Hicks, Gerald Warden

Individual Personnel Data
Name Hicks, Gerald Warden   ‡
⇗
Rank Second Lieutenant / First Lieutenant
Serial Number O-784158   ‡
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #29 dated 5 February 1945, effective 5 February 1945.
Duty Pilot
MOS1091 - Pilot, B-17
Last Duty Date 20 March 1945
Results Killed In Action
Final Resting Place or Memorial: Rose Hills Memorial Park, Whittier, California
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 14 March 1925
  • Hicks was severely wounded by flak on the 20 March 1945 mission. Crewmembers assisted him in bailing out, believing he would be able to deploy his parachute. Either he was unable, or the chute failed, and he was found dead on the ground by German troops.
Related Documents Missing Air Crew Report # 13565⇓ (13.331 MB)
Photo Album:Crew Photo Album⇗
Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Hicks, Gerald WardenPilotKIA
Flt. Ofcr. Hendricks, Jesse William⇗Co-pilotPOW
Flt. Ofcr. Thiefels, Robert James⇗NavigatorPOW
CPL. Gussin, John Anthony⇗TogglierPOW
CPL. Winner, Charles Height, "Charley"⇗Radio Operator / GunnerPOW
CPL. Goodman, William Lyle⇗Engineer / Top Turret GunnerPOW
CPL. Grocki, Robert David⇗Ball Turret GunnerPOW
CPL. Meek, Sherman Edward⇗Tail GunnerPOW
CPL. Wolcott, Roger (NMI), Jr⇗Flexible GunnerPOW
Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 19 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
268⇗ 19 February 1945 Target: Coking Plant
Type: Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Co-pilot 43‑37971⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
269⇗ 20 February 1945 Target: Main Railroad Station
Type: Transportation
Location: Nuremberg / Nürnberg, Germany 		Co-pilot 43‑38673⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
270⇗ 21 February 1945 Target: Tank Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Nuremberg / Nürnberg, Germany 		Pilot 43‑38673⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
271⇗ 22 February 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Ülzen, Germany 		Pilot 44‑8408⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
272⇗ 23 February 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Plauen, Germany 		Pilot 42‑107148⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
273⇗ 24 February 1945 Target: Submarine Construction Shipyard
Type: Shipyards
Location: Hamburg, Germany 		Pilot 42‑107148⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
274⇗ 25 February 1945 Target: Tank & Submarine Engine Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Friedrichshafen, Germany 		Pilot 42‑102518⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron flying spare; joined formation.
Sortie Report⇗
275⇗ 26 February 1945 Target: Schlesicher Railroad Station (Bahnhof)
Type: Transportation
Location: Berlin, Germany 		Co-pilot 43‑38800⇗ Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑107125 but was unable to take off because of a bad tire.
Sortie Report⇗
278⇗ 1 March 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Bruchsal, Germany 		Pilot 42‑107148⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
279⇗ 2 March 1945 Target: Low Temperature Carbonization Plant and Refinery of Deutsche Petroleum A.G.
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Rositz, Germany 		Pilot 42‑107125⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
280⇗ 3 March 1945 Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Misburg, Germany 		Pilot 43‑38016⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
282⇗ 7 March 1945 Target: Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bochum, Germany 		Pilot 43‑39164⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
283⇗ 8 March 1945 Target: Oil Refinery - 'Benzol Plant'
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Essen, Germany 		Pilot 43‑39053⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron flying spare; joined formation.
Sortie Report⇗
284⇗ 9 March 1945 Target: Henschel Tank and Locomotive Works
Type: Industry
Location: Kassel, Germany 		Pilot 44‑6109⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
286⇗ 11 March 1945 Target: Vacuum Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Pilot 43‑37917⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
288⇗ 14 March 1945 Target: Railroad Bridge, Weser River
Type: Transportation
Location: Bad Oeynhausen, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97271⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
290⇗ 17 March 1945 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bohlen (Leipzig), Germany 		Pilot 42‑97271⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
291⇗ 18 March 1945 Target: Schlesischer Railway Station
Type: Transportation
Location: Berlin, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97271⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
292⇗ 19 March 1945 Target: Braunkohle-Benzin Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bohlen, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97271⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41C Group.
Sortie Report⇗
293⇗ 20 March 1945 Target: Deutsche Werft Submarine Shipyard
Type: Submarine Facility
Location: Hamburg, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97271⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Failed To Return
Lead Squadron. Hit by flak at 1655 hrs in #2 engine during withdrawal; was thrown out of formation to the right and dropped 7000ft; was last seen heading for the deck, apparently under control with no feathered props. Crashed near Ramhausen, Germany (northwest of Hamburg). MACR 13565
Sortie Report⇗

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