Ward, Donald Leroy

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Ward, Donald Leroy ⇗
Rank	Second Lieutenant / First Lieutenant
Serial Number	O-703541
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #107 dated 8 June 1944, effective 8 June 1944. Assigned to the 384th Bombardment Group Headquarters Detachment, per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #242, effective 10 December 1944. Transferred to the Casual Pool, 70th Replacement Depot, AAF Station 594, per Headquarters Detachment, 384th Bomb Group Morning Report dated 19 December 1944, effective 14 December 1944.
Duty	Bombardier
MOS	1035 - Bombardier
Last Duty Date	14 December 1944
Results	Completed Combat Tour
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 5 July 1918 Graduated from Bombardier School at Big Spring AAF, Big Spring, Texas, Class #43-18, 24 December 1943. Appointed First Lieutenant per 544th Bomb Squadron Morning Report dated 19 August 1944. Granted a seven (7) day operational leave of absence effective 22 September 1944 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #187 dated 21 September 1944. Detailed as Group Bombardier (Prim) per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #242 dated 10 December 1944.
Photo Album:	Crew Photo Album⇗

Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER	POSITION	RESULTS
2nd Lt. Allred, Frank Lavon⇗	Pilot	CT
2nd Lt. Reed, William Marcus⇗	Co-pilot	CT
2nd Lt. O'Sullivan, Timothy James⇗	Navigator	CT
2nd Lt. Ward, Donald Leroy	Bombardier	CT
S/SGT. Drury, Eldon Boyd⇗	Radio Operator / Gunner	CT
S/SGT. Noble, Raymon Lewis⇗	Engineer / Top Turret Gunner	CT
SGT. Leschak, Nickolas, Jr⇗	Ball Turret Gunner	CT
SGT. Mitchell, Robert McKinley, Jr⇗	Ball Turret Gunner	CT
SGT. Hunt, Virgil Dowell⇗	Tail Gunner	CT
SGT. Redcay, Carl Harry⇗	Flexible Gunner	CT

