| Name | Hetu, Gordon Eugene ‡ |
| Rank | Corporal / Sergeant |
| Serial Number | 16189148 ‡ |
| Unit Assignments | Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #148 dated 26 July 1944, effective 26 July 1944. |
| Duty | Ball Turret Gunner |
| MOS | 611 - Aerial Gunner |
| Last Duty Date | 28 September 1944 |
| Results |
Killed In Action Final Resting Place or Memorial: Michigan |
| Additional Information |
|
| Related Documents | Missing Air Crew Report # 9366⇓ (11.899 MB) |
| Photo Album: | Crew Photo Album⇗ |
| CREWMEMBER | POSITION | RESULTS |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd Lt. Brodie, James Joseph⇗ | Pilot | KIA |
| 2nd Lt. Vevle, Lloyd Oliver⇗ | Co-pilot | KIA |
| 2nd Lt. Hawkins, George Marshall, Jr⇗ | Navigator | POW |
| 2nd Lt. Barnes, William Douglas, Jr⇗ | Bombardier | CT |
| SGT. Taylor, William Edson⇗ | Radio Operator / Gunner | POW |
| S/SGT. Crumpton, Robert Doyle⇗ | Engineer / Top Turret Gunner | KIA |
| CPL. Hetu, Gordon Eugene | Ball Turret Gunner | KIA |
| CPL. Miller, Wilfred Frank⇗ | Tail Gunner | POW |
| CPL. Opie, Leonard Wood⇗ | Flexible Gunner | TR |
| CPL. Liniger, Harry Allen⇗ | Flexible Gunner | POW |
| Number | Date | Target | Position | Aircraft | Mission/Sortie Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 174⇗ | 7 August 1944 |
Target: Aircraft Fuel Depot Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Dugny (Paris), France |
Ball Turret | 42‑32106⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit High section deputy, lead group. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 175⇗ | 8 August 1944 |
Target: Tactical - Enemy Strong Points Type: Military Location: Bretteville-sur-Laize, France |
Ball Turret | 42‑31484⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Lead group. Did not attack target because bomb rack fuse was burned out, which became apparent too late for manual release; returned bombs to base. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 176⇗ | 9 August 1944 |
Target: Erding Airdrome & Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Erding, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑31484⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit High group. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 177⇗ | 11 August 1944 |
Target: Tactical: Coastal Artillery Emplacements Type: Military Location: Brest, France |
Ball Turret | 42‑102518⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Low group flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 181⇗ | 16 August 1944 |
Target: Delitzsch Air Field and Air Equipment Depot Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Delitzsch, Germany |
Ball Turret | 44‑6294⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
| 183⇗ | 24 August 1944 |
Target: Synthetic Oil & Chemical Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑32106⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
| 185⇗ | 26 August 1944 |
Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑102430⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit High section deputy, high group. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 186⇗ | 30 August 1944 |
Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Crepieul, France |
Ball Turret | 42‑31484⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 188⇗ | 5 September 1944 |
Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑97309⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
| 189⇗ | 8 September 1944 |
Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑97309⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
| 190⇗ | 9 September 1944 |
Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑97309⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 191⇗ | 10 September 1944 |
Target: BMW Motor Component Parts Plant Type: Industry Location: Sindelfingen, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑97521⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron flying spare; joined formation. The Brodie crew may have been originally assigned to fly 42‑97309, and was forced to switch aircraft for unknown reasons. Apparently they were told to go to Ground Spare Aircraft 43‑37971, but that had already been assigned to Johnstone. Again for unknown reasons, the Chadwick Crew was told to move to lead Ground Spare Aircraft 43‑37971, and turn over 42‑97521 to the Brodie Crew. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 192⇗ | 11 September 1944 |
Target: Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Lützkendorf & Merseburg, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑97309⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit 41B Group. Landed with bomb bay doors open. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 194⇗ | 13 September 1944 |
Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑97521⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
| 196⇗ | 19 September 1944 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Hamm, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑97309⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Hot camera ship; high Squadron. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 197⇗ | 21 September 1944 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Mainz, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑97309⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 198⇗ | 25 September 1944 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑97309⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
| 199⇗ | 26 September 1944 |
Target: Steelworks Type: Industry Location: Osnabrück, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑97309⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
| 201⇗ | 28 September 1944 |
Target: Steelworks Type: Industry Location: Magdeburg, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑31222⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Failed To Return Collided with 43‑37822 over target: Wallace Storey related details of the collision in Decker's Memories (2nd edition, page 169). Both ships went down on fire and out of control; no chutes observed; crashed near Erxleben, Germany; MACR 9366. Sortie Report⇗ |