Owens, John Ralph

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Owens, John Ralph ‡ ⇗
Rank	Sergeant
Serial Number	35127347 ‡
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #145 dated 16 November 1943, effective 16 November 1943.
Duty	Radio Operator / Gunner
MOS	757 - Radio Operator / Mechanic / Gunner, AAF
Last Duty Date	2 May 1944
Results	Completed Combat Tour
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 1914 Promoted to Technical Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #12 dated 18 January 1944. Promoted to Sergeant on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #72 dated 16 April 1944. Departed squadron on 1944-05-02, per the squadron history.
Photo Album:	Crew Photo Album⇗

Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER	POSITION	RESULTS
2nd Lt. Lotz, William Henry, Jr⇗	Pilot	CT
2nd Lt. Hall, Barney Marcus, Jr⇗	Co-pilot	TBD
2nd Lt. McKinney, David Webster⇗	Navigator	TR
2nd Lt. Oyler, Ernest Renwick⇗	Bombardier	CT
SGT. Owens, John Ralph	Radio Operator / Gunner	CT
PVT. Biederman, Harold Leroy⇗	Engineer / Top Turret Gunner	CT
SGT. Arnold, Walter Howard⇗	Ball Turret Gunner	CT
SGT. Roemer, Weldon Keith⇗	Tail Gunner	TR
SGT. Harper, William Lester⇗	Flexible Gunner	CT
SGT. Bonanza, John Joseph, Jr⇗	Flexible Gunner	CT

