Bonacker, Marlyn Ray

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Bonacker, Marlyn Ray ‡ ⇗
Rank	Corporal / Sergeant
Serial Number	39473149 ‡
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #65 dated 25 March 1945, effective 25 March 1945.
Duty	Tail Gunner
MOS	611 - Aerial Gunner
Last Duty Date	6 April 1945
Results	Prisoner Of War POW Camp: Captured after parachuting to safety after the 6 April 1945 mid-air collision, Bonacker was interrogated and confined in a makeshift detention facility he referred to as 'STALAG IV-F' in Hartmannsdorf, Germany. However, he escaped when his guards fled in the face of advancing Allied Armies. Therefore, no POW records regarding him have been found.
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 14 January 1926 Promoted to Sergeant effective 4 April 1945 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #73 dated 4 April 1945.
Related Documents	Missing Air Crew Report # 13851⇓ (9.305 MB) 2014 Interview Transcript⇗ 2017 - A Tail Gunner's Story⇗ 2016 Veteran's History Project Oral History Interview⇗
Photos of this Veteran signing the Wing Panel	Bonacker Signing⇗
Photo Album:	Crew Photo Album⇗

Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER	POSITION	RESULTS
2nd Lt. Martino, Dominick Thomas⇗	Pilot	KIA
2nd Lt. McGill, Arthur Charles, "Art"⇗	Co-pilot	FCMEW
2nd Lt. Johnson, Thorston Julius⇗	Navigator	KIA
2nd Lt. Crawford, Raymond Harold, Jr⇗	Bombardier	KIA
S/SGT. Weeks, Thomas Clayborn, Jr⇗	Radio Operator / Gunner	KIA
CPL. Gatto, Stephen Lawrence⇗	Engineer / Top Turret Gunner	KIA
SGT. May, Frank Dean⇗	Ball Turret Gunner	KIA
CPL. Bonacker, Marlyn Ray	Tail Gunner	POW
CPL. Reaves, Phien D⇗	Flexible Gunner	FCMEW

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 1 Combat Mission.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
304⇗	5 April 1945	Target: Ordnance Depot Type: Military Location: Ingolstadt, Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑38016⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back after #4 prop sheared off. Sortie Report⇗
305⇗	6 April 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards (Visual Primary) Type: Transportation Location: Leipzig, Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑38801⇗	Combat Mission Credit Failed To Return Collided with 43‑39164 after target at 1018 hrs. Sortie Report⇗

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