Wilkens, William John

Individual Personnel Data
Name Wilkens, William John, "Bill"
⇗
Rank Corporal / Technical Sergeant
Serial Number 32789184
Unit Assignments
  • Assigned to the 547th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #34 dated 11 February 1945, effective 11 February 1945.
  • Transferred to a non-384th unit, per 547th Bomb Squadron Morning Report - Casual Pool, 70th Reinforcement Depot, AAF Station Stone, effective 20 May 1945.
Duty Engineer / Top Turret Gunner
MOS748 - Army Airplane Mechanic / Gunner, Flight Engineer
Last Duty Date 20 May 1945
Results Completed Combat Tour
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 17 September 1924
  • Promoted to Sergeant effective 25 February 1945 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #45 dated 25 February 1945.
  • Promoted to Staff Sergeant effective 21 March 1945 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #62 dated 21 March 1945.
  • Promoted to Technical Sergeant effective 24 April 1945 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #89 dated 24 April 1945.
  • Departed Grafton Underwood to AAF Station Stone on 20 May 1945. Returned to the ZOI via B-17.
Related Documents Bill Wilkens' Combat Diary⇓ (3.842 MB)
2020 Video Interview of Bill Wilkens⇗
Photos of this Veteran signing the Wing PanelWilkens Signing⇗
Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Scherokman, Edward (NMI)⇗PilotCT
2nd Lt. McClelland, Gerald W⇗Co-pilotCT
Flt. Ofcr. Eng, Howard Won, "Howie"⇗NavigatorWIA
SGT. Barr, Daniel Francis⇗TogglierCT
CPL. Adams, Patrick J⇗Radio Operator / GunnerCT
CPL. Wilkens, William John, "Bill"Engineer / Top Turret GunnerCT
CPL. Ancel, Orval Joseph⇗Ball Turret GunnerCT
CPL. Ross, Arthur Woodland⇗Tail GunnerFCMEW
T/SGT. Chesney, Michael (NMI)⇗Flexible GunnerCT
Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 30 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
273⇗ 24 February 1945 Target: Submarine Construction Shipyard
Type: Shipyards
Location: Hamburg, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
274⇗ 25 February 1945 Target: Tank & Submarine Engine Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Friedrichshafen, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
276⇗ 27 February 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Wahren (Leipzig area), Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
277⇗ 28 February 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Hagen, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron flying spare; joined formation.
Sortie Report⇗
278⇗ 1 March 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Bruchsal, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
280⇗ 3 March 1945 Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Misburg, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
281⇗ 4 March 1945 Target: Ordnance Depot
Type: Military
Location: Ulm, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
282⇗ 7 March 1945 Target: Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bochum, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
283⇗ 8 March 1945 Target: Oil Refinery - 'Benzol Plant'
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Essen, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
285⇗ 10 March 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Schwerte, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 42‑37788⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
286⇗ 11 March 1945 Target: Vacuum Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 42‑37788⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
288⇗ 14 March 1945 Target: Railroad Bridge, Weser River
Type: Transportation
Location: Bad Oeynhausen, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
289⇗ 15 March 1945 Target: Army HQ
Type: Military
Location: Zossen, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
292⇗ 19 March 1945 Target: Braunkohle-Benzin Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bohlen, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41C Group, Lead Squadron Hot Camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
293⇗ 20 March 1945 Target: Deutsche Werft Submarine Shipyard
Type: Submarine Facility
Location: Hamburg, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Pilot reported seeing 10 Me-262 jet aircraft.
Sortie Report⇗
294⇗ 22 March 1945 Target: German Hutted Camps (Barracks) at 51°36'N,7°06'E
Type: Military
Location: Westerholt, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
295⇗ 23 March 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Gladbeck, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
297⇗ 24 March 1945 Target: Twente Enschede Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands 		Engineer/Top Turret 44‑6909⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
299⇗ 28 March 1945 Target: Berlin/Spandau Motor Transport Works
Type: Industry
Location: Spandau (Berlin), Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
300⇗ 30 March 1945 Target: Deutsche Schiff- u. Maschinenbau A.G. (DESCHIMAG)
Submarine and Warship Yard
Machine Shop
Type: Submarine Facility
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
303⇗ 4 April 1945 Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Fassberg, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
304⇗ 5 April 1945 Target: Ordnance Depot
Type: Military
Location: Ingolstadt, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
305⇗ 6 April 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards (Visual Primary)
Type: Transportation
Location: Leipzig, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at A-84, Chievres, Belgium, due to low fuel.
Sortie Report⇗
307⇗ 9 April 1945 Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
308⇗ 10 April 1945 Target: Ordnance Depot Workshop Area
Type: Military
Location: Oranienburg, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
311⇗ 15 April 1945 Target: Flak guns at Pointe de Suzac
Type: Military
Location: Royan, France 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
312⇗ 16 April 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Regensburg, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
313⇗ 17 April 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Dresden, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Major flak damage: hole in nose, #2 fuel tank, right and left wing spars; carpet inverter smoked when turned on; flight gyro out.
Sortie Report⇗
315⇗ 20 April 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Seddin, Germany 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
316⇗ 25 April 1945 Target: Skoda Armament Works
Type: Industry
Location: Pilsen / Plzeň, Czechoslovakia 		Engineer/Top Turret 43‑39236⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron. 'Made 3 runs on target - feathered #4 engine, #3 prop-control cable shot away - left main wing spar shot through - all gas tanks shot through.' (pilot comments)
Sortie Report⇗

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