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 30 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
44⇗	20 December 1943	Target: Port Area/Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Bremen, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑37885⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
47⇗	30 December 1943	Target: I. G. Farben Industrie, Chemical/Synthetic Rubber Plants Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑37885⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Composite Squadron; aborted because pilot's oxygen system was out of order; 42x65 M47A1s rtd Sortie Report⇗
48⇗	31 December 1943	Target: Blockade Runner 'Orsone' (name of ship) Type: Transportation Location: [Mouth of River Garonne], France	Radio Operator	41‑24560⇗	Combat Mission Credit Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑37885. Landed at RAF Harwell, Berkshire, with bombs. Sortie Report⇗
49⇗	4 January 1944	Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Kiel, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑37885⇗	Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off Apparently did not take off due to 'technical failures.' Bomb load was 'Nickles' (propaganda leaflets). Sortie Report⇗
50⇗	5 January 1944	Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Kiel, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑37793⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
53⇗	14 January 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Le Meillard, France	Radio Operator	42‑3051⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
54⇗	21 January 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Preuseville, France	Radio Operator	42‑37885⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41A Group. Sortie Report⇗
55⇗	29 January 1944	Target: Aircraft Parts Plants Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑37885⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Lead group. Turned back over Lutterworth at 0922 hrs due to drop in pressure in oxygen system from 375 lbs to 225 lbs. Sortie Report⇗
56⇗	30 January 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑31346⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
57⇗	3 February 1944	Target: Submarines (under construction) Type: Submarine Facility Location: Wilhelmshaven, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑29717⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Group. Sortie Report⇗
58⇗	4 February 1944	Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑3087⇗	Combat Mission Credit Aborted Mission After Taking Off High group, 41st B Combat Wing. Turned back at 1108 hrs over The Netherlands "because #2 supercharger surged and ran away ... was uncontrollable." Sortie Report⇗
59⇗	5 February 1944	Target: Bricy Aerodrome, Luftwaffe Training and Bomber Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Orleans, France	Radio Operator	42‑37885⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
60⇗	6 February 1944	Target: Nancy/Essey Aerodrome Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Nancy, France	Radio Operator	42‑37885⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
61⇗	8 February 1944	Target: Piston Ring Factory Type: Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑37885⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron. Carried 24 parcels of G-25 nickles (propaganda leaflets) plus 6x500GP bombs; all dropped on target. Sortie Report⇗
64⇗	21 February 1944	Target: Fighter Field & Aircraft Storage Depot Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Werl, Germany	Radio Operator	41‑24560⇗	Combat Mission Credit FLIGHT TIME 7:30 Sortie Report⇗
66⇗	24 February 1944	Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑3440⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Lead Squadron, lead group. Flying spare; aborted; took off one hour late and could not catch formation. Sortie Report⇗
67⇗	25 February 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Ball Bearings Plants Type: Industry Location: Augsburg & Stuttgart, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑31364⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off 41A Group. Turned back at 1112 hrs due to excessive fuel consumption. FLIGHT TIME 3:30 Sortie Report⇗
68⇗	28 February 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Preuseville, France	Radio Operator	42‑31235⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron. FLIGHT TIME 4:40 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	Radio Operator	42‑37885⇗	Combat Mission Credit 8:50 FLIGHT TIME Sortie Report⇗
70⇗	3 March 1944	Target: Roller-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑31346⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back because #2 engine supercharger surged and oscillated. FLIGHT TIME 4:40 Sortie Report⇗
71⇗	4 March 1944	Type: Military Location: Berlin, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑38014⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back at 1010 hrs because fuel transfer pump was inoperative. Sortie Report⇗
72⇗	6 March 1944	Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑37785⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back at 1117 hrs because #3 supercharger ran away and could not be controlled. Sortie Report⇗
75⇗	16 March 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑38013⇗	Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off Replaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 42‑38158. Sortie Report⇗
77⇗	19 March 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-2 Storage and Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Wizernes, France	Radio Operator	42‑29723⇗	Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed FLIGHT TIME 2:50 Sortie Report⇗
78⇗	20 March 1944	Type: Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑37885⇗	Combat Mission Credit FLIGHT TIME 6:30 Sortie Report⇗
79⇗	22 March 1944	Target: Heinkel Aircraft Assembly Plant at Annahof Airfield Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oranienburg, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑31435⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron lead, low group. Mazer is listed as 'Pass/B' implying that he flew in the nose of the aircraft, probably serving as nose-gunner and togglier. flight time 9:20 Sortie Report⇗
80⇗	23 March 1944	Target: Airdrome and Airpark Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Gütersloh, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑31346⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron, composite high group FLIGHT TIME 6:25 Sortie Report⇗
81⇗	24 March 1944	Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑3440⇗	Combat Mission Credit FLIGHT TIME 6:35 Sortie Report⇗
82⇗	26 March 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Le Grismont, Rebecques, France	Radio Operator	42‑31235⇗	Combat Mission Credit FLIGHT TIME 3:35 Sortie Report⇗
83⇗	27 March 1944	Target: Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Tours & Chartres, France	Radio Operator	42‑31346⇗	Combat Mission Credit 94 Group. Sortie Report⇗
86⇗	9 April 1944	Target: FW-190 Fighter Aircraft Assembly Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Marienburg, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑31495⇗	Combat Mission Credit 12:00 FLIGHT TIME 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	Radio Operator	42‑97188⇗	Combat Mission Credit 4:30 FLIGHT TIME Sortie Report⇗
88⇗	11 April 1944	Target: FW Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Sorau, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑97188⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
90⇗	18 April 1944	Target: Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oranienburg, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑97188⇗	Combat Mission Credit Flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
91⇗	19 April 1944	Target: Fieseler Aircraft Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Kassel (Waldau), Germany	Radio Operator	42‑31495⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
92⇗	20 April 1944	Target: V-Weapon Service Bunker (under construction) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Sottevast, France	Radio Operator	42‑97188⇗	Combat Mission Credit B Wing, High Group. Sortie Report⇗
93⇗	22 April 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Hamm, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑97188⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
94⇗	24 April 1944	Target: Dornier-Werke GMBH Aircraft Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑97188⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sustained 20mm cannon damage. Sortie Report⇗
95⇗	25 April 1944	Target: Metz-Frescaty Airdrome Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Metz, France	Radio Operator	42‑97309⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
96⇗	27 April 1944	Target: V-Weapon Service Bunker (under construction) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Sottevast, France	Radio Operator	42‑97188⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗

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