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Bland, Dwain B

Individual Personnel Data
Name Bland, Dwain B
Rank Corporal / Staff Sergeant
Serial Number 18094262
Unit Assignments
  • Assigned to the 547th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #8 dated 9 January 1945, effective 9 January 1945.
  • Transferred to a non-384th unit, per 547th Bomb Squadron Morning Report - Casual Pool, 70th Reinforcement Depot, AAF Station Stone, effective 20 May 1945.
Duty Tail Gunner / Togglier
MOS611 - Aerial Gunner
Last Duty Date 20 May 1945
Results Completed Tour, Returned to USA
Additional Information
  • Promoted to Sergeant effective 23 January 1945 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #20 dated 23 January 1945.
  • Reclassified from MOS 611 to MOS 612 effective 26 March 1945 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #66 dated 26 March 1945.
  • Promoted to Staff Sergeant effective 3 April 1945 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #72 dated 3 April 1945.
  • Departed Grafton Underwood to AAF Station Stone on 20 May 1945. Returned to the ZOI via B-17.




Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Funk, Donald OlsenPilotFCMEW
2nd Lt. Mingo, Andrew CaesarCo-pilotCT
2nd Lt. Schlitz, Lester EugeneNavigatorCT
Flt. Ofcr. Marsh, Harold EBombardierCT
CPL. Midura, Ernest AlvinRadio Operator / GunnerCT
CPL. Showers, Henry HerbertEngineer / Top Turret GunnerCT
CPL. Maurer, Joseph AloysiousBall Turret GunnerCT
CPL. Bland, Dwain BTail GunnerCT
CPL. Steed, Robert LynnFlexible GunnerCT

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 34 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
260 23 January 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Neuss, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑6514 Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at Honington Airfield, AAF Station 375.
Sortie Report
262 29 January 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Siegen, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑6514 Combat Mission Credit
Hot camera ship.
Sortie Report
263 1 February 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Mannheim, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑38013 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
264 3 February 1945 Target: Tempelhof Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Berlin, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑38013 Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron, Hot Camera Ship.
Sortie Report
266 14 February 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Dresden, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑6898 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
268 19 February 1945 Target: Coking Plant
Type: Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑6898 Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron flying spare; joined formation.
Sortie Report
269 20 February 1945 Target: Main Railroad Station
Type: Transportation
Location: Nuremberg / Nürnberg, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑6898 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
270 21 February 1945 Target: Tank Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Nuremberg / Nürnberg, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑6898 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
271 22 February 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Ülzen, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑6898 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
272 23 February 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Plauen, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑6898 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
273 24 February 1945 Target: Submarine Construction Shipyard
Type: Shipyards
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑6898 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report
276 27 February 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Wahren (Leipzig area), Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑6898 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
280 3 March 1945 Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Misburg, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑6898 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
281 4 March 1945 Target: Ordnance Depot
Type: Military
Location: Ulm, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑102518 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
High Squadron flying spare; turned back with #3 engine feathered.
Sortie Report
282 7 March 1945 Target: Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bochum, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑6898 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron.
Sortie Report
283 8 March 1945 Target: Oil Refinery - 'Benzol Plant'
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Essen, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑6898 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
285 10 March 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Schwerte, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑6898 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
286 11 March 1945 Target: Vacuum Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bremen, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑39236 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
290 17 March 1945 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bohlen (Leipzig), Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑6898 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report
292 19 March 1945 Target: Braunkohle-Benzin Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bohlen, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑38016 Combat Mission Credit
Ground Spare aircraft. Replaced 44‑6898, which was taken by Group Deputy.
Sortie Report
293 20 March 1945 Target: Deutsche Werft Submarine Shipyard
Type: Submarine Facility
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑38647 Combat Mission Credit
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑37788.
Sortie Report
294 22 March 1945 Target: German Hutted Camps (Barracks) at 51°36'N,7°06'E
Type: Military
Location: Westerholt, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑37788 Combat Mission Credit
Released bombs late. Dropped out of formation about 15 minutes after leaving German coast on the return, apparently due to #2 engine problem, but made it back to base.
Sortie Report
295 23 March 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Gladbeck, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑38757 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
297 24 March 1945 Target: Twente Enschede Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
Tail Gunner 42‑97986 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
299 28 March 1945 Target: Berlin/Spandau Motor Transport Works
Type: Industry
Location: Spandau (Berlin), Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑38757 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron flying spare; joined formation.
Sortie Report
302 3 April 1945 Target: Underground Oil Storage Depot
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Kiel, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑38752 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
303 4 April 1945 Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Fassberg, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑38757 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron.
Sortie Report
304 5 April 1945 Target: Ordnance Depot
Type: Military
Location: Ingolstadt, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑37788 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
305 6 April 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards (Visual Primary)
Type: Transportation
Location: Leipzig, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑38757 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
307 9 April 1945 Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑38757 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
308 10 April 1945 Target: Ordnance Depot Workshop Area
Type: Military
Location: Oranienburg, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑8679 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
309 11 April 1945 Target: Underground Oil Storage Depot
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Freiham, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑97510 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
310 14 April 1945 Target: Gun Battery
Type: Military
Location: Royan (Bordeaux), France
Tail Gunner 44‑6514 Combat Mission Credit
Appeared to release bombs somewhat late.
Sortie Report
311 15 April 1945 Target: Flak guns at Pointe de Suzac
Type: Military
Location: Royan, France
Tail Gunner 43‑38757 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
312 16 April 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Regensburg, Germany
Togglier 44‑8679 Combat Mission Credit
Ground Spare Aircraft, replaced 42‑97309.
Sortie Report

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