O'Leary, William Joseph, Jr

Individual Personnel Data
Name	O'Leary, William Joseph, "Willie, Bill", Jr ⇗
Rank	Flight Officer / Second Lieutenant
Serial Number	O-2025071
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 547th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #254 dated 23 December 1944, effective 23 December 1944.
Duty	Co-pilot / Pilot
MOS	1091 - Pilot, B-17
Last Duty Date	April 1946
Results	Completed Combat Tour
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 8 January 1925 Ordered to Roke Manor, AAF Station 503 (a Flak house) on 8 March 1945 for seven days temporary duty to carry out instructions of the Commanding General per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #51 dated 5 March 1945. Rescinded per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #53 dated 7 March 1945. Ordered to Roke Manor, AAF Station 503 (a Flak house) on 21 March 1945 for seven days temporary duty to carry out instructions of the Commanding General per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #58 dated 16 March 1945. Discharged for the convenience of the government and appointed Second Lieutenant, AUS per 547th Bomb Squadron Morning Report dated 31 May 1945. Transferred from the 547th BS to the 546th BS on Station 195 SO #68 dated 16 October 1945. Granted a seven (7) day leave of absence on or about 21 November 1945 to visit The Martinez Hotel, Cannes, France on AAF Station 195 Special Orders #89 dated 20 November 1945. Placed on SD to Lourdes, France, on Station 195 Special Order# 98 dated 5 December 1945. In O'Leary's own words: 'I'm proud to say that I flew my first Mission as a co-pilot on a B-17 while still 19 years of age. On my 9th Mission, Feb.1, 1945, as a co-pilot on Ruckman's crew, I suffered a damaged ear drum as the result of flying with a very bad cold. I was confined to the Base Hospital for thirteen days, plus a few trips to the Thrapston General Hospital. On February 3rd, 1945, Ruckman's Crew, with a replacement for me, flew a mission to Berlin where our B-17 Stardust sustained major flak damage, and was forced to land on a Russian controlled airfield in Poland. The fate of the Crew was not known for over forty days. When Doc Vivian, 547th Flight Surgeon, cleared me for flight duty, I had no crew or airplane to fly . Captain Shelley, 547th Flight Operations Officer, called and asked if I would like to get some missions in flying as Group Observer in the tail gunner's position in the Group Lead airplane. I flew several missions in that capacity, as well as a replacement for co-pilots on other crews. I completed a total 22 missions. In the interim I was commissioned from F/O, and 'checked-out' as a First Pilot. I participated in the Green Project and other minor projects, before returning to the U.S. on 21 April 1946.'
Photos of this Veteran signing the Wing Panel	O'Leary Signing⇗
Photo Album:	Crew Photo Album⇗

Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER	POSITION	RESULTS
2nd Lt. Ruckman, George Francis⇗	Pilot	CT
Flt. Ofcr. O'Leary, William Joseph, Jr, "Willie, Bill"	Co-pilot	CT
2nd Lt. Dulac, Albert Arthur⇗	Navigator	TBD
Flt. Ofcr. Rivall, Jack Wallace⇗	Bombardier	CT
CPL. Garstak, Jack George⇗	Radio Operator / Gunner	FCMEW
CPL. Young, Johnie Earl⇗	Engineer / Top Turret Gunner	FCMEW
CPL. Swieso, Oril Herbert⇗	Spot Jammer	CT
CPL. Sorenson, Fredrick A⇗	Tail Gunner	FCMEW
CPL. Rice, Alonzo Robert⇗	Flexible Gunner	FCMEW

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 22 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
251⇗	5 January 1945	Target: Landing Ground Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Neiderbreisig, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑97263⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
253⇗	8 January 1945	Target: Railroad Type: Transportation Location: Kyllburg, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑97150⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
254⇗	10 January 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Bonn, Germany	Co-pilot	43‑38752⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
255⇗	15 January 1945	Target: Neuburg Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Neuburg an der Donau, Germany	Co-pilot	43‑37843⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
256⇗	17 January 1945	Target: Railroad Viaduct Type: Transportation Location: Bielefeld, Germany	Co-pilot	43‑37843⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
257⇗	20 January 1945	Target: Rail and Road Bridges Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany	Co-pilot	43‑38757⇗	Combat Mission Credit One of only three aircraft to land at Grafton Underwood. Sortie Report⇗
258⇗	21 January 1945	Target: Marshalling Yard Type: Transportation Location: Aschaffenburg, Germany	Co-pilot	43‑38757⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
261⇗	28 January 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany	Co-pilot	43‑38757⇗	Combat Mission Credit Originally assigned to Whitesides; taken by Ruckmman when he scrubbed 44‑6592. Sortie Report⇗
263⇗	1 February 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany	Co-pilot	44‑6592⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
270⇗	21 February 1945	Target: Tank Factory Type: Industry Location: Nuremberg / Nürnberg, Germany	Co-pilot	43‑38647⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron deputy. Sortie Report⇗
274⇗	25 February 1945	Target: Tank & Submarine Engine Factory Type: Industry Location: Friedrichshafen, Germany	Co-pilot	43‑38630⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron deputy. Sortie Report⇗
278⇗	1 March 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Bruchsal, Germany	Co-pilot	43‑38630⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron deputy and hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
281⇗	4 March 1945	Target: Ordnance Depot Type: Military Location: Ulm, Germany	Co-pilot	42‑97986⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron deputy and hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
283⇗	8 March 1945	Target: Oil Refinery - 'Benzol Plant' Type: Oil Industry Location: Essen, Germany	Observer	44‑8649⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group lead; PFF and Gee-H ship. Sortie Report⇗
284⇗	9 March 1945	Target: Henschel Tank and Locomotive Works Type: Industry Location: Kassel, Germany	Observer	44‑8649⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group lead; PFF and Gee-H ship. Sortie Report⇗
288⇗	14 March 1945	Target: Railroad Bridge, Weser River Type: Transportation Location: Bad Oeynhausen, Germany	Observer	44‑8649⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group lead: PFF and Gee-H ship. Sortie Report⇗
301⇗	31 March 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Lützkendorf, Germany	Co-pilot	43‑37843⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
302⇗	3 April 1945	Target: Underground Oil Storage Depot Type: Oil Industry Location: Kiel, Germany	Observer	44‑8541⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group lead. PFF & Gee-H ship. Sortie Report⇗
304⇗	5 April 1945	Target: Ordnance Depot Type: Military Location: Ingolstadt, Germany	Observer	44‑8541⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group lead. PFF & Gee-H ship. Sortie Report⇗
308⇗	10 April 1945	Target: Ordnance Depot Workshop Area Type: Military Location: Oranienburg, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑98027⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Ground Spare Aircraft, replaced 44‑8649. Group lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report⇗
312⇗	16 April 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Regensburg, Germany	Co-pilot	44‑6898⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron deputy. Hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
314⇗	19 April 1945	Target: Railroad Station & Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Elsterwerda, Germany	Observer	44‑8649⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group lead. PFF & Gee-H ship. Sortie Report⇗

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