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Orchestration of a Bomb Run
384th Bomb Group dropping bombs
Photo from the Ken Decker collection, November 2019
Courtesy of the 384th Bomb Group photo gallery
The bombardment missions of the 8th Army Air Forces in World War II were well planned with targets selected and the route determined in advance, and weather conditions checked at the air bases in England, along the route, and the area of the target. Probable flak zones were identified, too.
The bombs were loaded, the planes were readied – repaired and fueled – by the ground crews. The air crews were awakened, fed, briefed, and dressed in flight gear, armed with maps, ammunition, oxygen, and a prayer from the Group’s clergymen.
Pilots, navigators, bombardiers, and gunners manned their positions and prepared for their day’s work. Regardless of their position or job on the crew, the goal of each man was the same, to drop their B-17’s bombs on the day’s chosen target.
The navigator’s job was to plot the course both to the target and back to base. The gunners’ jobs were to protect the plane from enemy aircraft so that it would make it to the target. The bombardier’s job was to release the bombs at exactly the right moment for them to strike the target as accurately as possible.
The bombardier worked closely with the pilot to insure an accurate bomb drop, making their positions much more involved in the accuracy of the bomb release than the remainder of the crew, but all of the crew members had roles to play in getting those bombs to their destination.
The bombing mission could take many hours, depending how deep into Germany the formation would travel to arrive at the target, and as many hours for the return trip home. But the most critical period of the mission was that of the bomb run, which began at the Initial Point and concluded with Bombs Away, and was generally measured in minutes, a fraction of the length of the mission.
The steps taken between the B-17 pilot and bombardier depended upon several factors, including whether they were manning a lead aircraft. The lead aircraft carried the lead bombardiers and these officers determined the exact time and location of the bomb release. Other bombardiers of the formation who were following the lead dropped their bombs with the lead rather than calculating their own time and place to drop their bombs.
The 303rd Bomb Group’s website explains in great detail the factors that had to be controlled for the bomb run to be successful and the bomb release to be accurate. I will only summarize here and the 303rd’s information can be reviewed for the detail.
To assist the Bombardier in doing his job successfully, the Pilot had to,
- Place the aircraft in the proper position to arrive at a point on a circle about the target from which the bombs could be released to hit the target.
- Control the altitude of the aircraft, which partially determined the time of the bomb fall from time of release to the moment of impact.
- Control the true airspeed, the measure of the speed of the aircraft through the air.
- Control the groundspeed, the speed of the airplane in relation to the earth’s surface, while maintaining the correct altitude and constant airspeed.
The Bombardier, in determining the time and place of the bomb drop, controlled,
- Bomb ballistics, by consulting bomb ballistics tables to account for type of bomb.
- Trail, the horizontal distance the bomb was behind the airplane at the instant of impact, obtained from bombing tables and set in the bomb sight. However, trail was affected by the altitude and airspeed, which were controlled by the pilot, and by bomb ballistics and air density.
- Drift, which was determined by the direction and velocity of the wind, and was set on the bombsight by the bombardier.
Prior to the bomb run, and even before takeoff, the pilot worked to set up the correct conditions to determine the proper point of bomb release.
- Prior to takeoff, the pilot checked the aircraft’s flight instruments – the altimeter, airspeed indicator, free air temperature gauge, and all gyro instruments – for accuracy.
- The pilot checked the C-1 automatic pilot for proper function.
- The pilot checked the PDI (Pilot Direction or Directional Indicator), which was an instrument the bombardier used to indicate heading changes to the pilot in order to direct him to the proper location for the bomb drop.
- If the bomb run was to be made on auto pilot, the pilot adjusted the auto pilot before reaching the target area under the same conditions that would exist over the target, and would continue to adjust due to changes in load due to gas consumption, before reaching the target.
- The pilot adjusted the turn compensation knobs of the auto pilot to coordinate with the bombardier making turns to it.
- The pilot adjusted the PDI using coordinated smooth turns and trimmed the aircraft so that the aircraft flew practically hands off with the bomb bay doors open.
- The pilot and bombardier considered the effect of evasive action before reaching the initial point of the bomb run.
- The (lead) bombardier selected the initial point onto the as-briefed heading for the beginning point of the bomb run.
- Depending on whether the bombardier is the lead bombardier, either he or the pilot directed the aircraft to the exact position of the initial point and was on the as-briefed heading.
Even though the longest possible bomb run seldom exceeded three minutes, during the crucial portion of the bomb run, from initial point until bombs away, evasive action was discontinued, and flak and fighter opposition were ignored if bombs were to hit the target.