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 29 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
136⇗	15 June 1944	Target: Railroad Viaduct Type: Transportation Location: La Possonnièrre, France	Bombardier	42‑39888⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Group, High Squadron Deputy. Sortie Report⇗
137⇗	16 June 1944	Target: Athies Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Laon, France	Bombardier	42‑31435⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
138⇗	18 June 1944	Target: Ölwerke Julius Humbles Type: Oil Industry Location: Hamburg, Germany	Bombardier	42‑37974⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41B Group, High Squadron Deputy. Sortie Report⇗
139⇗	19 June 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Fleury & Crépy, France	Bombardier	42‑102959⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41A Group. Sortie Report⇗
146⇗	25 June 1944	Target: Railroad Bridge & Embankment Type: Transportation Location: Sens, France	Bombardier	42‑102959⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron lead, lead group, 41st A wing. Sortie Report⇗
159⇗	17 July 1944	Target: Beautor Bridge Type: Transportation Location: Beautor, France	Bombardier	42‑102661⇗	Combat Mission Credit Wing deputy. Sortie Report⇗
162⇗	20 July 1944	Target: Aircraft Plants Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Dessau, Germany	Bombardier	42‑107224⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Group Deputy, Hot Camera Ship. Led the Low Group after Lead ship was damaged and couldn't keep up. Sortie Report⇗
164⇗	24 July 1944	Target: Tactical - Enemy Strong Points Type: Military Location: La Chapelle en Juger & Hébécrevon, France	Bombardier	42‑102959⇗	Combat Mission Credit Wing deputy and hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
165⇗	25 July 1944	Target: Tactical - Enemy Strong Points Type: Military Location: Montreuil-sur-Lozon, Le Châtel, & La Chapelle en Juger, France	Bombardier	43‑37703⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Group Deputy and Hot Camera Ship. Sortie Report⇗
169⇗	1 August 1944	Target: Railroad Bridge Type: Transportation Location: Chartres, France	Bombardier	43‑37822⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Group Lead. Sortie Report⇗
171⇗	4 August 1944	Target: Rocket Research & Development Complex Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Peenemünde, Germany	Bombardier	42‑102661⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Group Lead. Sortie Report⇗
176⇗	9 August 1944	Target: Erding Airdrome & Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Erding, Germany	Bombardier	42‑97960⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group. Lead Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 43‑37822, which was found to have a bad engine after takeoff. Returned to base and took off late, intercepting the formation at the English coast. Sortie Report⇗
178⇗	12 August 1944	Target: "Landing Ground" Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: La Perthe, France	Bombardier	42‑97960⇗	Combat Mission Credit Wing lead. Sortie Report⇗
179⇗	13 August 1944	Target: Tactical: Road Network Type: Transportation Location: Beaumont-le-Roger (area), France	Bombardier	42‑102933⇗	Combat Mission Credit High group lead. Sortie Report⇗
183⇗	24 August 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil & Chemical Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany	Bombardier	42‑97824⇗	Combat Mission Credit High group lead. Sortie Report⇗
189⇗	8 September 1944	Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany	Bombardier	42‑97824⇗	Combat Mission Credit High group lead. Sortie Report⇗
194⇗	13 September 1944	Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany	Bombardier	43‑38016⇗	Combat Mission Credit High group lead. Sortie Report⇗
197⇗	21 September 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Mainz, Germany	Bombardier	42‑97592⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report⇗
211⇗	15 October 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany	Bombardier	44‑8007⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report⇗
213⇗	18 October 1944	Target: Ford Motor Works Type: Industry Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany	Bombardier	44‑8008⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron deputy. PFF ship. Took over on bomb run after lead Gee-h equipment failed, but too late to bomb primary. Led Squadron to attack secondary by PFF. Sortie Report⇗
214⇗	19 October 1944	Target: Heinrich Lanz Tank Factory Type: Industry Location: Mannheim, Germany	Bombardier	42‑97824⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron, Group Deputy. Gee-H ship. Took over at IP and led Squadron on bomb run. Sortie Report⇗
216⇗	30 October 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Bombardier	42‑102661⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron deputy. Sortie Report⇗
218⇗	2 November 1944	Target: Ruhr-Chemie A.G. Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Sterkrade (Holten), Germany	Bombardier	43‑38016⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron lead. Gee-H ship. Gee-H equipment failed before IP. Attempted to follow low Squadron, but they turned off the bomb run. Then tried to catch lead Squadron, but were unable. Then led Squadron to a visual attack on the briefed last resort target. Sortie Report⇗
219⇗	4 November 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany	Bombardier	42‑107125⇗	Combat Mission Credit Gee-H ship; lead Squadron deputy. Took lead for bomb run and bombing with Gee-H. Sortie Report⇗
224⇗	10 November 1944	Target: Ostheim Airfield & Butzweilerhof Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany	Bombardier	44‑8401⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41D Squadron, Squadron Lead. PFF ship. Marion Chase, Engineer: 'Feathered #3 after flak hit oil cooler and we lost our oil.' Sortie Report⇗
227⇗	20 November 1944	Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Bombardier	43‑38016⇗	Combat Mission Credit Returned Early Gee-H ship; lead Squadron deputy, 41st Bomb Wing C group. The mission commander's narrative states: 'A/C 8016 (Pilot Gilbert) returned early due to engine failure. Bombs were jettisoned.' According to Marion Chase, Engineer: 'Five minutes before target, had a runaway prop and finally feathered it due to vibration. At 29,000 ft. we could not climb and lost our formation. Came back alone.' Sortie Report⇗
228⇗	23 November 1944	Target: Nordstern Coking Plant at Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks-A.G. Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Bombardier	44‑8401⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron lead, A group. Sortie Report⇗
233⇗	30 November 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Zeitz, Germany	Bombardier	44‑8221⇗	Combat Mission Credit Ground Spare Aircraft, replaced 42‑97592. Low Squadron lead. Sortie Report⇗
236⇗	6 December 1944	Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany	Bombardier	42‑98027⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron lead. PFF & Gee-H ship. Sortie Report⇗

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