Name | Coppage, Raymond Donald ‡ |
Rank | Sergeant / Staff Sergeant |
Serial Number | 13110363 ‡ |
Unit Assignments |
|
Duty | Tail Gunner |
MOS | 612 - Airplane Armorer / Gunner |
Last Duty Date | 8 September 1944 |
Results | Transferred |
Decorations | Awarded the Purple Heart Medal for wounds received on 19 July 1944 per General Orders #247, Headquarters 1st Bomb Division dated 15 August 1944.
Awarded the Air Medal for six combat missions and three oak leaf clusters for subsequent missions. |
Additional Information |
|
Photo Album: | Crew Photo Album⇗ |
CREWMEMBER | POSITION | RESULTS |
---|---|---|
2nd Lt. Pryor, Raymond Thomas⇗ | Pilot | CT |
2nd Lt. Helmley, Loyd Elmer⇗ | Co-pilot | CT |
2nd Lt. Harmon, Frank James⇗ | Navigator | CT |
S/SGT. Lewis, James William, Jr⇗ | Radio Operator / Gunner | WIA |
SGT. Coppage, Raymond Donald | Tail Gunner | TR |
Crew History
The Pryor crew, composed of only 5 members when assigned, did not stay together for their entire combat tour. In fact, James Lewis flew no missions with Pryor. The others flew together for eighteen to twenty-two missions, with the balance of the crew provided by a variety of other personnel.Number | Date | Target | Position | Aircraft | Mission/Sortie Information |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
55⇗ | 29 January 1944 |
Target: Aircraft Parts Plants Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany |
Tail Gunner | 42‑37974⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Lead group. Sortie Report⇗ |
56⇗ | 30 January 1944 |
Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany |
Tail Gunner | 42‑31433⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Low group. Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑31484. Sortie Report⇗ |
57⇗ | 3 February 1944 |
Target: Submarines (under construction) Type: Submarine Facility Location: Wilhelmshaven, Germany |
Tail Gunner | 42‑3441⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Lead Group. Sortie Report⇗ |
59⇗ | 5 February 1944 |
Target: Bricy Aerodrome, Luftwaffe Training and Bomber Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Orleans, France |
Tail Gunner | 42‑29809⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
60⇗ | 6 February 1944 |
Target: Nancy/Essey Aerodrome Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Nancy, France |
Tail Gunner | 42‑29809⇗ |
Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back at 1031 hrs due to defective bomb racks; bombs were released when bombardier released bomb bay tanks over North Sea. Sortie Report⇗ |
61⇗ | 8 February 1944 |
Target: Piston Ring Factory Type: Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany |
Tail Gunner | 42‑97477⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron. Sortie Report⇗ |
62⇗ | 11 February 1944 |
Target: Propeller Factory (Foundry) Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany |
Tail Gunner | 42‑29809⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Landed away at RAF Stansted, Essex, due to low fuel and #1 engine knocked out by flak. Sortie Report⇗ |
63⇗ | 20 February 1944 |
Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Leipzig & Bernburg, Germany |
Tail Gunner | 42‑97521⇗ |
Aborted Mission After Taking Off 41A Group. Turned back with #1 engine out. Sortie Report⇗ |
66⇗ | 24 February 1944 |
Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany |
Tail Gunner | 42‑31926⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron, lead group. Sortie Report⇗ |
67⇗ | 25 February 1944 |
Target: Aircraft Assembly & Ball Bearings Plants Type: Industry Location: Augsburg & Stuttgart, Germany |
Tail Gunner | 42‑29632⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit 41C Group, High Squadron, Lead Group. Landed away at RAF Boreham, Essex, on return due to low fuel. 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 |
Tail Gunner | 42‑31166⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
71⇗ | 4 March 1944 |
Type: Military Location: Berlin, Germany |
Tail Gunner | 42‑37792⇗ |
Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back at 1010 hrs because engineer was knocked out while fixing the ball turret; when azimuth power switch was released, it caused the turret to swing around and hit the engineer in the head; he was taken to Thrapston Hospital for observation. Sortie Report⇗ |
72⇗ | 6 March 1944 |
Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany |
Tail Gunner | 42‑3440⇗ |
Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off Did not take off because of gas leak. Sortie Report⇗ |
73⇗ | 8 March 1944 |
Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany |
Tail Gunner | 42‑37982⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗ |
75⇗ | 16 March 1944 |
Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany |
Tail Gunner | 42‑97521⇗ |
Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back at 0955 hrs because #3 & #4 engines failed; #1 oil cooler was leaking very badly and the lead was off of sparkplug of #7 cylinder, #2 engine. Sortie Report⇗ |
76⇗ | 18 March 1944 |
Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany |
Tail Gunner | 42‑97081⇗ |
Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed Sortie Report⇗ |
77⇗ | 19 March 1944 |
Target: NOBALL (V-2 Storage and Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Wizernes, France |
Tail Gunner | 42‑31166⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
114⇗ | 24 May 1944 |
Target: Unidentified Military Installations Type: Military Location: Berlin, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑97647⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Wing Lead. PFF ship and radio operator (T/Sgt L A Taylor) provided by the 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105. Col. William L Travis, 41st Bomb Wing, aboard as combat flight leader. Sortie Report⇗ |
116⇗ | 27 May 1944 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany |
Tail Gunner | 42‑97699⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Lead Group, Wing Deputy. PFF ship provided by the 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105. Sortie Report⇗ |
141⇗ | 20 June 1944 |
Target: Oil Refineries Type: Oil Industry Location: Harburg (Hamburg area), Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑97699⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Lead Group, Wing Lead. PFF ship provided by 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105. Sortie Report⇗ |