Gay, Joseph Bates, Jr

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Gay, Joseph Bates, Jr ⇗
Rank	Second Lieutenant
Serial Number	O-746874
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #234 dated 28 November 1944, effective 28 November 1944. Transferred to the Casual Pool, 70th Reinforcement Depot Station 569, per 545th Bomb Squadron Morning Report dated 14 April 1945, effective 14 April 1945. Transferred to the Casual Pool, 70th Reinforcement Depot, AAF Station 594, per 544th Bomb Squadron Morning Report dated 20 May 1945 , effective 20 May 1945.
Duty	Bombardier
MOS	1035 - Bombardier
Last Duty Date	20 May 1945
Results	Completed Combat Tour
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 17 September 1917 Graduated from Bombardier School at Deming AAF, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Class #43-08, 29 May 1943 Ordered to Palace Hotel, Southport, AAF Station 524 (a Flak House) on 19 March 1945 for seven days temporary duty to carry out instructions of the Commanding General per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #59 dated 17 March 1945. Returned to the ZOI as part of a B-17 crew.
Photo Album:	Crew Photo Album⇗

Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER	POSITION	RESULTS
2nd Lt. Van Pelt, Charles A⇗	Pilot	CT
Flt. Ofcr. Hammerstein, Lester Eugene⇗	Co-pilot	FCMEW
2nd Lt. Murphy, Edward J⇗	Navigator	CT
2nd Lt. Gay, Joseph Bates, Jr	Bombardier	CT
CPL. Guentzel, Otto William⇗	Radio Operator / Gunner	CT
CPL. Secrest, Marvin Victor⇗	Engineer / Top Turret Gunner	CT
SGT. Slack, Raymond Carl⇗	Ball Turret Gunner	CT
CPL. Den Herder, Edward (NMI)⇗	Tail Gunner	CT
CPL. Groom, William Emmett, Jr⇗	Flexible Gunner	CT

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 34 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
237⇗	9 December 1944	Target: Airfield and Daimler Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Böblingen (Stuttgart area), Germany	Bombardier	42‑98000⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
238⇗	11 December 1944	Target: Road & Rail Bridge Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany	Bombardier	43‑37703⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
239⇗	12 December 1944	Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany	Bombardier	43‑37703⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
240⇗	18 December 1944	Target: Road Junction Type: Transportation Location: Gemünd, Germany	Bombardier	42‑102661⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
243⇗	24 December 1944	Target: Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Kirch Göns, Germany	Bombardier	42‑39888⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41C Group. Sortie Report⇗
244⇗	27 December 1944	Target: Bridge (Tactical) Type: Transportation Location: Altenahr, Germany	Bombardier	43‑37703⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
245⇗	28 December 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Brühl, Germany	Bombardier	43‑37703⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
247⇗	31 December 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Neuss, Germany	Bombardier	42‑37822⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back; took off late, unable to find formation. Sortie Report⇗
251⇗	5 January 1945	Target: Landing Ground Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Neiderbreisig, Germany	Bombardier	42‑102459⇗	Combat Mission Credit Landed away on the Continent in allied territory; aircraft returned to operations in three weeks. Sortie Report⇗
256⇗	17 January 1945	Target: Railroad Viaduct Type: Transportation Location: Bielefeld, Germany	Bombardier	42‑32106⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
257⇗	20 January 1945	Target: Rail and Road Bridges Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany	Bombardier	42‑102661⇗	Combat Mission Credit Landed away at RAF Newmarket, Suffolk. Sortie Report⇗
265⇗	9 February 1945	Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Lützkendorf, Germany	Navigator	43‑39138⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
267⇗	15 February 1945	Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bohlen, Germany	Navigator	43‑38801⇗	Lead Squadron hot camera ship. Did not take off because bad weather halted flight operations. Sortie Report⇗
271⇗	22 February 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Ülzen, Germany	Navigator	42‑37822⇗	Combat Mission Credit Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 43‑38801. Sortie Report⇗
272⇗	23 February 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Plauen, Germany	Navigator	44‑8608⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
274⇗	25 February 1945	Target: Tank & Submarine Engine Factory Type: Industry Location: Friedrichshafen, Germany	Navigator	42‑107148⇗	Combat Mission Credit Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 43‑38974. High Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
275⇗	26 February 1945	Target: Schlesicher Railroad Station (Bahnhof) Type: Transportation Location: Berlin, Germany	Navigator	43‑38016⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
278⇗	1 March 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Bruchsal, Germany	Navigator	42‑102661⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
279⇗	2 March 1945	Target: Low Temperature Carbonization Plant and Refinery of Deutsche Petroleum A.G. Type: Oil Industry Location: Rositz, Germany	Navigator	44‑8608⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
281⇗	4 March 1945	Target: Ordnance Depot Type: Military Location: Ulm, Germany	Navigator	44‑6923⇗	Combat Mission Credit Landed away at Little Staughton Airfield, AAF Station 127, on return due to low fuel. Sortie Report⇗
283⇗	8 March 1945	Target: Oil Refinery - 'Benzol Plant' Type: Oil Industry Location: Essen, Germany	Navigator	43‑38062⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
284⇗	9 March 1945	Target: Henschel Tank and Locomotive Works Type: Industry Location: Kassel, Germany	Navigator	43‑38801⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
285⇗	10 March 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Schwerte, Germany	Navigator	43‑38974⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
286⇗	11 March 1945	Target: Vacuum Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bremen, Germany	Navigator	43‑39203⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
287⇗	12 March 1945	Target: Railway Center Type: Transportation Location: Betzdorf, Germany	Navigator	43‑38974⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
289⇗	15 March 1945	Target: Army HQ Type: Military Location: Zossen, Germany	Navigator	43‑38974⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
300⇗	30 March 1945	Target: Deutsche Schiff- u. Maschinenbau A.G. (DESCHIMAG) Submarine and Warship Yard Machine Shop Type: Submarine Facility Location: Bremen, Germany	Navigator	44‑6476⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
301⇗	31 March 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Lützkendorf, Germany	Navigator	44‑8608⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
302⇗	3 April 1945	Target: Underground Oil Storage Depot Type: Oil Industry Location: Kiel, Germany	Navigator	44‑6892⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
304⇗	5 April 1945	Target: Ordnance Depot Type: Military Location: Ingolstadt, Germany	Navigator	42‑107125⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Low Squadron flying spare; could not locate formation, turned back at Control Point 2. Sortie Report⇗
305⇗	6 April 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards (Visual Primary) Type: Transportation Location: Leipzig, Germany	Navigator	42‑97824⇗	Combat Mission Credit Aircraft suffered major damage from fighter attacks. Sortie Report⇗
306⇗	7 April 1945	Target: Underground Oil Storage Plant Type: Military Location: Hitzacker, Germany	Navigator	42‑102620⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
308⇗	10 April 1945	Target: Ordnance Depot Workshop Area Type: Military Location: Oranienburg, Germany	Navigator	42‑102459⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
309⇗	11 April 1945	Target: Underground Oil Storage Depot Type: Oil Industry Location: Freiham, Germany	Navigator	43‑38994⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
313⇗	17 April 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Dresden, Germany	Navigator	44‑6476⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
314⇗	19 April 1945	Target: Railroad Station & Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Elsterwerda, Germany	Navigator	42‑102459⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
316⇗	25 April 1945	Target: Skoda Armament Works Type: Industry Location: Pilsen / Plzeň, Czechoslovakia	Navigator	43‑39444⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗

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