Hilliard, Donald Ervin

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Hilliard, Donald Ervin ‡ ⇗
Rank	Corporal / Technical Sergeant
Serial Number	37519899 ‡
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #239 dated 5 December 1944, effective 5 December 1944. Transferred to a non-384th unit, per 545th Bomb Squadron Morning Report - 410th Bomb Squadron, 94th Bomb Group, AAF Station 468, effective 13 October 1945.
Duty	Radio Operator / Gunner
MOS	757 - Radio Operator / Mechanic / Gunner, AAF
Last Duty Date	13 October 1945
Results	Transferred
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 16 October 1924 On the 26 February 1945 mission to Berlin, the crew was reported missing on MACR 12760. Their aircraft had a run-away prop and lost oxygen at 32,000 ft, possibly due to flak. They made a wheels-up forced landing in Rawa Ruska, Poland. The crew were met by Russians (allies at that time) and taken to Lvov, Poland for two weeks until 'rescued' by a U.S. Salvage crew in a stripped-down B-17, who flew them to Poltve [Poltava?], Russia. ATC returned them to Grafton Underwood via Tehran, Iran, Athens, Greece, Cairo, Eqypt, Tunisia, Naples, Italy and Brighton, England. Promoted to Sergeant effective 10 December 1944 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #242 dated 10 December 1944. Promoted to Staff Sergeant effective 13 April 1945 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #80 dated 13 April 1945.
Related Documents	Missing Air Crew Report # 12760⇓ (2.688 MB)
Photos of this Veteran signing the Wing Panel	Hilliard Signing⇗

Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER	POSITION	RESULTS
2nd Lt. MacDonald, Ranald Hugh, III⇗	Pilot	FCMEW
2nd Lt. Jones, Robert McCord, "Mack"⇗	Co-pilot	CT
Flt. Ofcr. Carr, Robert John⇗	Navigator	FCMEW
2nd Lt. Slachetka, Henry Joseph⇗	Bombardier	FCMEW
CPL. Hilliard, Donald Ervin	Radio Operator / Gunner	TR
CPL. Cunningham, John F⇗	Engineer / Top Turret Gunner	FCMEW
CPL. Holmes, Edwin Lamar⇗	Ball Turret Gunner	FCMEW
CPL. Hughes, Ralph B⇗	Tail Gunner	CT
CPL. Casagrande, Mario Joseph⇗	Flexible Gunner	CT

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 16 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
266⇗	14 February 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Dresden, Germany	Radio Operator	43‑37971⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron flying spare; joined formation (low Squadron). Sortie Report⇗
268⇗	19 February 1945	Target: Coking Plant Type: Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Radio Operator	44‑8408⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
269⇗	20 February 1945	Target: Main Railroad Station Type: Transportation Location: Nuremberg / Nürnberg, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑107125⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
272⇗	23 February 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Plauen, Germany	Radio Operator	44‑8408⇗	Combat Mission Credit Landed away at RAF Wyton, Cambridgeshire. Sortie Report⇗
274⇗	25 February 1945	Target: Tank & Submarine Engine Factory Type: Industry Location: Friedrichshafen, Germany	Radio Operator	44‑8679⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron. Landed away at RAF Woodbridge, Suffolk, due to low fuel. Sortie Report⇗
275⇗	26 February 1945	Target: Schlesicher Railroad Station (Bahnhof) Type: Transportation Location: Berlin, Germany	Radio Operator	43‑38823⇗	Combat Mission Credit Damaged by flak near the I.P.; at 1158 one engine was feathered; at 1230 hrs #2 and #4 engines were out, and aircraft was under control, headed toward Russia. MACR 12760 Sortie Report⇗
305⇗	6 April 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards (Visual Primary) Type: Transportation Location: Leipzig, Germany	Radio Operator	43‑38994⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
306⇗	7 April 1945	Target: Underground Oil Storage Plant Type: Military Location: Hitzacker, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑97309⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
307⇗	9 April 1945	Target: Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany	Radio Operator	43‑37917⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
308⇗	10 April 1945	Target: Ordnance Depot Workshop Area Type: Military Location: Oranienburg, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑97309⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
309⇗	11 April 1945	Target: Underground Oil Storage Depot Type: Oil Industry Location: Freiham, Germany	Radio Operator	44‑8679⇗	Combat Mission Credit Landed at RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire, on return due to low fuel; returned to base after refuelling. Sortie Report⇗
310⇗	14 April 1945	Target: Gun Battery Type: Military Location: Royan (Bordeaux), France	Radio Operator	42‑97309⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
311⇗	15 April 1945	Target: Flak guns at Pointe de Suzac Type: Military Location: Royan, France	Radio Operator	43‑38839⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
313⇗	17 April 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Dresden, Germany	Radio Operator	43‑37717⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
314⇗	19 April 1945	Target: Railroad Station & Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Elsterwerda, Germany	Radio Operator	44‑8541⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron lead. PFF & Gee-H ship. Sortie Report⇗
315⇗	20 April 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Seddin, Germany	Radio Operator	43‑38673⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗

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