384th 2025 REUNION
INFORMATION PAGE⇗

Spafford, Kenneth Culver

Individual Personnel Data
Name Spafford, Kenneth Culver
⇗
Rank Corporal / Staff Sergeant
Serial Number 36887943
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #179 dated 8 September 1944, effective 8 September 1944.
Duty Flexible Gunner / Tail Gunner
MOS611 - Aerial Gunner
Last Duty Date 10 March 1945
Results Completed Combat Tour
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 1 January 1923
  • Promoted to Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #183 dated 15 September 1944.
  • Promoted to Staff Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #209 dated 22 October 1944.
  • Ordered on seven days Temporary Duty to Ebrington Manor, AAF Station 498 (a Flak house) on 26 December 1944 to carry out instructions of the Commanding General per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #255 dated 24 December 1944.
  • Reclassified from MOS 611 to MOS 612 effective 26 February 1945 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #46 dated 26 February 1945.
Photo Album:Crew Photo Album⇗
Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Orr, James Wallace⇗PilotTBD
2nd Lt. Jackson, Taylor Hall⇗Co-pilotCT
2nd Lt. Moon, William Everett⇗BombardierCT
CPL. Kennebeck, Edwin Eugene⇗Radio Operator / GunnerCT
SGT. Goode, Joseph Edward⇗Engineer / Top Turret GunnerCT
CPL. Rauch, John (NMI), Jr⇗Ball Turret GunnerCT
CPL. Ozyjowski, Eugene (NMI)⇗Tail GunnerKIA
CPL. Reed, Gordon Wilbur⇗Flexible GunnerPOW
CPL. Spafford, Kenneth CulverFlexible GunnerCT
Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 36 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
198⇗ 25 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑98000⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
C Wing, lead Squadron. Aborted due to personnel illness.
Sortie Report⇗
199⇗ 26 September 1944 Target: Steelworks
Type: Industry
Location: Osnabrück, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 44‑6141⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low group.
Sortie Report⇗
201⇗ 28 September 1944 Target: Steelworks
Type: Industry
Location: Magdeburg, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑37703⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back due to personnel illness.
Sortie Report⇗
202⇗ 30 September 1944 Target: Handorf Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Münster, Germany 		Tail Gunner 44‑6141⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
203⇗ 2 October 1944 Target: Ford Motor Works
Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑97510⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron flying spare; returned as briefed.
Sortie Report⇗
204⇗ 3 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Wesseling, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑97320⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
205⇗ 5 October 1944 Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Tail Gunner 44‑6141⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
207⇗ 7 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Leipzig, Germany 		Tail Gunner 43‑38615⇗ Combat Mission Credit
At 1100 hrs in the vicinity of [Bad] Iburg, aircraft was hit by flak and peeled off from formation with #2 wing tank smoking and leaking; last seen over Osnabrück with wheels down and under control; no chutes; landed in allied territory, near Brussels, with all crew safe.
Sortie Report⇗
210⇗ 14 October 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Saarbrücken, Germany 		Tail Gunner 44‑6512⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
213⇗ 18 October 1944 Target: Ford Motor Works
Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑102459⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
214⇗ 19 October 1944 Target: Heinrich Lanz Tank Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Mannheim, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑37822⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
215⇗ 25 October 1944 Target: Nordstern Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑97282⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Fourth Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
216⇗ 30 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Tail Gunner 44‑6141⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
219⇗ 4 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany 		Tail Gunner 43‑37703⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
220⇗ 5 November 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑97282⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
222⇗ 8 November 1944 Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant (visual aim point)
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑97320⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
223⇗ 9 November 1944 Target: Ground Installations
Type: Military
Location: Ouvrages de Sorbey (Metz), France 		Tail Gunner 44‑6512⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron flying spare. Joined formation.
Sortie Report⇗
224⇗ 10 November 1944 Target: Ostheim Airfield & Butzweilerhof Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Tail Gunner 43‑38801⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41D Squadron. Hot Camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
226⇗ 16 November 1944 Target: Tactical - Artillery Positions
Type: Military
Location: Eschweiler, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑39888⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at Stratford, due to weather.
Sortie Report⇗
227⇗ 20 November 1944 Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑39888⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
228⇗ 23 November 1944 Target: Nordstern Coking Plant at Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks-A.G.
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑39888⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back due to #3 engine supercharger failing.
Sortie Report⇗
231⇗ 27 November 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Offenburg, Germany 		Tail Gunner 43‑38062⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
232⇗ 29 November 1944 Target: Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Misburg, Germany 		Tail Gunner 43‑38062⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Hot camera ship. Aborted due to mechanical failure; landed away at Halesworth; jettisoned bombs in Channel.
Sortie Report⇗
233⇗ 30 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Zeitz, Germany 		Tail Gunner 43‑38801⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
234⇗ 2 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Oberlahnstein, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑102459⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
235⇗ 4 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Soest, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑102459⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
236⇗ 6 December 1944 Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑39888⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
237⇗ 9 December 1944 Target: Airfield and Daimler Factory
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Böblingen (Stuttgart area), Germany 		Tail Gunner 43‑38016⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron deputy. Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report⇗
239⇗ 12 December 1944 Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑97824⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron deputy. Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report⇗
242⇗ 23 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Ehrang, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38927⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at Ridgewell due to weather. Ferried to Grafton Underwood and flew mission the next day.
Sortie Report⇗
254⇗ 10 January 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Bonn, Germany 		Tail Gunner 43‑38927⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
255⇗ 15 January 1945 Target: Neuburg Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Neuburg an der Donau, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑32106⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
256⇗ 17 January 1945 Target: Railroad Viaduct
Type: Transportation
Location: Bielefeld, Germany 		Tail Gunner 43‑38927⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
257⇗ 20 January 1945 Target: Rail and Road Bridges
Type: Transportation
Location: Mannheim, Germany 		Tail Gunner 43‑38062⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron hot camera ship. Landed away at RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire.
Sortie Report⇗
259⇗ 22 January 1945 Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Sterkrade, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑102459⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron flying spare; joined formation.
Sortie Report⇗
260⇗ 23 January 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Neuss, Germany 		Tail Gunner 43‑38501⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at Ridgewell Airfield, AAF Station 167.
Sortie Report⇗
264⇗ 3 February 1945 Target: Tempelhof Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Berlin, Germany 		Tail Gunner 44‑8608⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
265⇗ 9 February 1945 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Lützkendorf, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38062⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
266⇗ 14 February 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Dresden, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑97824⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back due to a runaway propellor.
Sortie Report⇗
267⇗ 15 February 1945 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bohlen, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑37822⇗ Did not take off because bad weather halted flight operations.
Sortie Report⇗
272⇗ 23 February 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Plauen, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38974⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at Rattlesden Airfield, AAF Station 126.
Sortie Report⇗
274⇗ 25 February 1945 Target: Tank & Submarine Engine Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Friedrichshafen, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑107148⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 43‑38974. High Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗

Every effort has been expended to ensure all information on this page is complete and accurate.
Please inform webmaster of any discrepancies or omissions by using the button below.