Gorham, Donald Frederick

Individual Personnel Data
Name Gorham, Donald Frederick   ‡
⇗
Rank Staff Sergeant / Technical Sergeant
Serial Number 11094250   ‡
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #59 dated 31 July 1943, effective 31 July 1943.
Duty Ball Turret Gunner / Radio Operator / Gunner
Last Duty Date 25 March 1944
Results Completed Combat Tour
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 29 March 1921
  • Placed on Temporary Duty for seven days to American Red Cross Club, Southport, Station 524 (a flak house) per 544th Bomb Squadron Morning Report dated 1 December 1943.
  • Ditched/rescued on 30 December 1943 (MACR 1768).
  • Promoted to Technical Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #12 dated 18 January 1944.
Related Documents Missing Air Crew Report # 1768⇓ (1.636 MB)
Photo Album:Crew Photo Album⇗
Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
Flt. Ofcr. Jacobs, Randolph George Edward, "Jake, Moose, Randy"⇗PilotKIA
2nd Lt. Boger, Eugene Arthur⇗Co-pilotCT
2nd Lt. Curtin, John Quinn⇗NavigatorPOW
2nd Lt. Seibel, James Edward⇗BombardierKIA
T/SGT. Cloud, Doy Jennings⇗Radio Operator / GunnerTR
T/SGT. Gregori, Aldo Joseph⇗Engineer / Top Turret GunnerMIA
S/SGT. Gorham, Donald FrederickBall Turret GunnerCT
S/SGT. Compton, Robert Lewis⇗Tail GunnerCT
S/SGT. Goetz, Jack Keith, "Jackson"⇗Flexible GunnerCT
S/SGT. Wager, Lawrence Holmes⇗Flexible GunnerCT
Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 25 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
15⇗ 15 August 1943 Target: Poix-en-Picardie and Amiens-Glisy Airfields
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Poix-de-Picardie & Amiens, France 		Ball Turret 42‑29728⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
16⇗ 16 August 1943 Target: Le Bourget Airport & Air Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Paris, France 		Ball Turret 42‑5051⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
17⇗ 17 August 1943 Target: Ball-Bearing Plant
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany 		Radio Operator 42‑29703⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back for unknown reasons.
Sortie Report⇗
18⇗ 27 August 1943 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Watten, France 		Ball Turret 41‑24507⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron deputy.
Sortie Report⇗
19⇗ 31 August 1943 Target: Fighter Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Romilly-sur-Seine, France 		Ball Turret 42‑29651⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Low Squadron Deputy. Turned back; couldn't keep up with formation.
Sortie Report⇗
20⇗ 3 September 1943 Target: Air Park and Aerodrome
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Romilly-sur-Seine, France 		Ball Turret 42‑29651⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Sortie Report⇗
21⇗ 6 September 1943 Type: Industry
Location: Stuttgart, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑29651⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron deputy. Landed away at Deanland, East Sussex, due to low fuel.
Sortie Report⇗
22⇗ 7 September 1943 Target: Bruxelles-Evere Airfield/Repair Depot
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Brussels / Bruxelles, Belgium 		Ball Turret 42‑29699⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Sortie Report⇗
23⇗ 9 September 1943 Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Lille-Vendeville, France 		Ball Turret 42‑29651⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
24⇗ 16 September 1943 Target: Blockade Runner Ship (in Loire River)
Type: Transportation
Location: Nantes, France 		Ball Turret 42‑29651⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back; unable to locate formation after passing through cloud layer.
Sortie Report⇗
28⇗ 4 October 1943 Type: Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Ball Turret 41‑24560⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back due to oxygen filler line to ball turret broken off and top turret filler line leaking, after having aborted 42‑5444 immediately after takeoff.
Sortie Report⇗
28⇗ 4 October 1943 Type: Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑5444⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Landed 5 minutes after takeoff. Replaced AC with 41-24560.
