George Edwin Farrar’s twelfth mission was on September 13, 1944 aboard the B-17 named Lorraine to an oil target in Merseburg, Germany. The crew that manned the ship was not the usual Buslee crew. In fact, only John Oliver Buslee (pilot), Lenard Leroy Bryant (engineer/top turret gunner), and George Edwin Farrar (waist gunner) were the only Buslee crew members on Lorraine. The remainder of the crew were:

• Commander – William A. Fairfield, Jr.
• Navigator – Kenneth S. Lord
• Bombardier – Donald L. Ward
• Radio Operator/Gunner – Albert K. Sherriff
• Ball Turret Gunner – Irving L. Miller
• Tail Gunner – Lloyd E. La Chine

William A. Fairfield

William A. Fairfield was a pilot assigned to the 384th Bomb Group, 544th Bomb Squad on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #85 dated May 6, 1944. His first mission was on June 4, 1944. He completed his tour of thirty missions as a commander on this September 13 mission and returned to the states.

Kenneth S. Lord

Kenneth S. Lord was a navigator assigned to the 384th Bomb Group, 545th Bomb Squad on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #81 dated May 1, 1944, Edward W. Lane Crew. His first mission was on May 12, 1944. Lord transferred to the 544th Bomb Squad on SO #92 dated May 17, 1944. He completed his tour of twenty-eight missions on February 24, 1945 and returned to the states.

Donald L. Ward

Donald L. Ward was a bombardier assigned to the 384th Bomb Group, 544th Bomb Squad on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #107 dated June 8, 1944, Frank L. Allred Crew. (Robert Mitchell was the ball turret gunner of the Allred crew). Ward’s first mission was on June 15, 1944. He completed his tour of twenty-nine missions on December 6, 1944 and returned to the states.

Albert K. Sherriff

Albert K. Sherriff was a radio operator assigned to the 384th Bomb Group, 544th Bomb Squad on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #80 dated April 29, 1944, Clifford Lee Johnson Crew. His first mission was on May 11, 1944. He completed his tour of thirty-six missions on January 7, 1945 and returned to the states.

Irving L. Miller

Irving L. Miller was a ball turret gunner assigned to the 384th Bomb Group, 544th Bomb Squad on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #150 dated July 28, 1944, Gilbert R. Lindberg Crew. His first mission was on August 9, 1944. He served five missions, including this one, with George Edwin Farrar. He completed his tour of thirty-four missions on March 19, 1945 and returned to the states.

LLoyd E. La Chine

Lloyd E. La Chine started as a bombardier, but changed to tail gunner after his eleventh mission. He was assigned to the 384th Bomb Group, 544th Bomb Squad on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #116 dated June 19, 1944, William F. Combs Crew. His first mission was on July 8, 1944. He completed his tour of thirty-one missions on November 2, 1944 and returned to the states.

Thank you to www.384thbombgroup.com for kindly sharing these wonderful pictures from their photo gallery.

© Cindy Farrar Bryan and The Arrowhead Club, 2015