Grant, Olen (NMI)

Individual Personnel Data
Name Grant, Olen (NMI), "Reb"   ‡
⇗
Rank Private / Technical Sergeant
Serial Number 18135581   ‡
Unit Assignments
  • Assigned to the 384th Bombardment Group Headquarters Detachment, per General Orders #176, Section III, Paragraph No. 1, HQ Fort Wainwright, Washington (Activation of Headquarters Detachment), effective 1 December 1942.
  • Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per HQ 384th Bomb Group, Wendover Field, Utah, Special Orders #59 dated 11 March 1943, effective 11 March 1943.
Duty Armorer / Flexible Gunner
MOS911 - Airplane Armorer
Last Duty Date 6 September 1943
Results Prisoner Of War
POW Camp: Stalag 17B Braunau Gneikendorf Near Krems Austria 48-15
Additional Information
  • Appointed from Sergeant to Staff Sergeant on 1 January 1943 per 384th Bomb Group January 1943 Payroll Roster.
  • Appointed from Staff Sergeant to Technical Sergeant on 1 February 1943 per 384th Bomb Group February 1943 Payroll Roster.
  • Assigned to the armament section of the 384th at Wendover early in the Group's history (c.f. 'To Kingdom Come' by Robert Mrazek).
  • Promoted to Private First Class effective 1 May 1943 per 545th Bomb Squadron Morning Report dated 3 May 1943.
  • Promoted to Corporal effective 15 May 1943 per 545th Bomb Squadron Morning report dated 16 May 1943.
  • Listed on the 545th Bomb Squadron Initial Overseas Roster dated 12 June 1943 with MOS 911.
    Grant was reclassified from MOS 911, Armorer to MOS 612, Armorer/Gunner in-theater to become an aerial gunner.
  • Promoted from Corporal to Sergeant on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #46 dated 10 July 1943.
  • Placed on Detached Service on or about 2 August 1943 for approximately ten days to Gunnery School located at Snettisham, Norfolk; AAF Station 106 Special Orders 61 dated 2 August 1943.
  • Promoted to Staff Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders # 90 dated 5 September 1943.
  • Grant was seriously wounded on the 6 September 1943 mission, when a 20mm round from an enemy aircraft hit the right side of his head. Unable to bail out with rest of crew, and unconscious, he rode the plane down to a smooth landing - with no pilot. He was treated for several months in a German hospital before being sent to Stalag 17B. He was later returned to the Zone of the Interior on a prisoner exchange.
Related Documents Missing Air Crew Report # 772⇓ (24.824 MB)
2015 Oral History Interview⇗
Photos of this Veteran signing the Wing PanelGrant Signing⇗
Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 2 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
18⇗ 27 August 1943 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Watten, France 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑29699⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
21⇗ 6 September 1943 Type: Industry
Location: Stuttgart, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 41‑24507⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Failed To Return
Two bomb runs due to overcast at target; enemy aircraft and flak knocked out two engines; insufficient fuel to reach England, crashed near Étrépagny, France; MACR 772.
Sortie Report⇗

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