Flowers, James Richard

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Flowers, James Richard ⇗
Rank	Second Lieutenant
Serial Number	O-761291
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 546th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #91 dated 16 May 1944, effective 16 May 1944.
Duty	Bombardier
MOS	1035 - Bombardier
Last Duty Date	8 September 1944
Results	Transferred
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 7 March 1921 Graduated from Bombardier School at Deming AAF, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Class #43-17, 4 December 1943. Transferred in grade to the Casual Pool, 8th AFRD, AAF Station 594 on 8 September 1944 per Squadron Morning Report.
Photo Album:	Crew Photo Album⇗

Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER	POSITION	RESULTS
2nd Lt. Gibson, James Allen⇗	Pilot	CT
2nd Lt. Preller, Robert Henry, "Bob"⇗	Co-pilot	CT
2nd Lt. O'Neill, John Patrick⇗	Navigator	CT
2nd Lt. Flowers, James Richard	Bombardier	TR
S/SGT. Gramc, Edward (NMI)⇗	Radio Operator / Gunner	TR
S/SGT. Bowers, Henry Melvin⇗	Engineer / Top Turret Gunner	CT
S/SGT. Holderbaum, Kenneth (NMI), Jr⇗	Ball Turret Gunner	TR
SGT. Kennemer, Frank Winifred⇗	Tail Gunner	CT
SGT. Gilmore, James Karry, Jr⇗	Flexible Gunner	CT
PVT. Lafferty, Cornelius Michael⇗	Flexible Gunner	TR

Crew History

The Gibson Crew was formed at Drew Field (now Tampa International Airport) in Tampa, Florida in March 1944. After crew training, they picked up a new B-17G at Hunter Field, Georgia on 29 April and flew it to England via Dow Army Airfield, Bangor, Maine, RCAF Station Gander, Newfoundland, and Iceland in early May. The crew then moved to the 8th Air Force Replacement Depot at Stone, Staffordshire, for theater orientation while awaiting their combat assignment. They joined the 546th BS on 16 May 1944 as a replacement crew. The squadron crew number is currently unknown.
About half the crew flew nearly all its missions together: Lafferty flew no missions with Gibson, Gramc was transferred to the 305th BG with the Fitzgerald Crew, Holderbaum was removed from flying status, and the others were reassigned as needed by the Army. All survived the war without loss.

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 18 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
117⇗	28 May 1944	Target: Junkers Aircraft Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Dessau, Germany	Bombardier	42‑31222⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
119⇗	29 May 1944	Target: Focke-Wulf Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Krzesiny District, Poznań, Poland	Bombardier	42‑97142⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
122⇗	2 June 1944	Target: Gun Battery with six 155mm guns, Tactical Support Type: Military Location: Hardelot (5 miles S of Boulogne), France	Bombardier	42‑97251⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
125⇗	4 June 1944	Target: Artillery Battery Type: Military Location: Hardelot (Boulogne area), France	Bombardier	42‑97273⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
126⇗	5 June 1944	Target: Field Artillery Battery Type: Military Location: La Fosse, France	Bombardier	42‑97273⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Group, Low Squadron Deputy. Sortie Report⇗
128⇗	6 June 1944	Target: Two Bridges Type: Transportation Location: Caen, France	Bombardier	42‑102601⇗	Combat Mission Credit J Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
130⇗	7 June 1944	Target: Transportation Hub Type: Military Location: Condé-sur-Noireau, France	Bombardier	42‑107057⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Group Flying Spare. Joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
131⇗	8 June 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards (41C) & Loire River Railroad Bridge (41D) Type: Transportation Location: Orleans, France	Bombardier	42‑97510⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41D Group. Bombed Primary Target. Sortie Report⇗
134⇗	13 June 1944	Target: Dreux Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Dreux, France	Bombardier	42‑102501⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
160⇗	18 July 1944	Target: Rocket Research & Development Complex Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Peenemünde & Zinnowitz, Germany	Bombardier	42‑97948⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41B Group. Sortie Report⇗
161⇗	19 July 1944	Target: Hydrogen Peroxide Plant Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Höllriegelskreuth District, Pullach, Germany	Navigator	42‑102620⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
165⇗	25 July 1944	Target: Tactical - Enemy Strong Points Type: Military Location: Montreuil-sur-Lozon, Le Châtel, & La Chapelle en Juger, France	Navigator	42‑102501⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Group Flying Spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
176⇗	9 August 1944	Target: Erding Airdrome & Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Erding, Germany	Navigator	42‑97251⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead group hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
177⇗	11 August 1944	Target: Tactical: Coastal Artillery Emplacements Type: Military Location: Brest, France	Navigator	42‑107058⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off High group flying spare. Turned back because he couldn't locate formation. A contributing factor was a broken radiocompass antenna. Sortie Report⇗
180⇗	14 August 1944	Target: Echterdingen Airdrome Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Stuttgart, Germany	Bombardier	42‑102620⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead group. Sortie Report⇗
181⇗	16 August 1944	Target: Delitzsch Air Field and Air Equipment Depot Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Delitzsch, Germany	Bombardier	42‑102620⇗	Combat Mission Credit High section lead, low group. Sortie Report⇗
182⇗	18 August 1944	Target: Tactical: Bridge Type: Transportation Location: Vise, Belgium	Bombardier	42‑102500⇗	Combat Mission Credit High section deputy, high group. Sortie Report⇗
184⇗	25 August 1944	Target: Airfield & Airpark Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Anklam, Germany	Bombardier	42‑107083⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
185⇗	26 August 1944	Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Bombardier	42‑107083⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group. Sortie Report⇗

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