Gardner, Sam (NMI)

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Gardner, Sam (NMI) ⇗
Rank	Second Lieutenant
Serial Number	O-734885
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #136 dated 5 November 1943, effective 5 November 1943.
Duty	Navigator
MOS	1034 - Navigator
Last Duty Date	26 April 1944
Results	Completed Combat Tour
Decorations	Awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received on 16 March 1944 per General Orders #53, Headquarters 1st Bomb Division dated 22 March 1944.
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 23 June 1921 Placed on seven days Temporary Duty to 8th Air Force Officers Rest Home, Stanbridge Earls (a Flak House) on or about 27 March 1944 per AF Station 106 Special Orders #57 dated 25 March 1944.
Photo Album:	Crew Photo Album⇗

Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER	POSITION	RESULTS
2nd Lt. Allison, Earl Thomas⇗	Pilot	KIA
2nd Lt. Small, Herbert William⇗	Co-pilot	KIA
2nd Lt. Gardner, Sam (NMI)	Navigator	CT
2nd Lt. Nagel, Jack Cameron, "Big Foot"⇗	Bombardier	KIA
S/SGT. Laubenstein, William Frederick⇗	Radio Operator / Gunner	POW
SGT. Clements, William Arlie⇗	Engineer / Top Turret Gunner	KIA
S/SGT. Kaufman, Vernon Herman⇗	Ball Turret Gunner	KIA
S/SGT. Hougard, Kenneth Nels⇗	Flexible Gunner	EV
SGT. Kouski, William Louis⇗	Flexible Gunner	TR
SGT. Grimmett, James Harold⇗	Flexible Gunner	POW

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 29 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
36⇗	16 November 1943	Target: Knaben II Molybdenum Mine Type: Industry Location: Knaben, Norway	Navigator	42‑37785⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
37⇗	26 November 1943	Target: City Center Type: Non-Military Location: Bremen, Germany	Navigator	42‑37785⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
38⇗	29 November 1943	Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Bremen, Germany	Navigator	42‑37792⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
42⇗	13 December 1943	Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Bremen, Germany	Navigator	42‑37785⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Low group. Aborted with low oil pressure in #2 engine, and engine on fire. Jettisoned bombs in North Sea and landed away at Attlebridge. Sortie Report⇗
43⇗	16 December 1943	Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Bremen, Germany	Navigator	42‑31274⇗	Combat Mission Credit Flying Spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
46⇗	24 December 1943	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Croisette, France	Bombardier	41‑24560⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
48⇗	31 December 1943	Target: Blockade Runner 'Orsone' (name of ship) Type: Transportation Location: [Mouth of River Garonne], France	Navigator	42‑5404⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
50⇗	5 January 1944	Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Kiel, Germany	Navigator	42‑37801⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
54⇗	21 January 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Preuseville, France	Navigator	42‑29651⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41A Group. Sortie Report⇗
57⇗	3 February 1944	Target: Submarines (under construction) Type: Submarine Facility Location: Wilhelmshaven, Germany	Navigator	41‑24560⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Group, Low Squadron Deputy. Turned back after crossing enemy coast because #2 supercharger went out. Sortie Report⇗
58⇗	4 February 1944	Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Navigator	42‑29717⇗	Combat Mission Credit High group, 41st B Combat Wing. Turned back with 'supercharger trouble.' Sortie Report⇗
63⇗	20 February 1944	Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Leipzig & Bernburg, Germany	Navigator	42‑37785⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41A Group. Sortie Report⇗
64⇗	21 February 1944	Target: Fighter Field & Aircraft Storage Depot Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Werl, Germany	Navigator	42‑37974⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron deputy, low group. Sortie Report⇗
65⇗	22 February 1944	Target: Aircraft Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Halberstadt & Aschersleben, Germany	Navigator	42‑3440⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off 41A Group. Sortie Report⇗
66⇗	24 February 1944	Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany	Navigator	42‑37785⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron, lead group. Sortie Report⇗
67⇗	25 February 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Ball Bearings Plants Type: Industry Location: Augsburg & Stuttgart, Germany	Navigator	42‑37785⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41A Group. Sortie Report⇗
68⇗	28 February 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Preuseville, France	Navigator	42‑31346⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
70⇗	3 March 1944	Target: Roller-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Navigator	42‑37789⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back because #2 supercharger ran away. Sortie Report⇗
71⇗	4 March 1944	Type: Military Location: Berlin, Germany	Navigator	42‑31235⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
72⇗	6 March 1944	Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Navigator	42‑31235⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron lead, high composite group, 41st Composite Combat Wing. Sortie Report⇗
73⇗	8 March 1944	Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Navigator	42‑3490⇗	Combat Mission Credit PFF aircraft and unidentified crewmembers supplied by 482nd BG. Sortie Report⇗
74⇗	9 March 1944	Target: Heinkel Aircraft Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oranienburg, Germany	Navigator	42‑30026⇗	Combat Mission Credit Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑3440. Sortie Report⇗
75⇗	16 March 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany	Navigator	42‑31364⇗	Combat Mission Credit Jettisoned bombs at 1130 hrs when aircraft was hit by bombs from Ledbetter aircraft 42‑37801 (MIA); bombs knocked out #2 engine and forced the jettisoning of bombs. Sortie Report⇗
76⇗	18 March 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany	Navigator	42‑97523⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41st Combat Bombardment Wing deputy. PFF ship and unidentified crewmembers loaned by 482nd BG. Sortie Report⇗
77⇗	19 March 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-2 Storage and Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Wizernes, France	Navigator	42‑37789⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
78⇗	20 March 1944	Type: Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Navigator	42‑37885⇗	Combat Mission Credit FLIGHT TIME 6:30 Sortie Report⇗
81⇗	24 March 1944	Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany	Navigator	42‑37982⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
82⇗	26 March 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Le Grismont, Rebecques, France	Navigator	42‑3429⇗	Combat Mission Credit Flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
86⇗	9 April 1944	Target: FW-190 Fighter Aircraft Assembly Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Marienburg, Germany	Navigator	42‑31235⇗	Combat Mission Credit Joined 41st Composite Combat Wing A and bombed their primary target. Sortie Report⇗
87⇗	10 April 1944	Target: Evere Airfield (50°54'3"N 4°20'9"E) Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Brussels / Bruxelles, Belgium	Navigator	42‑31235⇗	Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed Sortie Report⇗
88⇗	11 April 1944	Target: FW Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Sorau, Germany	Navigator	42‑31346⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron lead, high composite group. Sortie Report⇗
90⇗	18 April 1944	Target: Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oranienburg, Germany	Navigator	42‑31235⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
91⇗	19 April 1944	Target: Fieseler Aircraft Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Kassel (Waldau), Germany	Navigator	42‑31346⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron lead. Sortie Report⇗

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