LaSeur, William Veryle

Individual Personnel Data
Name	LaSeur, William Veryle ⇗
Rank	Second Lieutenant
Serial Number	O-670571
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 547th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #126 dated 23 October 1943, effective 23 October 1943.
Duty	Pilot
MOS	1091 - Pilot, B-17
Last Duty Date	18 March 1944
Results	Interned, Neutral Country
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 1920 Ditched, and entire crew rescued on 1 December 1943 mission to Solingen, Germany; no MACR. Placed on one day Temporary Duty to Wharton, purpose to ferry aircraft to this station per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #12 dated 18 January 1944. SSO #12 was amended from one day to three days per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #15 dated 22 January 1944. Interned in Switzerland. In 2013, the USAF formally changed his wartime status from Interned to Prisoner of War and authorized the award of the Prisoner of War Medal.
Related Documents	Missing Air Crew Report # 3485⇓ (1.373 MB)
Photo Album:	Crew Photo Album⇗

Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER	POSITION	RESULTS
2nd Lt. LaSeur, William Veryle	Pilot	INT
2nd Lt. Lovvorn, Hollie Ray⇗	Co-pilot	POW
2nd Lt. Kazmerski, John Thomas⇗	Navigator	POW
2nd Lt. Fleenor, Charles Thurman, "Chuck"⇗	Bombardier	POW
S/SGT. Schwarz, James Cornelius⇗	Radio Operator / Gunner	POW
S/SGT. Wilson, Gerald Eugene⇗	Engineer / Top Turret Gunner	POW
SGT. Miller, Robert Lee⇗	Ball Turret Gunner	POW
SGT. Taylor, Homer William⇗	Tail Gunner	POW
SGT. Fernandez, Severino Jean⇗	Flexible Gunner	EV
PVT. Leach, Kenneth (NMI)⇗	Flexible Gunner	EV

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 14 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
34⇗	3 November 1943	Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Wilhelmshafen, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑29768⇗	Combat Mission Credit Squadron of composite group. Sortie Report⇗
37⇗	26 November 1943	Target: City Center Type: Non-Military Location: Bremen, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑29927⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
38⇗	29 November 1943	Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Bremen, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑31073⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back; #2 & #4 engines running rough. Sortie Report⇗
39⇗	1 December 1943	Target: Non-Ferrous Metals Plant Type: Industry Location: Solingen, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑39796⇗	Combat Mission Credit Ditched off Portsmouth, entire crew rescued; no MACR. Sortie Report⇗
42⇗	13 December 1943	Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Bremen, Germany	Pilot	42‑31073⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Lead group. Aborted with #2 and #4 engines running rough. Sortie Report⇗
44⇗	20 December 1943	Target: Port Area/Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Bremen, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑5838⇗	Combat Mission Credit Capt. Frink lead Squadron leader. Sortie Report⇗
45⇗	22 December 1943	Target: Steel Shops/Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Osnabrück, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑29688⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
47⇗	30 December 1943	Target: I. G. Farben Industrie, Chemical/Synthetic Rubber Plants Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑3087⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
53⇗	14 January 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Le Meillard, France	Pilot	42‑5404⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
55⇗	29 January 1944	Target: Aircraft Parts Plants Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Pilot	42‑37801⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group. Sortie Report⇗
56⇗	30 January 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany	Pilot	42‑37801⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead group high Squadron deputy. Sortie Report⇗
57⇗	3 February 1944	Target: Submarines (under construction) Type: Submarine Facility Location: Wilhelmshaven, Germany	Pilot	42‑37801⇗	Combat Mission Credit Returned Early Low Group. Turned back because he lost the formation over enemy territory; jettisoned bombs over the North Sea (54°44'N,6°13'E) Sortie Report⇗
58⇗	4 February 1944	Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Pilot	42‑37801⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off High group, 41st A Combat Wing. Turned back at 1055 due to uncontrollable supercharger on #2 engine. Sortie Report⇗
60⇗	6 February 1944	Target: Nancy/Essey Aerodrome Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Nancy, France	Pilot	42‑37793⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back over field; oxygen system was going out. Sortie Report⇗
61⇗	8 February 1944	Target: Piston Ring Factory Type: Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑37801⇗	Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed Flying Spare. Sortie Report⇗
62⇗	11 February 1944	Target: Propeller Factory (Foundry) Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑37788⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back at 1008 hrs; #2 supercharger ran away and could not be controlled. Sortie Report⇗
65⇗	22 February 1944	Target: Aircraft Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Halberstadt & Aschersleben, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑37788⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off 41B Group. Turned back at 1053 hrs as #2 supercharger ran away. Sortie Report⇗
66⇗	24 February 1944	Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany	Co-pilot	41‑24578⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Lead Squadron, low group. Turned back because #2 supercharger ran away and engine began losing oil and smoking; could not be feathered. Sortie Report⇗
67⇗	25 February 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Ball Bearings Plants Type: Industry Location: Augsburg & Stuttgart, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑3441⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41A Group. Sortie Report⇗
69⇗	2 March 1944	Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant and Machine Shop Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑3441⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back at 1046 hrs because #1 prop ran away (prop governor sheared). Landed away at RAF Gatwick, West Sussex. Sortie Report⇗
70⇗	3 March 1944	Target: Roller-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑3441⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back because #2 engine supercharger ran away. Sortie Report⇗
71⇗	4 March 1944	Type: Military Location: Berlin, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑3441⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
72⇗	6 March 1944	Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑38158⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing. Sortie Report⇗
75⇗	16 March 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany	Pilot	42‑38158⇗	Combat Mission Credit Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑38013. Sortie Report⇗
76⇗	18 March 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany	Pilot	42‑31871⇗	Combat Mission Credit Failed To Return At 1445 hrs called Group Leader saying he had two engines out and would try for home; had escort of four friendly fighters; force-landed at Dubendorf, Switzerland; MACR 3485. From 303rd BG: 'Secret equipment destroyed. Landed wheels down at Dubendorf. Wheels retracted after landing, but aircraft could not be burned because of Swiss interference. Target was bombed. Could not feather #1 engine out on bomb run. Half power obtained from engines Nos. 2 and 3 which were running rough.' Sortie Report⇗

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