Either before or during the bomb run,
- At the initial point of the bomb run, the (lead) bombardier took over the direction of flight by engaging a clutch on his bomb sight. He made adjustments on the sight to hold the sight’s hairline on target, automatically guiding the aircraft to the required course and target. He gave directions to the pilot for the operation of the bomb run.
- The bombardier asked the pilot for a level, which means the pilot accurately leveled the aircraft using his instruments, and held that level until the bombs were dropped. Just one degree of tilt before or at the time of the bomb drop could cause an error of around 440 feet at an altitude of 20,000 feet.
- In the case of a manually flown mission using the PDI (rather than using the auto pilot), the bombardier zeroed the PDI while the aircraft was lined up on a direct course with the target. The pilot then adjusted the stick and rudder to hold the PDI on zero.
- The pilot maintained the selected altitude and airspeed as closely as possible while the bombardier set his course. Again, minor changes could greatly increase the error in the bombs reaching their target.
At the carefully calculated moment, the bombardier released the bombs on the target – Bombs Away!
After bomb release,
- Evasive action could be continued if it had to be discontinued during the bomb run.
- The pilot could continue to fly the aircraft on auto pilot or choose to fly manually.
- The aircraft and the formation headed for home.
Sources and Further Reading
Carlsbad Army Airfield public Facebook page
Facebook post from Carlsbad Army Airfield, Bombardier Training
303rd Bomb Group: Duties and Responsibilities of the Bombardier
B-17 Flying Fortress Queen of the Skies, Crew Positions, Bombardier
© Cindy Farrar Bryan and The Arrowhead Club, 2023
The B-17 Bombardier
My dad, George Edwin Farrar, was a waist/flexible gunner with the John Oliver Buslee crew of the 384th Bomb Group of the 8th Army Air Forces in World War II. On 28 September 1944, the Buslee crew and the James Joseph Brodie crew of the same group became forever connected when the B-17’s they were aboard on a combat mission over Germany suffered a mid-air collision.
I am currently updating the biographical information of the men of these two crews, and I thought it would be a good time to explain the duties involved in each position of the airmen aboard the aircraft, the B-17. I have recently updated the information of the four 384th Bomb Group Bombardiers and one Togglier who flew with the John Oliver Buslee crew of the 544th Bomb Squadron and the James Joseph Brodie crew of the 545th Bomb Squadron.
Marvin Fryden, assigned Buslee crew bombardier
- Born 8 January 1921
- Died 5 August 1944, age 23
- Buried Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Coton, South Cambridgeshire District, Cambridgeshire, England, Plot E, Row 2, Grave 4
- 384th BG Personnel Record
- The Family of Marvin Fryden
- Marvin Fryden, Update
James Buford Davis, Jung crew bombardier & Buslee crew replacement bombardier after Fryden’s death
- Born 5 October 1921
- Died 20 December 2009, age 88
- Cremated, Greater South Side Crematory, Greenwood, Johnson County, Indiana, USA
- 384th BG Personnel Record
- James B. Davis
- More Information About James B. Davis
- James Buford Davis, Update – Part 1
- James Buford Davis, Update – Part 2
Robert Sumner Stearns, Durdin crew bombardier, but bombardier of the Buslee crew on 28 September 1944
- Born 25 August 1923
- Died 28 September 1944, age 21
- Buried Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, San Mateo County, California, USA, Section B, Site 302
- Memorial marker at Family/Home Cemetery at Juniper Haven Cemetery, Prineville, Crook County, Oregon, USA
- 384th BG Personnel Record
- Robert Sumner Stearns
- Robert Sumner Stearns, Update
William Douglas Barnes, Jr., assigned Brodie crew bombardier
- Born 20 May 1919
- Died 6 December 1990, age 71
- Buried Riverside Cemetery, Hastings, Barry County, Michigan, USA
- 384th BG Personnel Record
- William D. Barnes, Jr.
- More Information About William D. Barnes, Jr.
- William Douglas Barnes, Jr., Update
Byron Leverne Atkins, Chadwick crew flexible (waist) gunner, but togglier of the Brodie crew on 28 September 1944
- Born 10 November 1924
- Died 28 September 1944, age 19
- Buried Oak Hill Cemetery, Lebanon, Boone County, Indiana, USA
- 384th BG Personnel Record
- Byron L. Atkins
- Byron Leverne “Bud” Atkins, Update
For a list of all of the airmen of the Buslee and Brodie crews, see permanent page The Buslee and Brodie Crews, which is maintained with new information/posts.
