Virtue, Earl Elery

Individual Personnel Data
Name Virtue, Earl Elery   ‡
⇗
Rank Corporal / Staff Sergeant
Serial Number 39207738   ‡
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #179 dated 8 September 1944, effective 8 September 1944.
Duty Flexible Gunner
MOS612 - Airplane Armorer / Gunner
Last Duty Date 15 February 1945
Results Completed Combat Tour
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 21 June 1909
  • Promoted to Sergeant per AAF station 106 Special Orders #183 dated 15 September 1944.
  • Promoted to Staff Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #211 dated 25 October 1944.
  • Ordered on seven days Temporary Duty to Spetchley Park, AAF Station 562 (a Flak house) on 14 December 1944 to carry out the instructions of the Commanding General per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #244 dated 12 December 1944.
Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Fahr, John (NMI)⇗PilotCT
2nd Lt. Ryan, Chilton (NMI)⇗Co-pilotCT
2nd Lt. Niemiec, Leonard Roy⇗NavigatorCT
CPL. Casteel, Raleigh James⇗TogglierCT
CPL. Luburich, Michael (NMI)⇗Radio Operator / GunnerCT
S/SGT. Hanrahan, Francis Glen⇗Engineer / Top Turret GunnerCT
CPL. Waggoner, Buford (NMI)⇗Ball Turret GunnerCT
CPL. Roach, William Earl⇗Tail GunnerCT
CPL. Virtue, Earl EleryFlexible GunnerCT
Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 35 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
200⇗ 27 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards (PFF Aiming Points)
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑97521⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
201⇗ 28 September 1944 Target: Steelworks
Type: Industry
Location: Magdeburg, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑107148⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
202⇗ 30 September 1944 Target: Handorf Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Münster, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑97521⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
203⇗ 2 October 1944 Target: Ford Motor Works
Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑102430⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron flying spare. Filled in.
Sortie Report⇗
204⇗ 3 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Wesseling, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑97521⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
207⇗ 7 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Leipzig, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑97521⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
209⇗ 11 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Wesseling, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑102430⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Second Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
211⇗ 15 October 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑97521⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
212⇗ 17 October 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑97521⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
213⇗ 18 October 1944 Target: Ford Motor Works
Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑97521⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron. Soon after bombs away, this aircraft started to drop back from formation under control, and continued to drop back until out of sight; returned to base and resumed combat missions after seven weeks.
Sortie Report⇗
215⇗ 25 October 1944 Target: Nordstern Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38823⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
216⇗ 30 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38823⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron flying spare; joined formation.
Sortie Report⇗
219⇗ 4 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38823⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
221⇗ 6 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 44‑8409⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
223⇗ 9 November 1944 Target: Ground Installations
Type: Military
Location: Ouvrages de Sorbey (Metz), France 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38823⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
224⇗ 10 November 1944 Target: Ostheim Airfield & Butzweilerhof Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38823⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41C Group, Lead Squadron. Hot Camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
225⇗ 11 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38823⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
227⇗ 20 November 1944 Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38823⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron, 41st Bomb Wing D group.
Sortie Report⇗
228⇗ 23 November 1944 Target: Nordstern Coking Plant at Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks-A.G.
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38823⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
229⇗ 25 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Lützkendorf, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38823⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Hot camera ship; landed away at Bovingdon, due to weather.
Sortie Report⇗
233⇗ 30 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Zeitz, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38823⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
234⇗ 2 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Oberlahnstein, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑37717⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
236⇗ 6 December 1944 Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 44‑6109⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
237⇗ 9 December 1944 Target: Airfield and Daimler Factory
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Böblingen (Stuttgart area), Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38823⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
238⇗ 11 December 1944 Target: Road & Rail Bridge
Type: Transportation
Location: Mannheim, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38823⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
239⇗ 12 December 1944 Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38823⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
242⇗ 23 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Ehrang, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑97510⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Ground Spare Aircraft, replaced 43‑37917. Landed away at RAF Wethersfield, Essex, due to weather. Apparently ferried to Ridgewell prior to 24 December mission.
Sortie Report⇗
243⇗ 24 December 1944 Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Kirch Göns, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑97510⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Took off from Ridgewell Airfield, AAF Station 167 (was unable to return to GU after prior day's mission due to weather) and flew the mission with the 381st BG, attacking their assigned primary target. Diverted to Sudbury Airfield, AAF Station 174, on return due to inclement weather.
Sortie Report⇗
244⇗ 27 December 1944 Target: Bridge (Tactical)
Type: Transportation
Location: Altenahr, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38823⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
245⇗ 28 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Brühl, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38823⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
249⇗ 2 January 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Gerolstein, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38673⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
253⇗ 8 January 1945 Target: Railroad
Type: Transportation
Location: Kyllburg, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑102518⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
254⇗ 10 January 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Bonn, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38721⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
256⇗ 17 January 1945 Target: Railroad Viaduct
Type: Transportation
Location: Bielefeld, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 43‑38673⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
263⇗ 1 February 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Mannheim, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑102518⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗

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