Sortie Report⇗
29⇗ 8 October 1943 Target: Workshops
Type: Submarine Facility
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑3440⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group deputy.
Sortie Report⇗
30⇗ 9 October 1943 Target: Aircraft Factories
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Anklam, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑29717⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead.
Sortie Report⇗
31⇗ 10 October 1943 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Münster, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑29651⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Sortie Report⇗
32⇗ 14 October 1943 Target: Ball-Bearing Factory
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑29651⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Returned Early
Turned back early after #2 supercharger ran away off the coast of Belgium. Bombs were jettisoned in the Channel and they landed away at Great Ashfield.
Sortie Report⇗
33⇗ 20 October 1943 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Düren, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑29636⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑5747.
Sortie Report⇗
--⇗ 30 October 1943 Target: Marshaling Yard
Type: Transportation
Location: Geilenkirchen, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑29651⇗ Sortie Report⇗
34⇗ 3 November 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Wilhelmshafen, Germany 		Ball Turret 41‑24575⇗ Combat Mission Credit
FLIGHT TIME 7:15
Sortie Report⇗
36⇗ 16 November 1943 Target: Knaben II Molybdenum Mine
Type: Industry
Location: Knaben, Norway 		Ball Turret 42‑37828⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at RAF Lissett, Yorkshire.
Sortie Report⇗
37⇗ 26 November 1943 Target: City Center
Type: Non-Military
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑37828⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
38⇗ 29 November 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑37828⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
41⇗ 11 December 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Emden, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑39888⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
42⇗ 13 December 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑39888⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Low group. Aborted with generator trouble.
Sortie Report⇗
46⇗ 24 December 1943 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Croisette, France 		Ball Turret 42‑39888⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
47⇗ 30 December 1943 Target: I. G. Farben Industrie, Chemical/Synthetic Rubber Plants
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑31274⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Composite Squadron Ldr; mechanical fault; 15 mins over France #1 prop ran away, threw chunks of cowling, and caught on fire; MACR 1768; ditched in Channel at 1125 hrs; nine crew picked up, one missing; crew at Swanley Manor Hospital in Lewes.
Sortie Report⇗
53⇗ 14 January 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Le Meillard, France 		Radio Operator 42‑31364⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron deputy.
Sortie Report⇗
55⇗ 29 January 1944 Target: Aircraft Parts Plants
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Radio Operator 42‑31364⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead, lead group.
Sortie Report⇗
56⇗ 30 January 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany 		Radio Operator 42‑31364⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low group lead.
Sortie Report⇗
57⇗ 3 February 1944 Target: Submarines (under construction)
Type: Submarine Facility
Location: Wilhelmshaven, Germany 		Radio Operator 42‑31364⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Group, Low Squadron Lead.
Sortie Report⇗
58⇗ 4 February 1944 Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Radio Operator 42‑31364⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High group lead, 41st B Combat Wing.
Sortie Report⇗
59⇗ 5 February 1944 Target: Bricy Aerodrome, Luftwaffe Training and Bomber Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Orleans, France 		Radio Operator 42‑39962⇗ Combat Mission Credit
FLIGHT TIME 6:00
Sortie Report⇗
60⇗ 6 February 1944 Target: Nancy/Essey Aerodrome
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Nancy, France 		Radio Operator 42‑31364⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Wing deputy.
Sortie Report⇗
65⇗ 22 February 1944 Target: Aircraft Factory
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Halberstadt & Aschersleben, Germany 		Radio Operator 42‑31364⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
41A Group Lead.
Sortie Report⇗
68⇗ 28 February 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Preuseville, France 		Radio Operator 42‑31364⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead. Colonel William L Travis, 41st Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy), Molesworth, England, flew aboard this aircraft as an observer.
Sortie Report⇗
78⇗ 20 March 1944 Type: Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Radio Operator 42‑31235⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group lead.
Sortie Report⇗

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