Blankenmeyer, William J

Individual Personnel Data
Name Blankenmeyer, William J
Rank Second Lieutenant / Captain
Serial Number O-760540
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #155 dated 2 August 1944, effective 2 August 1944.
Duty Pilot
MOS1091 - Pilot, B-17
Last Duty Date 12 April 1945
Results Completed Combat Tour
Additional Information
  • Placed on seven days Temporary Duty to Furzedown House, AAF Station 563 (a Flak House) on 24 November 1944 to carry out the instructions of the Commanding General per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #230 dated 21 November 1944.




Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Blankenmeyer, William JPilotCT
2nd Lt. Fisher, Robert JeremyCo-pilotCT
Flt. Ofcr. Obermeyer, Robert HenryNavigatorCT
2nd Lt. Kowalski, Theodore (NMI)BombardierWIA
S/SGT. Fictum, Blair EugeneRadio Operator / GunnerCT
S/SGT. DeMesquita, Seymour AronEngineer / Top Turret GunnerCT
SGT. Work, Robert ElijahBall Turret GunnerCT
SGT. Hoyman, Robert HTail GunnerTBD
SGT. Flaherty, Francis GayleFlexible GunnerTR
SGT. McDonald, Donald ThomasFlexible GunnerCT

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 30 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
182 18 August 1944 Target: Tactical: Bridge
Type: Transportation
Location: Vise, Belgium
Co-pilot 43‑38213 Combat Mission Credit
Lead group.
Sortie Report
183 24 August 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil & Chemical Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany
Co-pilot 43‑38062 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron deputy, high group.
Sortie Report
184 25 August 1944 Target: Airfield & Airpark
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Anklam, Germany
Pilot 43‑38213 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
187 3 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Pilot 43‑37703 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
188 5 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Pilot 42‑39888 Combat Mission Credit
Returned with #4 feathered.
Sortie Report
189 8 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Pilot 44‑6141 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back due to #1 supercharger failure.
Sortie Report
190 9 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Pilot 42‑97320 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
191 10 September 1944 Target: BMW Motor Component Parts Plant
Type: Industry
Location: Sindelfingen, Germany
Pilot 43‑38062 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron. Returned with #4 feathered.
Sortie Report
194 13 September 1944 Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany
Pilot 42‑39888 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
196 19 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Hamm, Germany
Pilot 43‑37703 Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron. Landed away at Woodbridge, reason unknown.
Sortie Report
198 25 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Pilot 42‑97282 Combat Mission Credit
C Wing, lead group.
Sortie Report
199 26 September 1944 Target: Steelworks
Type: Industry
Location: Osnabrück, Germany
Pilot 42‑97282 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
200 27 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards (PFF Aiming Points)
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Pilot 42‑97282 Combat Mission Credit
Landed with wounded aboard.
Sortie Report
201 28 September 1944 Target: Steelworks
Type: Industry
Location: Magdeburg, Germany
Pilot 42‑39888 Combat Mission Credit
Left formation after target for unknown reasons, but returned to base.
Sortie Report
208 9 October 1944 Target: Ball-Bearing Plant
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany
Pilot 42‑107125 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron deputy. Hot camera ship.
Sortie Report
209 11 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Wesseling, Germany
Pilot 43‑38016 Combat Mission Credit
Third Squadron deputy. Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report
211 15 October 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Pilot 43‑38016 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron deputy. Hot camera ship.
Sortie Report
215 25 October 1944 Target: Nordstern Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Pilot 42‑98027 Combat Mission Credit
Fourth Squadron lead. PFF ship. Deputy's Gee-H failed during assembly, so the Squadron lead conducted a PFF attack on the secondary target.
Sortie Report
220 5 November 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Pilot 42‑102661 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead.
Sortie Report
223 9 November 1944 Target: Ground Installations
Type: Military
Location: Ouvrages de Sorbey (Metz), France
Pilot 42‑107125 Combat Mission Credit
Deputy division lead. Gee-H ship. Led group on bomb run.
Sortie Report
225 11 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Pilot 42‑102501 Weather aircraft.
Sortie Report
226 16 November 1944 Target: Tactical - Artillery Positions
Type: Military
Location: Eschweiler, Germany
Pilot 44‑8008 Combat Mission Credit
PFF ship; low Squadron lead, 41st Bomb Wing A group. Landed away at Stratford, due to weather.
Sortie Report
237 9 December 1944 Target: Airfield and Daimler Factory
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Böblingen (Stuttgart area), Germany
Pilot 44‑8008 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead. PFF & Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report
243 24 December 1944 Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Kirch Göns, Germany
Pilot 43‑38262 Combat Mission Credit
41C Group Deputy. Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report
245 28 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Brühl, Germany
Pilot 42‑97986 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
250 3 January 1945 Target: Enemy Strong Point & Transportation Hub
Type: Military
Location: St Vith, Belgium
Pilot 43‑38850 Combat Mission Credit
Group deputy.
Sortie Report
256 17 January 1945 Target: Railroad Viaduct
Type: Transportation
Location: Bielefeld, Germany
Pilot 44‑8211 Combat Mission Credit
Division lead. PFF & Gee-H ship. PFF started acting up during assembly, so the air commander ordered the low Squadron lead (PFF-equipped) to move up and fly as his deputy. At the IP, the Gee-H equipment was unusable, so lead was turned over to the deputy.
Sortie Report
259 22 January 1945 Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Sterkrade, Germany
Pilot 42‑38208 Weather aircraft.
Sortie Report
261 28 January 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Commander 44‑8007 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead; PFF and Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report
266 14 February 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Dresden, Germany
Commander 44‑8665 Combat Mission Credit
Returned Early
High Squadron lead; PFF ship. Returned early after entering enemy airspace, because right waist and bombardier's oxygen regulators 'blew up'. Attacked a target of opportunity, a factory, in Nordhorn, Germany.
Sortie Report
274 25 February 1945 Target: Tank & Submarine Engine Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Friedrichshafen, Germany
Commander 44‑8211 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead; PFF and Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report
279 2 March 1945 Target: Low Temperature Carbonization Plant and Refinery of Deutsche Petroleum A.G.
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Rositz, Germany
Commander 44‑8649 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead; PFF ship.
Sortie Report
299 28 March 1945 Target: Berlin/Spandau Motor Transport Works
Type: Industry
Location: Spandau (Berlin), Germany
Pilot 43‑38974 Weather aircraft; remainder of crew (CP, N, RO, Eng) not identified
Sortie Report
301 31 March 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Lützkendorf, Germany
Commander 44‑8541 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead.
Sortie Report

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