Duties and Responsibilities of the B-17 Bombardier
According to the 303rd Bomb Group’s website, the bombardier’s job was the most important of the entire B-17 crew as “accurate and effective bombing is the ultimate purpose of your entire airplane and crew.” This makes “every other function … preparatory to hitting and destroying the target.”
But the bombardier could not act alone. The B-17’s pilot and bombardier worked together to set up the conditions for the bomb run. Many factors were involved in positioning the aircraft and setting the course from the initial point of the run to the target.
The success of the mission rested on the accomplishment of the bombardier during the bomb run, which made up just a matter of minutes, between the initial point of the run and the target, of the multi-hours long mission to the target.
Some of the many things a bombardier must understand were his aircraft’s,
- Bombsight
- Bombing instruments and equipment
- Racks, switches, controls, releases, doors, linkage, etc.
- Automatic pilot as it pertains to bombing and how to set it up and make any adjustments and minor repairs while in flight
- Bombs and how to load and fuse them
The bombardier must be an expert in target identification and in aircraft identification and he should be able to assist the navigator in case the navigator becomes incapacitated.
Please refer to the 303rd Bomb Group’s website for the full list of bombardier responsibilities and much more detailed information.
My next post will cover the process and actions necessary for a successful bomb run.
The B-17 Togglier
According to an article posted on the Carlsbad Army Airfield’s public Facebook page,
When there was a shortage of bombardier graduates coming into the operational units, the continental air forces completed their crews with enlisted men who had received individual bombardier training in their own units.
While a good portion of the aircraft in the formation, especially the lead aircraft, carried bombardier school graduates as their bombardiers, many carried toggliers.
Bombardiers were commissioned officers who graduated from bombardier school as part of their stateside training. Toggliers were enlisted men who did not did not attend bombardier school in the States before going overseas into combat.
The togglier was usually a gunner who was retrained and reassigned to sit in the bombardier’s seat in the nose of the aircraft. The togglier was trained to “toggle” a switch to release his aircraft’s bomb load as soon as the lead bombardier released his bombs.
When the standard bombing procedure changed for the non-lead crew/aircraft bombardiers and toggliers to drop their bombs with the lead bombardier, many bombardier graduates pursued lead bombardier training or navigator training within their combat groups.
Location of the Bombardier in a B-17
The bombardier of a B-17 sits over the bombsight in the Plexiglas nose of the aircraft. Should the bombardier have to bail out of the aircraft, he would likely bail out through the door below the nose.
In the following diagram, Robert Stearns is noted in the bombardier position in the nose of the aircraft along with the other Buslee crew members in their positions on September 28, 1944.
Buslee Crew in Position on September 28, 1944
Diagram courtesy of 91st Bomb Group and modified by Cindy Farrar Bryan in 2014
B-17 Bombardier Position Photos
I took the following photo of the Collings Foundation’s B-17 Nine-O-Nine a few years before its tragic crash. It shows the nose of the B-17 with the navigator’s table in the left foreground and the bombardier’s seat in the front of the nose in the middle.
Nose position of the navigator and bombardier of the Collings Foundation’s B-17G Nine-o-Nine In Leesburg, Florida, November 4, 2017
This photo, shared by photographer John Slemp, shows a much better view of the bombardier’s position.
© (2009) John Slemp
To see more of John Slemp’s photographs, or to purchase his book of photos of WWII Bomber Boys’ flight jacket art, please visit his website.
Stories of 384th Bomb Group Bombardiers and Toggliers
I thought it might also be interesting to read stories, diaries, and journals written by or view video interviews of some of the 384th’s own bombardiers. You’ll find a chart of several bombardiers of the 384th Bomb Group below with links to their personnel records and their written and oral histories as are provided on the Stories page of 384thBombGroup.com.
Sources and Further Reading
303rd Bomb Group: Duties and Responsibilities of the Bombardier
303rd Bomb Group: Military Occupational Specialty
B-17 Flying Fortress Queen of the Skies, Crew Positions, Bombardier
TM 12-427 Military Occupational Classification of Enlisted Personnel
The Military Yearbook Project – Army Air Force WWII Codes
The Army Air Forces in World War II: VI, Men and Planes, Edited by W.F. Craven and J.L. Cate, Chapter 19: Training of Ground Technicians and Service Personnel
Training to Fly: Military Flight Training 1907 – 1945 by Rebecca Hancock Cameron
Facebook post from Carlsbad Army Airfield, Bombardier Training
Carlsbad Army Airfield public Facebook page
Thank you to the 91st Bomb Group for granting me permission in 2014 to use and modify their B-17 diagram for use on The Arrowhead Club.
