Johnson, Lester Mendle

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Johnson, Lester Mendle ‡ ⇗
Rank	Corporal / Staff Sergeant
Serial Number	39418127 ‡
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 546th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 special Orders #157 dated 5 August 1944, effective 5 August 1944.
Duty	Tail Gunner
MOS	611 - Aerial Gunner
Last Duty Date	1 March 1945
Results	Completed Combat Tour
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 31 March 1924 Promoted to Sergeant on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #168, dated 21 August 1944. Promoted to Staff Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #210 dated 23 October 1944. Ordered on Temporary duty for seven days to Palace Hotel, Southport, AAF Station 524 (a Flak House) on 4 December 1944 to carry out the instructions of the Commanding General per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #237 dated 2 December 1944. Reclassified from MOS 611 to MOS 612 effective 3 February 1945 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #37 dated 3 February 1945.
Photo Album:	Crew Photo Album⇗

Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER	POSITION	RESULTS
2nd Lt. Mohler, John Grigsby⇗	Pilot	CT
Flt. Ofcr. Erickson, Stanley Wallace⇗	Co-pilot	KIA
2nd Lt. Proto, Michael John⇗	Navigator	CT
2nd Lt. Griffin, Charles Edward, Jr, "SPIDER"⇗	Bombardier	CT
CPL. Markasky, Albert Edward⇗	Radio Operator / Gunner	CT
SGT. Girman, Frank (NMI)⇗	Engineer / Top Turret Gunner	CT
CPL. Johnson, Lester Mendle	Tail Gunner	CT
CPL. Pollak, Norman Marcus, "Dick"⇗	Tail Gunner	CT
PVT. Kurlansky, Arthur M⇗	Flexible Gunner	TR
SGT. Locke, Warren Franklin⇗	Flexible Gunner	CT

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 31 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
181⇗	16 August 1944	Target: Delitzsch Air Field and Air Equipment Depot Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Delitzsch, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑102601⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Lead group. Turned back due to a runaway prop on #4 engine. Sortie Report⇗
182⇗	18 August 1944	Target: Tactical: Bridge Type: Transportation Location: Vise, Belgium	Tail Gunner	42‑102601⇗	Combat Mission Credit High group. Sortie Report⇗
183⇗	24 August 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil & Chemical Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑102601⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
185⇗	26 August 1944	Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑102601⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group. Sortie Report⇗
186⇗	30 August 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Crepieul, France	Tail Gunner	42‑107083⇗	Combat Mission Credit Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑102601. Sortie Report⇗
187⇗	3 September 1944	Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑102601⇗	Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed High Squadron Sortie Report⇗
188⇗	5 September 1944	Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑102601⇗	Combat Mission Credit Did not attack target due to battle damage (wiring shot away) sustained during bomb run. Bomb load returned to base. Sortie Report⇗
193⇗	12 September 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Brüx, Czechoslovakia	Tail Gunner	42‑31222⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
194⇗	13 September 1944	Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑38014⇗	Combat Mission Credit Returned Early Lead group hot camera ship. Aborted at 1014 hrs near the Rhine River with #1 engine out; attacked unidentified target of opportunity (TOO). Sortie Report⇗
195⇗	17 September 1944	Target: Tank and Gun Concentrations, Tactical Type: Military Location: Eindhoven & 's‑Hertogenbosch (den Bosch), The Netherlands	Tail Gunner	42‑102620⇗	Combat Mission Credit E Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
199⇗	26 September 1944	Target: Steelworks Type: Industry Location: Osnabrück, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑97521⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
202⇗	30 September 1944	Target: Handorf Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Münster, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑102500⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
203⇗	2 October 1944	Target: Ford Motor Works Type: Industry Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑102500⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
205⇗	5 October 1944	Type: Industry Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑102500⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
208⇗	9 October 1944	Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑102500⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
209⇗	11 October 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Wesseling, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑102500⇗	Combat Mission Credit Fourth Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
211⇗	15 October 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑102501⇗	Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed Lead Squadron Sortie Report⇗
213⇗	18 October 1944	Target: Ford Motor Works Type: Industry Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑102500⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
214⇗	19 October 1944	Target: Heinrich Lanz Tank Factory Type: Industry Location: Mannheim, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑31484⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
215⇗	25 October 1944	Target: Nordstern Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Tail Gunner	44‑8430⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
216⇗	30 October 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑38747⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron deputy. Sortie Report⇗
217⇗	1 November 1944	Target: Nordstern Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑97824⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron deputy. Gee-H ship. Took over lead and led Squadron in Gee-H attack on primary. Sortie Report⇗
221⇗	6 November 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑97824⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron deputy. Led Squadron on bomb run (two bomb runs). Sortie Report⇗
226⇗	16 November 1944	Target: Tactical - Artillery Positions Type: Military Location: Eschweiler, Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑38747⇗	Combat Mission Credit Hot camera ship; lead Squadron deputy, 41st Bomb Wing A group. Sortie Report⇗
230⇗	26 November 1944	Target: Railroad Viaduct Type: Transportation Location: Altenbeken, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑107121⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
231⇗	27 November 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Offenburg, Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑38616⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
233⇗	30 November 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Zeitz, Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑38616⇗	Combat Mission Credit Hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
234⇗	2 December 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Oberlahnstein, Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑38747⇗	Combat Mission Credit Division deputy. Sortie Report⇗
241⇗	19 December 1944	Target: Railway Junction Type: Transportation Location: Glaadt, Germany	Tail Gunner	44‑8211⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron lead. PFF & Gee-H ship. Landed away at RAF Fairwood Common near Swansea, Wales. Sortie Report⇗
242⇗	23 December 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Ehrang, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑97986⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron lead. Landed away at Horham due to weather. Sortie Report⇗
243⇗	24 December 1944	Target: Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Kirch Göns, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑97986⇗	Combat Mission Credit 13F Squadron Deputy. PFF ship. Sortie Report⇗
250⇗	3 January 1945	Target: Enemy Strong Point & Transportation Hub Type: Military Location: St Vith, Belgium	Tail Gunner	44‑8007⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron lead. Gee-H ship. After taking interval at the IP, Gee-H equipment failed: therefore, the high Squadron did not attack. Sortie Report⇗
254⇗	10 January 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Bonn, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑97592⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron lead. PFF ship. Bombed secondary target on first run, PFF with visual assist. Sortie Report⇗
265⇗	9 February 1945	Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Lützkendorf, Germany	Tail Gunner	44‑8211⇗	Combat Mission Credit Wing deputy; PFF ship. Non-384th passenger on this aircraft is listed as 'FO [formation observer?] JOHNSTON, ARCHIE B., 1st Lt.' He is assumed to be from Wing HQ. Sortie Report⇗

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