Merlo, Samuel Joseph

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Merlo, Samuel Joseph ‡ ⇗
Rank	Second Lieutenant
Serial Number	O-744081 ‡
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #146 dated 17 November 1943, effective 17 November 1943.
Duty	Navigator
MOS	1034 - Navigator
Last Duty Date	13 April 1944
Results	Prisoner Of War POW Camp: Stalag 7A Moosburg Bavaria 48-12 (Work Camps 3324-46 Krumbachstrasse 48011, Work Camp 3368 Munich 48-11)
Decorations	Awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received on 30 January 1944 per General Orders #48, Headquarters 1st Bomb Division dated 16 February 1944.
Additional Information	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. Placed on seven days Temporary Duty on or about 3 February 1944 to Air Force Officers Rest Home Stanbridge Earls, Hampshire (a Flak house) per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #22 dated 1 February 1944.
Related Documents	Missing Air Crew Report # 3869⇓ (24.961 MB) Missing Air Crew Report # 14416⇓ (13.023 MB)
Photo Album:	Crew Photo Album⇗

Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER	POSITION	RESULTS
2nd Lt. Fioretti, Edward Anthony⇗	Pilot	POW
2nd Lt. Briley, Scott Andrew⇗	Co-pilot	POW
2nd Lt. Merlo, Samuel Joseph	Navigator	POW
2nd Lt. Griffith, Leonard Raymond⇗	Bombardier	POW
S/SGT. Sylvia, Joseph Herbert⇗	Radio Operator / Gunner	POW
S/SGT. Stuhl, Walter Edward⇗	Engineer / Top Turret Gunner	KIA
SGT. House, Horace Doster, Jr⇗	Ball Turret Gunner	POW
SGT. Day, Huley Newton⇗	Tail Gunner	POW
SGT. Wolfe, Clark Benjamin, Jr⇗	Flexible Gunner	POW
S/SGT. Wallo, Andrew (NMI)⇗	Flexible Gunner	POW

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 24 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
42⇗	13 December 1943	Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Bremen, Germany	Navigator	42‑29828⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group. Sortie Report⇗
43⇗	16 December 1943	Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Bremen, Germany	Navigator	42‑29828⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back at 1207 hrs over the North Sea (54°45'N,4°20'E) when #4 engine fuel pressure went out. Sortie Report⇗
44⇗	20 December 1943	Target: Port Area/Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Bremen, Germany	Navigator	42‑29828⇗	Combat Mission Credit Flying Spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
47⇗	30 December 1943	Target: I. G. Farben Industrie, Chemical/Synthetic Rubber Plants Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany	Navigator	42‑29809⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
50⇗	5 January 1944	Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Kiel, Germany	Navigator	42‑31246⇗	Combat Mission Credit Flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
51⇗	7 January 1944	Target: Powerhouse Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany	Navigator	42‑29809⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Became separated from formation in dense clouds after group assembly; failed to make wing rendezvous. Bomb load included 'nickles' - propaganda leaflets. Sortie Report⇗
52⇗	11 January 1944	Target: Ju-88 Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Halberstadt, Germany	Navigator	42‑29809⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
55⇗	29 January 1944	Target: Aircraft Parts Plants Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Navigator	42‑29809⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead group flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
56⇗	30 January 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany	Navigator	42‑31415⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group. Turned back at the IP and jettisoned bombs at some point because ship was on fire due to enemy aircraft. All of the enlisted men except top turret gunner bailed out at the IP, due to a misunderstanding between the radio operator and bombardier after ship caught fire; crash-landed at base. 1st Lt. Edward Fioretti, pilot, and 2nd Lt. Scott Briley, co-pilot, both awarded Silver Stars, Owens p. 199. Aircraft salvaged. Sortie Report⇗
63⇗	20 February 1944	Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Leipzig & Bernburg, Germany	Navigator	42‑31375⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41A Group, High Squadron Deputy. Sortie Report⇗
64⇗	21 February 1944	Target: Fighter Field & Aircraft Storage Depot Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Werl, Germany	Navigator	42‑29809⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
66⇗	24 February 1944	Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany	Navigator	42‑29809⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off High Squadron deputy, lead group. Turned back at 0950 hrs because of a sheared fuel transfer selector valve shaft. Sortie Report⇗
67⇗	25 February 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Ball Bearings Plants Type: Industry Location: Augsburg & Stuttgart, Germany	Navigator	42‑29809⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41C Group, High Squadron Deputy, Low Group. Sortie Report⇗
68⇗	28 February 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Preuseville, France	Navigator	42‑29809⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron. 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	Navigator	42‑29809⇗	Combat Mission Credit This aircraft dropped 'Nickles' (propaganda leaflets) in addition to regular bombs. Sortie Report⇗
71⇗	4 March 1944	Type: Military Location: Berlin, Germany	Navigator	42‑31926⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
72⇗	6 March 1944	Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Navigator	42‑37789⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing. Sortie Report⇗
73⇗	8 March 1944	Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Navigator	42‑31048⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
74⇗	9 March 1944	Target: Heinkel Aircraft Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oranienburg, Germany	Navigator	42‑31871⇗	Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed Sortie Report⇗
75⇗	16 March 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany	Navigator	42‑38112⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
76⇗	18 March 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany	Navigator	42‑38112⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
77⇗	19 March 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-2 Storage and Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Wizernes, France	Navigator	42‑29809⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
79⇗	22 March 1944	Target: Heinkel Aircraft Assembly Plant at Annahof Airfield Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oranienburg, Germany	Navigator	42‑31166⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
80⇗	23 March 1944	Target: Airdrome and Airpark Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Gütersloh, Germany	Navigator	42‑31484⇗	Combat Mission Credit Wing lead. Gen. Robert F Travis, Commander, 41st Combat Bombardment Wing (H), Molesworth, England, was aboard this aircraft as Flight Leader. Sortie Report⇗
81⇗	24 March 1944	Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany	Navigator	42‑38112⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron lead. Sortie Report⇗
83⇗	27 March 1944	Target: Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Tours & Chartres, France	Navigator	42‑38112⇗	Combat Mission Credit 94 Group, High Squadron Lead. Sortie Report⇗
86⇗	9 April 1944	Target: FW-190 Fighter Aircraft Assembly Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Marienburg, Germany	Navigator	42‑38112⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Low Squadron lead, low group. Turned back at 1013 hrs; could not locate formation due to bad weather. 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	42‑38112⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
88⇗	11 April 1944	Target: FW Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Sorau, Germany	Navigator	42‑97477⇗	Combat Mission Credit Wing deputy. Sortie Report⇗
89⇗	13 April 1944	Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany	Navigator	42‑38112⇗	Combat Mission Credit Failed To Return Shot down during fighter attacks which lasted from 1354 to 1357 hrs; crashed near Lindenfels, Germany. MACR 3869 Sortie Report⇗

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