© Cindy Farrar Bryan and The Arrowhead Club, 2023
William Douglas Barnes, Jr, Update
William Douglas Barnes, Jr.
New information from a new search on Ancestry.com, and new information from military records have provided me with some new and updated information regarding William Douglas Barnes, Jr., original bombardier of the James Joseph Brodie crew of the 545th Bomb Squadron of the 384th Bomb Group of the 8th Army Air Forces in WWII.
To view my original post and other information about William Barnes, please see the links at the end of this post.
Barnes Family
William Douglas Barnes, Jr. was the son of William Douglas Barnes, Sr. (1884 – 1965) and Carrie M. Vandegrift Barnes (1887 – 1970). William Jr. was born on 20 May 1919 in Charleston Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania.
In 1920, the Barnes family lived on a farm on Elk Run Road in Charleston Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania. William Sr. was a farmer. William Sr. was 35, Carrie was 33, and William Jr. was only 7 months old at the time of the census on January 2 or 3, 1920. Both William Sr. and Carrie were born in Pennsylvania. William Sr’s parents were born in New York and Carrie’s parents were born in Pennsylvania.
By 1930, the family had moved to Eastmanville Street in Polkton Township, Ottawa County, Michigan. The Barnes’s second son, Charles Franklin, had been born 29 October 1920 and was now nine years old. In 1930, William Sr. was a machinist in a condensery and Carrie was a clerk in a dry goods store. William Jr. may have been called by his middle name “Douglas” as he is listed on the census as “W. Douglas” and was 10 years old.
In 1940, the family lived in Hastings, Barry County, Michigan at 135 S. Jeff Street. They moved to Hastings some time after 1935. William Sr. was a pattern storage foreman for a press and tool manufacturer. Carrie was no longer working outside the home. William Jr., at 20, was a commercial teller for a city bank. Younger brother Charles was a clock repairman and salesman for a jewelry store.
Charles was the first of the Barnes boys to enlist in the Army Air Corps on January 10, 1942. William Jr. enlisted in the Air Corps a few months later, on May 21, 1942. Born only about a year apart, the brothers must have been very close.
Education and Civilian Employment prior to Military Service
William Barnes attended Michigan State College for two years with a major in Civil Engineering, leaving in 1943 for military service in WWII.
Entry into WWII Military Service
Draft Registration
On 16 October 1940, William Barnes registered for the WWII draft at Local Board No. 1 at the Post Office Building in Hastings, Barry County, Michigan. He listed his place of residence as 135 W. Walnut in Hastings, Barry County, Michigan. William’s Employer’s Name was Hastings City Bank and place of employment was 102 E. State St., Hastings, Barry Co., Michigan. He was 21 years old and born on 20 May 1919 in Tioga County, Pennsylvania.
William Douglas Barnes (William Jr’s father) of 135 Walnut of Hastings, Michigan was the person who would always know his address.
Barnes described himself as 6′ 1/2″ tall, 160 pounds, with gray eyes, brown hair, and a light complexion. He noted no “other obvious physical characteristic that will aid in identification.”
Enlistment
On 21 May 1942, William enlisted in the Reserve Corps at East Lansing, Michigan for Air Force (Enl. for Aviation Cadet Trng. – Air Crew). He was deferred to 18 June 1945. William’s enlistment record notes his residence as Barry County, Michigan, and that he was born in Pennsylvania in 1919. His Army Serial Number at the time of enlistment was 16082587. Note: Officers were reassigned with a new serial number when they were commissioned and William’s later become O-768921.
Note: William’s enlistment record is found in the Reserve Corps Records, rather than in the Enlistment Records file, link below.
On 16 March 1943, William Barnes was called to Active Duty in Decatur, Illinois for AAFCC, SAACC, San Antonio, Texas, D & 6 Mos. (Duration of war plus six months) for service in the Army Air Forces.
On his enlistment record form, Barnes indicated he was born in Wellsboro (the county seat of Tioga County), Pennsylvania and was 23 years 11 months old. At the time of his enlistment, Barnes had completed 1 year of college and was single, having no one dependent on him for support.
Military Training
William Barnes attended and passed AAF Preflight School (Pilot) at the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center in San Antonio, Texas, reporting on 10 May 1943 for Class 44-A. His disposition was SAACCSO 149 23 June 1943, 9th AAFFTD, Fort Stockton, Texas.
After failing to meet the prescribed standards of flying, Aviation Cadet William D. Barnes, Jr., ASN 16082587 of Class No. 44-A was released from Pilot training at AAF Contract Flying School (Primary) in Fort Stockton, Texas, and was reclassified for Bombardier or Navigator training on 26 July 1943.
