Thacker, Robert Eli

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Thacker, Robert Eli, "Bob" ⇗
Rank	Major / Colonel
Serial Number	O-395296
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 384th Bombardment Group Headquarters Detachment, per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #83 dated 3 May 1944, effective 3 May 1944. Assigned to the 547th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #91, effective 16 May 1944. Assigned to the 384th Bombardment Group Headquarters Detachment, per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #193, effective 30 September 1944.
Duty	Operations Officer / Commander
Last Duty Date	15 April 1945
Results	Completed Tour, Returned to USA
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 21 February 1918 Detailed Assistant Group Operations Officer as his primary duty on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #83 dated 3 May 1944. Promoted from Major to LT Colonel effective 8 July 1944; Headquarters Eighth Air Force Office of the Commanding General, Special Orders #182 dated 8 July 1944. (545th Morning Report) Designated Commanding Officer of the 547th Bomb Squadron, 384th Bomb Group per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #171 dated 25 August 1944. Designated as Deputy Group Commander effective 30 September 1944 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #193 dated 30 September 1944. Ordered on seven days Temporary Duty to Stanbridge Earls, AAF Station 503 on 29 November 1944 (a Flak house) to carry out the instructions of the Commanding General per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #232 dated 24 November 1944. Appointed as President of the Station 106 Safety Council effective 17 December 1944 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #248 dated 17 December 1944. Appointed as a voting member of a Flying Evaluation Board effective 20 February 1945, purpose to conduct investigations of aircraft accidents per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #59 dated 17 March 1945.
Related Documents	2014 Oral History Interview⇗
Photos of this Veteran signing the Wing Panel	Thacker Signing⇗

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 28 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
105⇗	11 May 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Saarbrücken and Ehrang, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑102402⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41B Group, Group Deputy. Sortie Report⇗
107⇗	13 May 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly Components Factory. Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Poznań, Poland	Commander	42‑102402⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group deputy, 40th CBW. Sortie Report⇗
108⇗	15 May 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Mimoyecques, France	Commander	42‑107125⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group deputy. Sortie Report⇗
109⇗	19 May 1944	Target: Unidentified Industrial Area Type: Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑97263⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Group, High Squadron Lead. Sortie Report⇗
111⇗	21 May 1944	Target: NOBALL (Supergun Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Mimoyecques, France	Commander	42‑102449⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group A Lead. Gee-H ship. Sortie Report⇗
113⇗	23 May 1944	Target: Nancy/Essey Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Nancy, France	Commander	42‑38208⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41B Group Lead. Sortie Report⇗
115⇗	25 May 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Sarreguemines and Blainville-sur-l'Eau, France	Commander	42‑102449⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41B Group Lead. Sortie Report⇗
117⇗	28 May 1944	Target: Junkers Aircraft Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Dessau, Germany	Commander	42‑97072⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group Lead. Aircraft experienced 'rack and AFCE problems' on initial bomb run, and was unable to drop bombs on the primary target. The air commander turned over the lead to his deputy for the (abortive) attack on the secondary target, and the actual attack on the TOO. Sortie Report⇗
126⇗	5 June 1944	Target: Field Artillery Battery Type: Military Location: La Fosse, France	Commander	42‑97574⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Group, Wing Lead. PFF ship and unidentified crew members provided by the 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105. Sortie Report⇗
132⇗	10 June 1944	Target: Chateau Bougon Airfield (41A) & Vannes Airfield (41B) Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Nantes & Vannes, France	Commander	42‑107125⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41B Group, Group Lead. Sortie Report⇗
134⇗	13 June 1944	Target: Dreux Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Dreux, France	Commander	42‑102449⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Group Lead. Landed away at Polebrook, AAF Station 110, on return, due to bad weather. Sortie Report⇗
135⇗	14 June 1944	Target: Coulommiers Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Coulommiers, France	Commander	42‑97824⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41D Group, Group Lead. Lead Ground Spare aircraft; replaced 42‑97960. Sortie Report⇗
138⇗	18 June 1944	Target: Ölwerke Julius Humbles Type: Oil Industry Location: Hamburg, Germany	Commander	42‑97960⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41A Group Lead. Sortie Report⇗
155⇗	11 July 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Munich / München, Germany	Commander	42‑97699⇗	Combat Mission Credit Wing lead. PFF ship and unidentified crew members provided by the 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105. Sortie Report⇗
162⇗	20 July 1944	Target: Aircraft Plants Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Dessau, Germany	Commander	42‑97574⇗	Combat Mission Credit Wing Lead. PFF ship and unidentified crew members provided by the 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105. Sortie Report⇗
166⇗	28 July 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil & Chemical Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany	Commander	42‑97574⇗	Combat Mission Credit Wing lead. PFF ship provided by the 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105. Sortie Report⇗
169⇗	1 August 1944	Target: Railroad Bridge Type: Transportation Location: Chartres, France	Commander	42‑97941⇗	Combat Mission Credit Wing Lead. Sortie Report⇗
175⇗	8 August 1944	Target: Tactical - Enemy Strong Points Type: Military Location: Bretteville-sur-Laize, France	Commander	42‑107125⇗	Combat Mission Credit Wing lead. Sortie Report⇗
181⇗	16 August 1944	Target: Delitzsch Air Field and Air Equipment Depot Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Delitzsch, Germany	Commander	44‑8007⇗	Combat Mission Credit Wing lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report⇗
197⇗	21 September 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Mainz, Germany	Commander	44‑8007⇗	Combat Mission Credit Wing lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report⇗
207⇗	7 October 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Leipzig, Germany	Commander	44‑8008⇗	Combat Mission Credit Wing lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report⇗
214⇗	19 October 1944	Target: Heinrich Lanz Tank Factory Type: Industry Location: Mannheim, Germany	Commander	44‑8007⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group lead. PFF ship. Turned over lead to deputy at IP to attack using Gee-H. Sortie Report⇗
220⇗	5 November 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Commander	44‑8008⇗	Combat Mission Credit PFF ship; group lead. Sortie Report⇗
228⇗	23 November 1944	Target: Nordstern Coking Plant at Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks-A.G. Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Commander	44‑8211⇗	Combat Mission Credit A group lead; PFF & Gee-H ship. Sortie Report⇗
246⇗	30 December 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Limburg, Germany	Commander	42‑98027⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group lead. PFF and Gee-H ship. Made the decision not to attack the primary target and led the Group to the PFF secondary. When the lead and high Squadrons were unable to complete the attack on the first run, led them on a second run that was successful. Sortie Report⇗
265⇗	9 February 1945	Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Lützkendorf, Germany	Commander	44‑8649⇗	Combat Mission Credit Wing lead; PFF ship. Sortie Report⇗
301⇗	31 March 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Lützkendorf, Germany	Commander	44‑8649⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron lead. Sortie Report⇗
311⇗	15 April 1945	Target: Flak guns at Pointe de Suzac Type: Military Location: Royan, France	Commander	44‑8221⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report⇗

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