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Thornburg, Joseph Austin

Individual Personnel Data
Name Thornburg, Joseph Austin   
Rank Corporal / Staff Sergeant
Serial Number 19206714   
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 546th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #148 dated 26 July 1944, effective 26 July 1944.
Duty Flexible Gunner / Tail Gunner
MOS611 - Aerial Gunner
Last Duty Date 1 March 1945
Results Completed Tour, Returned to USA
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 3 October 1925
  • Promoted to Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #165 dated 17 August 1944.
  • Promoted to Staff Sergeant effective 8 December 1944 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #241 dated 8 December 1944.
  • Ordered on seven days Temporary Duty to Phyllis Court, AAF Station 494 (a Flak house) on 23 December 1944 to carry out instructions of the Commanding General per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #252 dated 21 December 1944.
  • Reclassified from MOS 611 to MOS 612 effective 11 February 1945 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #34 dated 11 February 1945.




Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Duesler, Donald BartonPilotCT
2nd Lt. Cook, Chandler BoydCo-pilotCT
2nd Lt. Rasmussen, Bernard GerardNavigatorCT
2nd Lt. Fainberg, Seymour AllenBombardierCT
SGT. Stewart, John SpencerRadio Operator / GunnerCT
SGT. Weckerly, Neuland EdwinEngineer / Top Turret GunnerCT
CPL. Carriere, Joseph HerleyBall Turret GunnerKIA
CPL. Buis, Robert EugeneTail GunnerCT
CPL. Downing, Everett JosephFlexible GunnerCT
CPL. Thornburg, Joseph AustinFlexible GunnerCT

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 35 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
186 30 August 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Crepieul, France
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑97510 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
188 5 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑102933 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
189 8 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑97142 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
194 13 September 1944 Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑97282 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
195 17 September 1944 Target: Tank and Gun Concentrations, Tactical
Type: Military
Location: Eindhoven & 's‑Hertogenbosch (den Bosch), The Netherlands
Tail Gunner 42‑97510 Combat Mission Credit
D Squadron.
Sortie Report
196 19 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Hamm, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑97251 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron.
Sortie Report
197 21 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Mainz, Germany
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑107148 Combat Mission Credit
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑97251.
Sortie Report
202 30 September 1944 Target: Handorf Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Münster, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑38616 Combat Mission Credit
High group deputy. Hot camera ship.
Sortie Report
205 5 October 1944 Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Togglier 42‑107121 Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron flying spare; joined formation and bombed target; dropped bombs late.
Sortie Report
208 9 October 1944 Target: Ball-Bearing Plant
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany
Togglier 43‑38548 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
209 11 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Wesseling, Germany
Togglier 43‑38548 Combat Mission Credit
Fourth Squadron.
Sortie Report
210 14 October 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Saarbrücken, Germany
Togglier 42‑102500 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back due to mechanical failure.
Sortie Report
211 15 October 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Togglier 43‑38548 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
212 17 October 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Togglier 42‑107121 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
215 25 October 1944 Target: Nordstern Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑38616 Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron.
Sortie Report
216 30 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Togglier 42‑102501 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
218 2 November 1944 Target: Ruhr-Chemie A.G. Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Sterkrade (Holten), Germany
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38501 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
219 4 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany
Togglier 43‑38588 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron.
Sortie Report
220 5 November 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Togglier 42‑102933 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
221 6 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany
Togglier 43‑38588 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron flying spare; joined formation.
Sortie Report
222 8 November 1944 Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant (visual aim point)
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany
Togglier 44‑8430 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
224 10 November 1944 Target: Ostheim Airfield & Butzweilerhof Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑38016 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
41C Group, Low Squadron Deputy. Gee-H ship. Turned back over France due to material failure; jettisoned bombs in open field in France.
Sortie Report
225 11 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Togglier 44‑8430 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
227 20 November 1944 Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Togglier 42‑97251 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
231 27 November 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Offenburg, Germany
Togglier 42‑97251 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
232 29 November 1944 Target: Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Misburg, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑97510 Combat Mission Credit
Returned one bomb.
Sortie Report
234 2 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Oberlahnstein, Germany
Togglier 42‑97251 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
235 4 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Soest, Germany
Togglier 42‑97251 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron flying spare; joined formation.
Sortie Report
236 6 December 1944 Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany
Togglier 42‑97309 Combat Mission Credit
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑97251.
Sortie Report
238 11 December 1944 Target: Road & Rail Bridge
Type: Transportation
Location: Mannheim, Germany
Togglier 42‑31484 Combat Mission Credit
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑97251.
Sortie Report
249 2 January 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Gerolstein, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑38994 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
255 15 January 1945 Target: Neuburg Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Neuburg an der Donau, Germany
Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑102501 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
260 23 January 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Neuss, Germany
Togglier 43‑39060 Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at North Pickenham Airfield, AAF Station 143.
Sortie Report
261 28 January 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Togglier 43‑38766 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
267 15 February 1945 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bohlen, Germany
Togglier 42‑97510 Low Squadron hot camera ship. Did not take off because bad weather halted flight operations.
Sortie Report
268 19 February 1945 Target: Coking Plant
Type: Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Togglier 43‑38747 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
269 20 February 1945 Target: Main Railroad Station
Type: Transportation
Location: Nuremberg / Nürnberg, Germany
Togglier 43‑39053 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
270 21 February 1945 Target: Tank Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Nuremberg / Nürnberg, Germany
Togglier 43‑38747 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report

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