He was transferred on 29 July 1943 per par 1, SO #139, this Hqs., to San Antonio Cadet Center in San Antonio, Texas for further air crew training in Navigator.
Even though Barnes was transferred to Navigator training, on 26 February 1944, his records indicate he graduated from Bombardier School at Deming Army Air Field, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Class #44-03, 26 February 1944 and appointed a 2nd Lieutenant on this date.
The “Report of Entry on Active Duty” noted,
Authority: Par. 1, S.O. 48, Hq. AAF Bomb. Sch., DAAF, Deming, N.M.
Reported for active duty 26 February 1944
In a Personnel Placement Questionnaire, William Barnes noted his chronological service as,
- 9/15/41 to 3/10/43 – Student, ROTC (CAC)
- 3/16/43 to 4/19/43 – Classification
- 4/19/43 to 6/28/43 – Pre-flight
- 6/28/43 to 7/28/43 – Primary
- 7/28/43 to 8/26/43 – Re-classification
- 8/26/43 to 10/23/43 – Gunnery
- 10/23/43 to 2/26/44 – Bomb. (Bombardier training)
Combat Duty with the 384th Bomb Group
William Barnes’ 384th Bomb Group Individual Sortie record indicates that his duty was Bombardier, one month’s pay was $247.50, and his home address was Mr. William Douglas Barnes, 135 W. Walnut St., Hastings, Mich.
William was credited with thirty-five missions with the 384th Bomb Group, for which he earned an Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters. His first mission was on 7 August 1944 and his last was on 28 December 1944.
William Douglas Barnes, Jr. served as a Bombardier on his first fifteen missions and as a Navigator on his last twenty missions with the 384th Bomb Group.
Morning Reports of the 384th Bombardment Group and other military documents indicate the following for William Douglas Barnes, Jr.
- On 26 JULY 1944, 2nd Lt. William D. Barnes, Jr. was assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #148 dated 26 July 1944 as a Bombardier with the MOS (military occupational specialty) of 1035, of the James Joseph Brodie crew.
- The 13 SEPTEMBER 1944 mission was William Barnes’ last with the Brodie crew. Between 13 September 1944 and 17 October 1944, Barnes retrained as a Navigator. After the 13 SEPTEMBER 1944 mission, the Brodie crew was assigned a Togglier instead of a Bombardier.
- On 7 OCTOBER 1944, William Barnes went from duty to sick quarters (LD). [Note: In a “Physical Examination for Flying” dated 19 February 1945, as a “Returnee from Overseas,” Barnes’ Medical History notes that the cause was – Oct. 1944, frostbite, all toes, hospitalized 7 days, England; no sequelae (no previous disease or injury).”]
- On 11 OCTOBER 1944, William Barnes went from sick quarters (LD) to duty.
- On 26 NOVEMBER 1944, per SO 323 of the HQ 8th AAF, William Barnes was promoted to 1st Lieutenant.
- On 29 NOVEMBER 1944, William Barnes was ordered on seven days Temporary Duty to Stanbridge Earls, AAF Station 503 (a Flak house) to carry out the instructions of the Commanding General per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #234 dated 28 NOVEMBER 1944.
- In DECEMBER 1944, William Barnes was hospitalized from food poisoning for 3 days. [Note: On the same “Physical Examination for Flying” dated 19 February 1945 (as the above 7 OCTOBER 1944 entry), as a “Returnee from Overseas,” Barnes’ Medical History notes that in Dec. 1944, he suffered from food poisoning, hospitalized 3 days, England; no sequelae (no previous disease or injury).”]
- On 4 JANUARY 1945, William Barnes was relieved from assignment and transferred to the Casual Pool 70th Replacement Depot Station 594 30 DECEMBER 1944 per 5 SO 365 HQ 1st BD departed 0800 hours 4 JANUARY 1945 (Completed tour).
Return to the States
William’s Return from Overseas/Completion of Operational Tour of Duty was 13 January 1945.
Upon William Barnes’ return to the States following his combat duty, he attended a Bombardier refresher course and the Army Air Forces Instructors School (Bombardier) at Midland Army Air Field in Midland, Texas from 12 March 1945 to 12 May 1945. He successfully completed the course of instruction with Class 445 Instructor.
Release from WWII Military Service
William Douglas Barnes, Jr. was honorably discharged from the military service of the United States of America on 4 November 1945 at Hq. 4268-AAFBU Separation Ctr., San Bernardino Army Air Field, San Bernardino, California.
