Bonanza, John Joseph, Jr

Individual Personnel Data
Name Bonanza, John Joseph, Jr   ‡
⇗
Rank Sergeant / Staff Sergeant
Serial Number 32624728   ‡
Unit Assignments
  • Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #145 dated 16 November 1943, effective 16 November 1943.
  • Transferred to the Casual Pool, 8th Air Force Replacement Detachment, AAF Station 594, per 544th Bomb Squadron Morning Report dated 17 August 1944, effective 13 August 1944.
Duty Flexible Gunner
MOS612 - Airplane Armorer / Gunner
Last Duty Date 13 August 1944
Results Completed Combat Tour
DecorationsAwarded the Purple Heart Medal for wounds received on 24 April 1944 per General Orders #66, Headquarters, 1st Bomb Division dated 3 May 1944.
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 18 August 1913
  • Promoted to Staff Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #12 dated 18 January 1944.
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⇗PilotCT
2nd Lt. Hall, Barney Marcus, Jr⇗Co-pilotTBD
2nd Lt. McKinney, David Webster⇗NavigatorTR
2nd Lt. Oyler, Ernest Renwick⇗BombardierCT
SGT. Owens, John Ralph⇗Radio Operator / GunnerCT
PVT. Biederman, Harold Leroy⇗Engineer / Top Turret GunnerCT
SGT. Arnold, Walter Howard⇗Ball Turret GunnerCT
SGT. Roemer, Weldon Keith⇗Tail GunnerTR
SGT. Harper, William Lester⇗Flexible GunnerCT
SGT. Bonanza, John Joseph, JrFlexible GunnerCT
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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑3051⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
54⇗ 21 January 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Preuseville, France 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑31346⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low group flying spare; joined formation.
Sortie Report⇗
58⇗ 4 February 1944 Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑31346⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High group, 41st B Combat Wing.
Sortie Report⇗
60⇗ 6 February 1944 Target: Nancy/Essey Aerodrome
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Nancy, France 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑37885⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
61⇗ 8 February 1944 Target: Piston Ring Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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⇗
63⇗ 20 February 1944 Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Leipzig & Bernburg, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑37885⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
41A Group. Turned back; waist gunner's heated suit failed.
Sortie Report⇗
64⇗ 21 February 1944 Target: Fighter Field & Aircraft Storage Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Werl, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑31235⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Wing lead.
Sortie Report⇗
67⇗ 25 February 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly & Ball Bearings Plants
Type: Industry
Location: Augsburg & Stuttgart, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑37885⇗ Combat Mission Credit
8:50 FLIGHT TIME
Sortie Report⇗
71⇗ 4 March 1944 Type: Military
Location: Berlin, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑38014⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back at 1010 hrs because fuel transfer pump was inoperative.
Sortie Report⇗
75⇗ 16 March 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑29723⇗ Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed
FLIGHT TIME 2:50
Sortie Report⇗
78⇗ 20 March 1944 Type: Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑97136⇗ Combat Mission Credit
94 Group.
Sortie Report⇗
85⇗ 29 March 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑97136⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron deputy.
Sortie Report⇗
86⇗ 9 April 1944 Target: FW-190 Fighter Aircraft Assembly Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Marienburg, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑97188⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
90⇗ 18 April 1944 Target: Aircraft Parts Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Oranienburg, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 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 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑97188⇗ Combat Mission Credit
B Wing, High Group.
Sortie Report⇗
93⇗ 22 April 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Hamm, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑97188⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
94⇗ 24 April 1944 Target: Dornier-Werke GMBH Aircraft Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑97188⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sustained 20mm cannon damage.
Sortie Report⇗
176⇗ 9 August 1944 Target: Erding Airdrome & Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Erding, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑97510⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead, low group.
Sortie Report⇗
177⇗ 11 August 1944 Target: Tactical: Coastal Artillery Emplacements
Type: Military
Location: Brest, France 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑98000⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High section lead, high group.
Sortie Report⇗

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