nuremburg (Oflag 73) Bavaria 49-11
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 29 January 1924 Appointed First Lieutenant (AUS) effective 13 November 1944 per 544th Squadron Morning report 19 November 1944.
Related Documents	Missing Air Crew Report # 11579⇓ (6.117 MB)
Photos of this Veteran signing the Wing Panel	DeFrancesco Signing⇗
Photo Album:	Crew Photo Album⇗

Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER	POSITION	RESULTS
2nd Lt. DeFrancesco, John Joseph	Pilot	POW
2nd Lt. Simmons, Robert Edwin⇗	Co-pilot	POW
Flt. Ofcr. Calnitz, Jerome⇗	Navigator	CT
2nd Lt. Brown, William C⇗	Bombardier	CT
T/SGT. Bias, Ira J, Jr⇗	Radio Operator / Gunner	POW
T/SGT. Howell, Evan Lawrence⇗	Engineer / Top Turret Gunner	CT
SGT. Doleshal, Charles Joseph⇗	Ball Turret Gunner	POW
T/SGT. Hastings, Harmon Charles⇗	Tail Gunner	MIA
S/SGT. Walker, Ferris John⇗	Tail Gunner	TR
S/SGT. Williams, John Allen⇗	Flexible Gunner	POW

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 35 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
208⇗	9 October 1944	Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany	Co-pilot	44‑6512⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
209⇗	11 October 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Wesseling, Germany	Co-pilot	43‑38062⇗	Combat Mission Credit Third Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
210⇗	14 October 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Saarbrücken, Germany	Pilot	42‑98000⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
211⇗	15 October 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany	Pilot	42‑39888⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
212⇗	17 October 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany	Pilot	42‑39888⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
213⇗	18 October 1944	Target: Ford Motor Works Type: Industry Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany	Pilot	42‑97282⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
215⇗	25 October 1944	Target: Nordstern Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Pilot	42‑102459⇗	Combat Mission Credit Fourth Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
217⇗	1 November 1944	Target: Nordstern Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Pilot	42‑97320⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
219⇗	4 November 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany	Pilot	42‑39888⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
221⇗	6 November 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany	Pilot	43‑38062⇗	Combat Mission Credit Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑37822. Sortie Report⇗
222⇗	8 November 1944	Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant (visual aim point) Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany	Pilot	42‑98000⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
223⇗	9 November 1944	Target: Ground Installations Type: Military Location: Ouvrages de Sorbey (Metz), France	Pilot	42‑102459⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
224⇗	10 November 1944	Target: Ostheim Airfield & Butzweilerhof Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany	Pilot	44‑6512⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41D Squadron. Hot Camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
226⇗	16 November 1944	Target: Tactical - Artillery Positions Type: Military Location: Eschweiler, Germany	Pilot	42‑97320⇗	Combat Mission Credit Landed away at Stratford, due to weather. Sortie Report⇗
227⇗	20 November 1944	Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Pilot	43‑37703⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
228⇗	23 November 1944	Target: Nordstern Coking Plant at Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks-A.G. Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Pilot	43‑37703⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
229⇗	25 November 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Lützkendorf, Germany	Pilot	42‑102459⇗	Combat Mission Credit Landed at Grafton Underwood. Sortie Report⇗
231⇗	27 November 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Offenburg, Germany	Pilot	42‑97320⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
232⇗	29 November 1944	Target: Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Misburg, Germany	Pilot	42‑97320⇗	Combat Mission Credit Hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
233⇗	30 November 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Zeitz, Germany	Pilot	42‑97320⇗	Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed Low Squadron Sortie Report⇗
234⇗	2 December 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Oberlahnstein, Germany	Pilot	42‑31484⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
235⇗	4 December 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Soest, Germany	Pilot	42‑97320⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
237⇗	9 December 1944	Target: Airfield and Daimler Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Böblingen (Stuttgart area), Germany	Pilot	42‑102459⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
238⇗	11 December 1944	Target: Road & Rail Bridge Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany	Pilot	42‑37822⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
239⇗	12 December 1944	Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany	Pilot	42‑102459⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
240⇗	18 December 1944	Target: Road Junction Type: Transportation Location: Gemünd, Germany	Pilot	42‑98000⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
241⇗	19 December 1944	Target: Railway Junction Type: Transportation Location: Glaadt, Germany	Pilot	42‑107148⇗	Combat Mission Credit Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑97320. Landed away at RAF Fairwood Common near Swansea, Wales. Sortie Report⇗
243⇗	24 December 1944	Target: Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Kirch Göns, Germany	Pilot	43‑38062⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41C Group. Sortie Report⇗
245⇗	28 December 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Brühl, Germany	Pilot	43‑38062⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
246⇗	30 December 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Limburg, Germany	Pilot	42‑37822⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
247⇗	31 December 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Neuss, Germany	Pilot	43‑38062⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
249⇗	2 January 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Gerolstein, Germany	Pilot	42‑102430⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
250⇗	3 January 1945	Target: Enemy Strong Point & Transportation Hub Type: Military Location: St Vith, Belgium	Pilot	43‑38062⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
251⇗	5 January 1945	Target: Landing Ground Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Neiderbreisig, Germany	Pilot	43‑38850⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
252⇗	7 January 1945	Target: Enemy Strong Point Type: Military Location: Blankenheim, Germany	Pilot	42‑37822⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
253⇗	8 January 1945	Target: Railroad Type: Transportation Location: Kyllburg, Germany	Pilot	42‑98000⇗	Combat Mission Credit Failed To Return MIA. Prior to the IP at 1022 hrs, this aircraft was observed slowing up and dropping behind formation. It was then lost to view in contrails. Flak damaged one or more engines. Crashed near BAASEM, Germany. MACR 11579 Sortie Report⇗

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