Honorable Discharge and Military Record and Report of Separation
His separation record listed his Military History,
- His Grade was 1st Lt.
- His Date of Entry into Active Service was 26 Feb 1944
- His Date of Separation was 4 Nov 1945
- Military Occupational Specialty and No. – Bombardier 1035
- Battles and Campaigns – Northern France, Germany
- Decorations and Citations – Air Medal w/5 OLC, ETO Ribbon w/2 Bronze Stars
- Service Outside Continental U.S. and Return – listed below…
- Wounds Received in Action – None
- Total Length of Continental Service – 1 year, 1 month, and 23 days
- Total Length of Foreign Service – 0 years, 6 months, and 15 days
- Reason and Authority for Separation – RR 1-5 Demob. & Par 1, SO 229, Hq Midland AAFld, Midland, Tex. dtd 26 Sep 45
- Service Schools Attended – AAFAFS, Deming, N.M. 4 1/2 mo. Adv. Bmbr. Tng; Combat Crew School 8th AF England, 2 wks Combat Procedures & Equip; MAAF, Midland, Texas, 1 1/2 mo Bmbdr Refresher Course; MAAF Midland, Texas, 3 wks Bmbdr Instr. Course.
- Remarks – Rated Aircraft Observer (Bombardier) P1, PO9, AAFWFTC, Santa Ana, California, 26 February 44 Eff 26 Feb 44. Fly. Stat. P2, PO 9, Hq AAFWFTC, Santa Ana, Calif. 26 Feb 44.
Service Outside Continental U.S. and Return
- Departure from U.S.
- Date of Departure 28 Jun 44
- Destination ETO
- Date of Arrival 5 Jul 44
- Departure from ETO
- Date of Departure 11 Jan 45
- Destination USA
- Date of Arrival 13 Jan 45
William Barnes’ Separation Record noted his Military Occupational Assignments,
- 21 months, Grade 1st Lt., Military Occupational Specialty – Bombardier 1035
The Summary of his Military Occupations noted,
- BOMBARDIER: Operated bombsight and mechanical equipment in heavy bombardment aircraft – B-17. Proficiency in navigating over long distances. Proficiency in mathematics requisites in bombing and navigating.
William Barnes’ Military Education (combined with more detail from other documentation) noted,
- AAFPFS, San Antonio, Texas. Mos. 2-1/4, Successfully completed June 1943, Preflight Pilot Training.
- AFFTD, Ft. Stockton, Texas. Mos. 2-1/4, Not Successfully completed July 1943, Primary Pilot Training. (Insufficient Progress).
- AAFGS, Kingman, Arizona. Mos 1-1/2, Successfully completed October 1943, Flexible Gunnery Training.
- AAFAFS, Deming, New Mexico. Mos. 4-1/2, Successfully completed February 1944, Advanced Bombr Training.
- Combat Crew School 8 AF, England. Mos. 1/3. Successfully completed July 1944, Combat Procedures and Equipment.
- MAAF, Midland, Texas. Mos. 1 1/2, Successfully completed 21 April 1945. Bmbdr Refresher Course.
- MAAF, Midland, Texas. Mos. 3/4, Successfully completed 12 May 1945, Bmbdr Instructor Course.
Civilian Education noted,
- Highest grade completed – 2 Yrs College
- Degrees or diploma – None
- Year left school – 1943
- Name and address of last school attended – Michigan State College, East Lansing, Michigan
- Major courses of study – Civil Engineering
Civilian Occupations noted,
- STUDENT: Prior to service entrance in Mar 1943, pursued studies leading to BS degree.
- BANK TELLER: Was a Bank Savings Teller, 4 years and 3 months, prior to attending college. (Noted in his Personnel Placement Questionnaire, chronological service as from June 1937 to September 1941, Savings Teller with the Hastings City Bank of Hastings, Michigan.)
Additional Information noted,
Flew 15 mission as a bombardier overseas in 8 AF in Europe and 20 missions as navigator. Letters of commendation as a Radar Orientation Officer by B.K. Yount, Lt. Gen., AAF Tng Command and from R.G. Breene, Maj. Gen., CO AAF Central Flying Tng Command.
Post-World War II
I have been able to find very little information about William Douglas Barnes, Jr. after he was released from military service in late 1945. I do not know if he married and had children or remained single.
Of the two items I have found, I know that,
- According to the 1947 Hastings, Michigan City Directory, Douglas Barnes was a student living with his parents, William and Carrie Barnes, at the home address of 135 W. Walnut. I assume, but may not be correct, that he returned to Michigan State College in East Lansing, Michigan to complete his degree in Civil Engineering.
