Parks, Howard David

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Parks, Howard David ‡ ⇗
Rank	Staff Sergeant
Serial Number	39311920 ‡
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho, Special Orders #70 dated 11 March 1943, effective 11 March 1943.
Duty	Tail Gunner / Flexible Gunner
MOS	612 - Airplane Armorer / Gunner
Last Duty Date	14 October 1943
Results	Prisoner Of War POW Camp: Stalag 17B Braunau Gneikendorf Near Krems Austria 48-15
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 30 December 1922 Flew to England with the Ulrey (Bishop) crew, per Kearney Special Orders #96 dated 17 May 1943. Ordered to attend Gunnery School at Snettisham, Norfolk, for approximately 10 days beginning on or about 30 May 1943, on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #21 dated 30 May 1943. Students are required to bring .50 cal. Ammunition, gas mask, steel helmet, mess equipment, blankets, clothing for ten days, and draw 'PX rations' in advance. Appointed Staff Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #37 dated 27 June 1943. Promoted to Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #112 dated 6 October 1943.
Related Documents	Missing Air Crew Report # 840⇓ (17.474 MB)
Photo Album:	Crew Photo Album⇗

Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Original 384^th Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER	POSITION	RESULTS
Flt. Ofcr. Bishop, Charles W, "CHICK"⇗	Pilot	CT
2nd Lt. Ulrey, Edgar Ellsworth⇗	Co-pilot	CT
2nd Lt. Grimaldi, Anthony Joseph⇗	Navigator	CT
2nd Lt. Yee, Wilbert Y K⇗	Bombardier	POW
S/SGT. Morton, Cecil Gordon⇗	Radio Operator / Gunner	KIA
S/SGT. Edman, Bruno Edwin⇗	Engineer / Top Turret Gunner	POW
S/SGT. Kalas, Joseph Markus⇗	Ball Turret Gunner	EV
S/SGT. Parks, Howard David	Tail Gunner	POW
S/SGT. Kelly, Leonard Joseph⇗	Flexible Gunner	EV
S/SGT. Yeater, James Thomas⇗	Flexible Gunner	POW

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 11 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
8⇗	14 July 1943	Target: Villacoublay Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Paris, France	Tail Gunner	42‑3222⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
10⇗	25 July 1943	Target: Blohm & Voss Aircraft Works and Shipyard Type: Industry Location: Hamburg, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑30030⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off High Squadron Deputy. Turned back at 1435 hrs at Splasher 5 because prop on #2 engine ran away. Sortie Report⇗
11⇗	28 July 1943	Target: Aircraft Engine Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Kassel, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑29700⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back with #2 engine supercharger trouble. Sortie Report⇗
12⇗	29 July 1943	Target: Naval Base Type: Military Location: Kiel, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑30030⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
13⇗	30 July 1943	Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Kassel, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑30196⇗	Combat Mission Credit Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back 62 miles into Belgium because hydraulic fluid was coming down into the ball turret, which was inoperative, the left waist gun and left top turret gun were out of order, and the tachometer on one engine was oscillating wildly. Sortie Report⇗
14⇗	12 August 1943	Target: Synthetic Fuel Hydrogenation Plant Type: Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑30039⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
18⇗	27 August 1943	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Watten, France	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑29914⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
19⇗	31 August 1943	Target: Fighter Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Romilly-sur-Seine, France	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	41‑24507⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back with #1 engine very rough and #3 engine oil pressure dropped 40 lbs. Sortie Report⇗
20⇗	3 September 1943	Target: Air Park and Aerodrome Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Romilly-sur-Seine, France	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑3459⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
21⇗	6 September 1943	Type: Industry Location: Stuttgart, Germany	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑3459⇗	Combat Mission Credit Landed at Grafton Underwood. Sortie Report⇗
22⇗	7 September 1943	Target: Bruxelles-Evere Airfield/Repair Depot Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Brussels / Bruxelles, Belgium	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑3459⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
23⇗	9 September 1943	Target: Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Lille-Vendeville, France	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑3459⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
31⇗	10 October 1943	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Münster, Germany	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑30005⇗	Combat Mission Credit Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑30196. Sortie Report⇗
32⇗	14 October 1943	Target: Ball-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑29800⇗	Combat Mission Credit Failed To Return Knocked down by enemy aircraft; crashed near Simmershofen, Germany; MACR 840. Sortie Report⇗

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