2025 REUNION
 PRELIMINARY INFORMATION
ON HOME PAGE

Helmley, Loyd Elmer

Individual Personnel Data
Name Helmley, Loyd Elmer   ‡
⇗
Rank Second Lieutenant / Captain
Serial Number O-737948   ‡
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #164 dated 10 December 1943, effective 10 December 1943.
Duty Co-pilot / Pilot
MOS1091 - Pilot, B-17
Last Duty Date 8 September 1944
Results Completed Combat Tour
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 10 March 1919
  • SO #164 was amended by SO #170 dated 18 December 1943, as follows: '2LT Lloyd E. Heimley, O-737943 is amended to read: 2LT Loyd E. Helmley, O-737948'.
  • Promoted to First Lieutenant in April 1944. Microfilm record A0640-01587
  • Placed on Temporary Duty to Coombe House Hotel, Semley Dorsey (a Flak House) on 13 June 1944 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #111 dated 13 June 1944.
  • Detailed Assistant Group Operations Officer (Primary) per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #121 dated 24 June 1944.
  • Promoted to Captain on 25 June 1944. Microfilm record A0640-01601.
  • Transferred in grade to the Casual Pool, 8th AFRD, AAF Station 594 on 8 September 1944 per Squadron Morning Report.
Related Documents Accident Report # 44-04-25-517⇓ (1.070 MB)
Photo Album:Crew Photo Album⇗
Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Pryor, Raymond Thomas⇗PilotCT
2nd Lt. Helmley, Loyd ElmerCo-pilotCT
2nd Lt. Harmon, Frank James⇗NavigatorCT
S/SGT. Lewis, James William, Jr⇗Radio Operator / GunnerWIA
SGT. Coppage, Raymond Donald⇗Tail GunnerTR