- William Douglas Barnes, Jr. died on 6 December 6 1990 at the age of 71. He is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Hastings, Barry County, Michigan. His parents are also buried in the same cemetery.
I did not find William Douglas Barnes, Jr. in the 1950 Federal census. I also did not find him in any subsequent Hastings, Michigan city directories, although I found his parents still living in Hastings in 1959 at the new address of 619 E. Colfax.
I did find a marriage record for William’s younger brother, Charles Franklin Barnes. Charles married Dorothea E. Kolch on October 22, 1950 in Marshall, Calhoun County, Michigan. Charles died in Winter Park, Florida in 2005. Charles and Dorothea had at least one child, a daughter named Sharon Katherine Barnes Coe (1955 – 2015).
I would love to learn more about the post-WWII life of 384th Bomb Group bombardier William Douglas Barnes, Jr. and request that any family members who run across this post, please contact me if you have information to share.
Notes
Previous post, William D. Barnes, Jr.
Previous post, More Information About William D. Barnes, Jr.
William Barnes’ Personnel Record courtesy of the 384th Bomb Group
William Barnes’ Enlistment Record in the online National Archives (in the Reserve Corps records)
MOS means Military Occupational Specialty
Previous post, Assigned Military Occupational Specialties of the Buslee and Brodie Crews
Previous post, Timeline for Brodie Crewmembers and Substitutes, 545th Bomb Squadron
William Barnes’ Find a Grave memorial
Charles Barnes’ Find a Grave memorial
© Cindy Farrar Bryan and The Arrowhead Club, 2023
More Information About William D. Barnes, Jr.
Thank you to Keith Ellefson, combat data specialist and volunteer for http://www.384thbombgroup.com, and Bobby Silliman, of the Carlsbad Army Airfield’s Facebook community, for finding “our” William D. Barnes, Jr. Bobby Silliman has a master list of all 47,466 bombardier graduates who earned their wings in America during WWII and the only William D. Barnes Jr. was from Hastings, Michigan. There were no other bombardiers with this name, so this has got to be our guy.
Bombardier class picture of William Douglas Barnes, Jr.
Now that we found the right Barnes, I can tell you more about him.
William Douglas Barnes, Jr. was born on May 20, 1919 in Charleston Township, Pennsylvania to Williams D. Sr. (b. August 4, 1884 – d. September 27, 1965), and Carrie M. Vandegrift Barnes (b. November 8, 1887 to d. July 6, 1970).
In 1920, the Barnes family lived on a farm on Elk Run Road in Charleston Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania. William Sr. was a farmer. William Sr. was 35, Carrie was 33, and William Jr. was only 7 months old at the time of the census on January 2 or 3, 1920.
In 1930, the family had moved to Eastmanville Street in Polkton Township, Ottawa County, Michigan. The Barnes’s second son, Charles F., had been born in 1920 and was now nine years old. William Sr. was a machinist in a condensery and Carrie was a clerk in a dry goods store in 1930. William Jr. may have been called by his middle name “Douglas” as he is listed on the census as “W. Douglas.”
In 1940, the family lived in Hastings, Barry County, Michigan at 135 S. Jeff Street. They moved to Hastings some time after 1935. William Sr. was a pattern storage foreman for a press and tool manufacturer. Carrie was no longer working outside the home. William Jr., at 20, was a commercial teller for a city bank. Charles was a clock repairman and salesman for a jewelry store.
Younger brother Charles was the first of the Barnes boys to enlist in the Army Air Corps on January 10, 1942. William Jr. enlisted in the Air Corps a few months later, on May 21, 1942. Born only about a year apart, the brothers must have been very close.
William D. Barnes, Jr. was assigned to the 384th Bomb Group, 545th Bomb Squad on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #148 dated July 26,1944 as bombardier of the James Joseph Brodie crew. For more information about his military career with the 384th, see my previous post.
Charles married Dorothea E. Kolch on October 22, 1950 in Marshall, Calhoun County, Michigan, but I can find no record of a marriage for William Douglas, Jr.
William Douglas Barnes, Jr. died on December 6, 1990. He is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Hastings, Michigan. His parents are also buried in the same cemetery.
© Cindy Farrar Bryan and The Arrowhead Club, 2015
September 28, 1944 – 384th BG Mission 201
Lazy Daisy, Aircraft 42-31222
Lead Banana, Aircraft 43-37822
September 28, 1944 – 384th BG Mission 201.
