Ketelsen, Raymond Paul

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Ketelsen, Raymond Paul, "Porky" ⇗
Rank	First Lieutenant / Major
Serial Number	O-421115
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho, Special Orders #362 dated 28 December 1942, effective 28 December 1942. Assigned to the 384th Bombardment Group Headquarters Detachment, per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #77, effective 25 April 1944. Transferred to the Headquarters, 40th Combat Wing, per Headquarters Detachment, 384th Bomb Group Morning Report dated 25 May 1944, effective 24 May 1944.
Duty	Commanding Officer
MOS	1091 - Pilot, B-17
Last Duty Date	24 May 1944
Results	Transferred
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 18 July 1918 Group history (B0373-1273.tif) reports that 1Lt Ketelson [sic] was transferred on AAB Boise, Idaho, Special Orders #362 dated 28 December 1942, and designated 545th BS CO. Appointed Captain effective 23 February 1943 per 545th Bomb Squadron Morning report dated 26 February 1943. Ordered to fly to Army Air Base Presque Isle, Maine (initial overseas movement of Group) Army Air Base HQ Kearney, Nebraska, Special Orders #96 dated 17 May 1943, as pilot with rank of Captain. Promoted to Major effective 9 September 1943 per 545th Bomb Squadron Morning report dated 20 September 1943. Appointed as a member of a Flying Evaluation Board, to meet at the call of the President to act on such cases as might be referred to it by these headquarters (384th Bombardment Group) per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #101 dated 21 September 1943. Ordered to London for four days on Official Business per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #160 dated 5 December 1943. SO #166 dated 12 December 1943 amends para 2 of AAF Station 106 Special Orders #164, ordering personnel to London for two days for Supply Activities, to include Ketelsen. Ordered to travel on or about 2 January 1944 to '8th Air Force Officers Rest Home, Stanbridge Earls, Hampshire' (a 'flak house') for seven days on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #178 dated 30 December 1943. Appointed as a member of a Flying Evaluation Board, to meet at the call of the President to act on such cases as might be referred to it by these headquarters (384th Bombardment Group) per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #25 dated 6 February 1944. Appointed to an AIRPLANE ACCIDENT COMMITTEE per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #114 dated 10 October 1943. Gilmore replaced on this board by Raymond P. Ketelsen per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #34 dated 20 February 1944. Detailed as Assistant Station S-3 Officer (Primary) per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #77 dated 25 April 1944.

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 15 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
1⇗	22 June 1943	Target: General Motors Truck Factory Type: Industry Location: Antwerp, Belgium	Co-pilot	42‑3231⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron Lead. Sortie Report⇗
3⇗	26 June 1943	Target: Villacoublay Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Paris, France	Commander	42‑3231⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron Lead. Sortie Report⇗
6⇗	4 July 1943	Target: Gnome et Rhone Aircraft Engine Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Le Mans, France	Commander	42‑3231⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group lead. Sortie Report⇗
12⇗	29 July 1943	Target: Naval Base Type: Military Location: Kiel, Germany	Commander	42‑3216⇗	Combat Mission Credit Wing lead. Sortie Report⇗
21⇗	6 September 1943	Type: Industry Location: Stuttgart, Germany	Commander	42‑3218⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group lead. Landed at Grafton Underwood. Sortie Report⇗
24⇗	16 September 1943	Target: Blockade Runner Ship (in Loire River) Type: Transportation Location: Nantes, France	Commander	42‑3216⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group lead. Sortie Report⇗
27⇗	2 October 1943	Target: Port Facilities Type: Transportation Location: Emden, Germany	Commander	42‑5086⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron Lead. Col. E Blair Garland, Hq 8th Air Force, flew on this aircraft to 'Test Blind Bombing Equipment.' Sortie Report⇗
30⇗	9 October 1943	Target: Aircraft Factories Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Anklam, Germany	Commander	42‑3441⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group lead. Sortie Report⇗
37⇗	26 November 1943	Target: City Center Type: Non-Military Location: Bremen, Germany	Commander	42‑5444⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group lead. Sortie Report⇗
41⇗	11 December 1943	Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Emden, Germany	Commander	42‑3429⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Group lead. Aborted when #2 supercharger ran away. Sortie Report⇗
46⇗	24 December 1943	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Croisette, France	Commander	42‑5444⇗	Combat Mission Credit Maj. Ketelsen Flight Leader Sortie Report⇗
61⇗	8 February 1944	Target: Piston Ring Factory Type: Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Commander	42‑38014⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron, Group Lead. Landed away at RAF Hornchurch, Essex, on return due to low fuel. Sortie Report⇗
64⇗	21 February 1944	Target: Fighter Field & Aircraft Storage Depot Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Werl, Germany	Commander	42‑31484⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group lead, 41st B Combat Wing. Sortie Report⇗
71⇗	4 March 1944	Type: Military Location: Berlin, Germany	Commander	42‑97477⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group lead. Sortie Report⇗
79⇗	22 March 1944	Target: Heinkel Aircraft Assembly Plant at Annahof Airfield Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oranienburg, Germany	Commander	42‑38208⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group lead. At release point, bombardier reported his salvo mechanism was inoperative: Maj Ketelson ordered his deputy Booska to release and the group's bombs were away on target. Ketelson continued on course and released his bombs on a target of opportunity (TOO), Neuruppin, Germany. Sortie Report⇗
85⇗	29 March 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany	Commander	42‑31484⇗	Combat Mission Credit Landed away at Nuthampstead due to weather. Sortie Report⇗

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