Crew History

The Pryor crew, composed of only 5 members when assigned, did not stay together for their entire combat tour. In fact, James Lewis flew no missions with Pryor. The others flew together for eighteen to twenty-two missions, with the balance of the crew provided by a variety of other personnel.
Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 30 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
55⇗ 29 January 1944 Target: Aircraft Parts Plants
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑37974⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead group.
Sortie Report⇗
56⇗ 30 January 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑31433⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low group. Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑31484.
Sortie Report⇗
57⇗ 3 February 1944 Target: Submarines (under construction)
Type: Submarine Facility
Location: Wilhelmshaven, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑3441⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Group.
Sortie Report⇗
58⇗ 4 February 1944 Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑29632⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High group, 41st B Combat Wing.
Sortie Report⇗
59⇗ 5 February 1944 Target: Bricy Aerodrome, Luftwaffe Training and Bomber Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Orleans, France 		Co-pilot 42‑29809⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
60⇗ 6 February 1944 Target: Nancy/Essey Aerodrome
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Nancy, France 		Co-pilot 42‑29809⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back at 1031 hrs due to defective bomb racks; bombs were released when bombardier released bomb bay tanks over North Sea.
Sortie Report⇗
61⇗ 8 February 1944 Target: Piston Ring Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑97477⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
62⇗ 11 February 1944 Target: Propeller Factory (Foundry)
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑29809⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at RAF Stansted, Essex, due to low fuel and #1 engine knocked out by flak.
Sortie Report⇗
63⇗ 20 February 1944 Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Leipzig & Bernburg, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑97521⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
41A Group. Turned back with #1 engine out.
Sortie Report⇗
66⇗ 24 February 1944 Target: Ball-Bearing Plant
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑31926⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron, lead group.
Sortie Report⇗
67⇗ 25 February 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly & Ball Bearings Plants
Type: Industry
Location: Augsburg & Stuttgart, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑29632⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41C Group, High Squadron, Lead Group. Landed away at RAF Boreham, Essex, on return due to low fuel.
Sortie Report⇗
69⇗ 2 March 1944 Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant and Machine Shop
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑31166⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
71⇗ 4 March 1944 Type: Military
Location: Berlin, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑37792⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back at 1010 hrs because engineer was knocked out while fixing the ball turret; when azimuth power switch was released, it caused the turret to swing around and hit the engineer in the head; he was taken to Thrapston Hospital for observation.
Sortie Report⇗
72⇗ 6 March 1944 Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Berlin, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑3440⇗ Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off
Did not take off because of gas leak.
Sortie Report⇗
73⇗ 8 March 1944 Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Berlin, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑37982⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Flying spare; joined formation.
Sortie Report⇗
74⇗ 9 March 1944 Target: Heinkel Aircraft Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Oranienburg, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑38208⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
75⇗ 16 March 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑97521⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back at 0955 hrs because #3 & #4 engines failed; #1 oil cooler was leaking very badly and the lead was off of sparkplug of #7 cylinder, #2 engine.
Sortie Report⇗
76⇗ 18 March 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑97081⇗ Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed
Sortie Report⇗
77⇗ 19 March 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-2 Storage and Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Wizernes, France 		Co-pilot 42‑31166⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
81⇗ 24 March 1944 Target: Ball-Bearing Plant
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97477⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
83⇗ 27 March 1944 Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Tours & Chartres, France 		Pilot 42‑97521⇗ Combat Mission Credit
94 Group.
Sortie Report⇗
84⇗ 28 March 1944 Target: Dijon-Longvic Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Dijon, France 		Pilot 42‑31346⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
85⇗ 29 March 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany 		Pilot 42‑37816⇗ Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed
Sortie Report⇗
86⇗ 9 April 1944 Target: FW-190 Fighter Aircraft Assembly Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Marienburg, Germany 		Pilot 42‑37792⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Joined 41st Composite Combat Wing A and bombed their primary target.
Sortie Report⇗
87⇗ 10 April 1944 Target: Evere Airfield (50°54'3"N 4°20'9"E)
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Brussels / Bruxelles, Belgium 		Pilot 42‑37792⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
88⇗ 11 April 1944 Target: FW Aircraft Parts Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Sorau, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97178⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
89⇗ 13 April 1944 Target: Ball-Bearing Plant
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97178⇗ Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed
Sortie Report⇗
92⇗ 20 April 1944 Target: V-Weapon Service Bunker (under construction)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Sottevast, France 		Pilot 42‑97178⇗ Combat Mission Credit
B Wing, High Group.
Sortie Report⇗
93⇗ 22 April 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Hamm, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97178⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
-- 25 April 1944 None
Non-combat sortie 		Pilot 42‑31484⇗ Helmley was ordered to fly to Boxted Airfield to pick up the C G Smith Crew, which had landed there after a combat mission. Arriving in the Boxted area, pilot found that left landing gear would not extend. He returned to base, and flew locally until his fuel was reduced, then landed on the right main wheel and tail wheel. The aircraft was damaged, but no crew were injured.
Sortie Report⇗
96⇗ 27 April 1944 Target: V-Weapon Service Bunker (under construction)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Sottevast, France 		Pilot 42‑102518⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead. Did not attack target due to malfunction of bomb bay doors; dropped 2x1000# GP bombs between IP and target.
Sortie Report⇗
102⇗ 8 May 1944 Target: Friedrichstrasse Railroad Station
Type: Transportation
Location: Berlin, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97271⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group lead.
Sortie Report⇗
105⇗ 11 May 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Saarbrücken and Ehrang, Germany 		Pilot 42‑31484⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41A Group, Group Lead.
Sortie Report⇗
108⇗ 15 May 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Mimoyecques, France 		Pilot 42‑102449⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group lead. Gee-H ship (assumed).
Sortie Report⇗
113⇗ 23 May 1944 Target: Nancy/Essey Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Nancy, France 		Pilot 42‑38014⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41A Group Lead.
Sortie Report⇗
118⇗ 28 May 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Pilot 42‑107125⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group Deputy.
Sortie Report⇗
130⇗ 7 June 1944 Target: Transportation Hub
Type: Military
Location: Condé-sur-Noireau, France 		Pilot 42‑107125⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Group Lead. Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report⇗
132⇗ 10 June 1944 Target: Chateau Bougon Airfield (41A) & Vannes Airfield (41B)
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Nantes & Vannes, France 		Pilot 42‑107125⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41B Group, Group Lead.
Sortie Report⇗
147⇗ 27 June 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Storage Depot)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Saint-Martin-L'Hortier, France 		Pilot 42‑107125⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group lead, 41st A section. Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report⇗

Every effort has been expended to ensure all information on this page is complete and accurate.
Please inform webmaster of any discrepancies or omissions by using the button below.