The 384th Bomb Group Mission 201 was also known as Eighth Air Force Mission 652.
The Buslee crew flew this mission aboard aircraft 43-37822, Lead Banana. The Brodie crew was aboard 42-31222, Lazy Daisy.
The primary target was the steelworks industry in Magdeburg, Germany.
Buslee Crew List:
- Pilot – John Oliver Buslee
- Co-Pilot – David Franklin Albrecht
- Navigator – William Alvin Henson II
- Bombardier – Robert Sumner Stearns
- Radio Operator/Gunner – Sebastiano Joseph Peluso
- Engineer/Top Turret Gunner – Lenard Leroy Bryant
- Ball Turret Gunner – George Francis McMann, Jr.
- Tail Gunner – Gerald Lee Andersen
- Waist Gunner – George Edwin Farrar (my dad)
Chester A. Rybarczyk flew this mission with the William J. Blankenmeyer crew. William Alvin Henson II replaced Rybarczyk as Navigator on the Buslee crew. This was Henson’s third flight with the Buslee crew.
James B. Davis flew this mission with the Raymond J. Gabel crew. Robert Sumner Stearns replaced Davis as Bombardier on the Buslee crew. This was Stearns second flight with the Buslee crew.
George Francis McMann, Jr. flew this mission as Ball Turret Gunner on the Buslee crew. This was McMann’s first flight with the Buslee crew. Irving L. Miller, who had replaced Erwin V. Foster as Ball Turret Gunner five times on the Buslee crew, also flew with Davis on the Gabel crew this mission.
Gerald Lee Andersen replaced Eugene D. Lucynski for the third time as Tail Gunner on the Buslee crew.
Brodie Crew List:
- Pilot – James Joseph Brodie
- Co-Pilot – Lloyd Oliver Vevle
- Navigator – George Marshall Hawkins, Jr.
- Togglier – Byron Laverne Atkins
- Radio Operator/Gunner – Donald William Dooley
- Engineer/Top Turret Gunner – Robert Doyle Crumpton
- Ball Turret Gunner – Gordon Eugene Hetu
- Tail Gunner – Wilfred Frank Miller
- Waist Gunner – Harry Allen Liniger
James Joseph Brodie (Pilot), Lloyd Oliver Vevle (Co-Pilot), George Marshall Hawkins, Jr. (Navigator), Robert Doyle Crumpton (Engineer/Top Turret Gunner), Gordon Eugene Hetu (Ball Turret Gunner), Wilfred Frank Miller (Tail Gunner), and Harry Allen Liniger (Waist Gunner) were all original Brodie crew members aboard the Lazy Daisy. The only non-original crew members were Byron Laverne Atkins (Bombardier/Togglier) and Donald William Dooley (Radio Operator/Gunner).
Original Brodie crew Bombardier, William D. Barnes, Jr., last flew with the Brodie crew on September 13, 1944. Barnes did not fly again until October 17, 1944. He returned to flight as a Navigator, completed his tour after 35 missions, and returned to the US.
Byron Laverne Atkins flew only six missions, three of them as a Ball Turret Gunner, and one as a Flexible Gunner. He served as Togglier for the Brodie crew on two occasions – once on September 21 and again on September 28, 1944.
William Edson Taylor, the original Radio Operator/Gunner for the Brodie crew did not fly on the September 28 mission. On October 5, he flew as Radio Operator/Gunner with the Robert Bruce Birckhead crew. His aircraft was damaged by flak and crashed near Munchen-Gladbach, Germany (MACR 9754). Of the crew, four were killed, and five were taken prisoner of war, including Taylor.
Donald William Dooley’s first mission would be his last. He flew as Radio Operator/Gunner for the Brodie crew on this mission.
Sortie Report Description:
Two Bomb Runs – Primary Target Attacked: The 384th Bombardment Group (H) flew as the 41st CBW “C” Wing on today’s mission. Near the target, another formation of bombers flew below this wing, forcing them to hold their bombs. The wing made a second bomb run and released their bombs on the primary target.
Lazy Daisy Sortie Report Status and Comments:
Failed to Return
MIA; collided with 43-37822 over target; both ships went down on fire and out of control; no chutes observed; crashed near Erxleben, Germany; MACR 9366.
Lead Banana Sortie Report Status and Comments:
Failed to Return
MIA; collided with 42-31222 over target; both ships went down on fire and out of control; no chutes; crashed near Osteringersleben, Germany; MACR 9753.
Source: Sortie Report – Buslee Crew, Sortie Report – Brodie Crew
© Cindy Farrar Bryan and The Arrowhead Club, 2013
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