Clayton, John Earl

Individual Personnel Data
Name Clayton, John Earl
Rank Second Lieutenant / First Lieutenant
Serial Number O-4-1246
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #146 dated 17 November 1943, effective 17 November 1943.
Duty Pilot
MOS1091 - Pilot, B-17
Last Duty Date 4 May 1944
Results Completed Combat Tour
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 23 February 1918
Photo Album:Crew Photo Album




Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Clayton, John EarlPilotCT
2nd Lt. Jackson, Winthrop Alsop, JrCo-pilotWIA
2nd Lt. Uniszkiewicz, Joseph KennethNavigatorKIA
2nd Lt. Dolf, Richard MerleBombardierWIA
S/SGT. Lisenby, Miles Frederick, "Lis"Radio Operator / GunnerTR
S/SGT. Watenpool, Jerome FrancisEngineer / Top Turret GunnerCT
S/SGT. Cameron, Francis RaymondBall Turret GunnerCT
SGT. Boydston, Elmer Dean, "Kansas"Tail GunnerCT
SGT. Koscheski, Clyde AndersonFlexible GunnerCT
SGT. Lewandowski, Thomas MichaelFlexible GunnerCT

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 30 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
40 5 December 1943 Target: Fighter Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Saint-Jean-d'Angély, France
Co-pilot 42‑37785 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
43 16 December 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Bremen, Germany
Co-pilot 42‑37885 Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed
Sortie Report
45 22 December 1943 Target: Steel Shops/Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Osnabrück, Germany
Co-pilot 42‑37885 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
46 24 December 1943 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Croisette, France
Co-pilot 42‑37885 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
50 5 January 1944 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Kiel, Germany
Co-pilot 42‑39888 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead; apparently took lead position after assigned low Squadron lead, Robinson, did not take off.
Sortie Report
53 14 January 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Le Meillard, France
Co-pilot 42‑39888 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
55 29 January 1944 Target: Aircraft Parts Plants
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Pilot 42‑37982 Combat Mission Credit
Lead group.
Sortie Report
56 30 January 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany
Pilot 42‑37982 Combat Mission Credit
Low group.
Sortie Report
58 4 February 1944 Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Pilot 42‑30026 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
High group, 41st B Combat Wing. Turned back at 1035 hrs because #2 prop and supercharger ran away at altitude.
Sortie Report
59 5 February 1944 Target: Bricy Aerodrome, Luftwaffe Training and Bomber Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Orleans, France
Pilot 42‑39809 Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed
Sortie Report
60 6 February 1944 Target: Nancy/Essey Aerodrome
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Nancy, France
Pilot 42‑29717 Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off
This aircraft did not take off. 544th BS loading list does not identify the crewmembers; pilot identified from other documents.
Sortie Report
63 20 February 1944 Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Leipzig & Bernburg, Germany
Pilot 42‑37776 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
41A Group. Turned back; #2 supercharger ran away.
Sortie Report
64 21 February 1944 Target: Fighter Field & Aircraft Storage Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Werl, Germany
Pilot 42‑29651 Combat Mission Credit
Returned Early
B Group, Low Squadron. Turned back due to multiple technical failures.
Sortie Report
66 24 February 1944 Target: Ball-Bearing Plant
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany
Pilot 42‑3440 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Lead Squadron, lead group. Flying spare; aborted; took off one hour late and could not catch formation.
Sortie Report
67 25 February 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly & Ball Bearings Plants
Type: Industry
Location: Augsburg & Stuttgart, Germany
Pilot 42‑39888 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
41A Group. Turned back at 1125 hrs when #3 supercharger would not function at altitude, being able to get only 23-24 inches of boost at 19,000'.
Sortie Report
68 28 February 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Preuseville, France
Pilot 42‑37785 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron.
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
Pilot 42‑37982 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
70 3 March 1944 Target: Roller-Bearing Factory
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Berlin, Germany
Pilot 42‑37982 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back because the oil pressure in #3 engine dropped, causing severe vibration; could not feather prop.
Sortie Report
71 4 March 1944 Type: Military
Location: Berlin, Germany
Pilot 42‑31740 Combat Mission Credit
Flying spare, joined formation.
Sortie Report
72 6 March 1944 Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Berlin, Germany
Pilot 42‑37982 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
75 16 March 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
Pilot 42‑37982 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
76 18 March 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
Pilot 42‑37982 Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron, high composite group.
Sortie Report
77 19 March 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-2 Storage and Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Wizernes, France
Pilot 42‑37982 Combat Mission Credit
Forced out of formation after first bomb run due to loss of #4 engine; did not bomb.
Sortie Report
78 20 March 1944 Type: Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Pilot 42‑31435 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
79 22 March 1944 Target: Heinkel Aircraft Assembly Plant at Annahof Airfield
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Oranienburg, Germany
Pilot 42‑37785 Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed
Sortie Report
80 23 March 1944 Target: Airdrome and Airpark
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Gütersloh, Germany
Pilot 42‑37789 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑37885. Lead Squadron, composite high group. Turned back at 0918 hrs because both inboard engines were pulling over 30 inches and running very rough; aircraft could not stay in formation.
Sortie Report
81 24 March 1944 Target: Ball-Bearing Plant
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany
Pilot 42‑31495 Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed
Sortie Report
82 26 March 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Le Grismont, Rebecques, France
Pilot 42‑37789 Combat Mission Credit
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑31346.
Sortie Report
83 27 March 1944 Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Tours & Chartres, France
Pilot 42‑31346 Combat Mission Credit
94 Group.
Sortie Report
84 28 March 1944 Target: Dijon-Longvic Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Dijon, France
Pilot 42‑97136 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
85 29 March 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany
Pilot 42‑31346 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
86 9 April 1944 Target: FW-190 Fighter Aircraft Assembly Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Marienburg, Germany
Pilot 42‑37982 Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at Halesworth, Suffolk, on return due to low fuel.
Sortie Report
88 11 April 1944 Target: FW Aircraft Parts Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Sorau, Germany
Pilot 42‑32106 Combat Mission Credit
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑37982.
Sortie Report
90 18 April 1944 Target: Aircraft Parts Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Oranienburg, Germany
Pilot 42‑37982 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
91 19 April 1944 Target: Fieseler Aircraft Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Kassel (Waldau), Germany
Pilot 42‑37982 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
92 20 April 1944 Target: V-Weapon Service Bunker (under construction)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Sottevast, France
Pilot 42‑37982 Combat Mission Credit
B Wing, High Group, High Squadron Deputy.
Sortie Report
93 22 April 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Hamm, Germany
Pilot 42‑31435 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
94 24 April 1944 Target: Dornier-Werke GMBH Aircraft Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
Pilot 42‑37785 Combat Mission Credit
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑37789.
Sortie Report
95 25 April 1944 Target: Metz-Frescaty Airdrome
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Metz, France
Pilot 42‑37758 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
96 27 April 1944 Target: V-Weapon Service Bunker (under construction)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Sottevast, France
Pilot 42‑37982 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
97 27 April 1944 Target: Toul/Croix de Metz Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Nancy, France
Pilot 42‑97510 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report

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