Laursen, Harold James

Individual Personnel Data
Name Laursen, Harold James   ‡
⇗
Rank Sergeant / Staff Sergeant
Serial Number 37576654   ‡
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #148 dated 26 July 1944, effective 26 July 1944.
Duty Ball Turret Gunner
MOS611 - Aerial Gunner
Last Duty Date 11 April 1945
Results Completed Combat Tour
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 23 December 1920
  • Promoted to Staff Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #190 dated 26 September 1944.
  • Placed on seven days Temporary Duty (TD) to Southport, AAF Station 524 (a Flak house) on 25 October 1944 to carry out the instructions of the Commanding General per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #210 dated 23 October 1944.
  • Reclassified from MOS 611 to MOS 612 effective 26 February 1945 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #46 dated 26 February 1945.
Photo Album:Crew Photo Album⇗
Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Jung, Howard Arnold⇗PilotKIFA
2nd Lt. Vranna, James Allan⇗Co-pilotWNC
2nd Lt. Bates, Thomas Cooper⇗NavigatorKIFA
2nd Lt. Davis, James Buford⇗BombardierCT
S/SGT. Wolters, Herman John⇗Radio Operator / GunnerTR
S/SGT. Perry, Harold Lloyd⇗Engineer / Top Turret GunnerKIFA
SGT. Laursen, Harold JamesBall Turret GunnerCT
CPL. Creasy, Roland Estes⇗Flexible GunnerTR
SGT. Peters, William F⇗Flexible GunnerTR
SGT. Walker, James Duffie, Jr, "J.D."⇗Flexible GunnerTR
Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 35 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 		Ball Turret 42‑97320⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
182⇗ 18 August 1944 Target: Tactical: Bridge
Type: Transportation
Location: Vise, Belgium 		Ball Turret 42‑97320⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead group hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
183⇗ 24 August 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil & Chemical Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑97320⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High group hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
186⇗ 30 August 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Crepieul, France 		Ball Turret 43‑37703⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
187⇗ 3 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑102459⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
188⇗ 5 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑97320⇗ Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed
Low group
Sortie Report⇗
191⇗ 10 September 1944 Target: BMW Motor Component Parts Plant
Type: Industry
Location: Sindelfingen, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑37822⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
192⇗ 11 September 1944 Target: Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Lützkendorf & Merseburg, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑102459⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41A Group.
Sortie Report⇗
195⇗ 17 September 1944 Target: Tank and Gun Concentrations, Tactical
Type: Military
Location: Eindhoven & 's‑Hertogenbosch (den Bosch), The Netherlands 		Ball Turret 43‑37822⇗ Combat Mission Credit
E Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
196⇗ 19 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Hamm, Germany 		Ball Turret 44‑6141⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron. Landed away at Old Buckenham, reason unknown.
Sortie Report⇗
197⇗ 21 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Mainz, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑97282⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
199⇗ 26 September 1944 Target: Steelworks
Type: Industry
Location: Osnabrück, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑37703⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
200⇗ 27 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards (PFF Aiming Points)
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑98000⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High group hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
201⇗ 28 September 1944 Target: Steelworks
Type: Industry
Location: Magdeburg, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑38615⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
203⇗ 2 October 1944 Target: Ford Motor Works
Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Ball Turret 44‑6476⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back after entering enemy airspace with a runaway prop on #4 engine.
Sortie Report⇗
204⇗ 3 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Wesseling, Germany 		Ball Turret 44‑6141⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
205⇗ 5 October 1944 Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Ball Turret 44‑6512⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
206⇗ 6 October 1944 Target: M/T Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Stettin / Szczecin, Poland 		Ball Turret 43‑37703⇗ Combat Mission Credit
D group.
Sortie Report⇗
207⇗ 7 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Leipzig, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑37703⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Hot camera ship. Bomb doors had to be manually opened and closed.
Sortie Report⇗
209⇗ 11 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Wesseling, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑97320⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Third Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
212⇗ 17 October 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑97320⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Sortie Report⇗
213⇗ 18 October 1944 Target: Ford Motor Works
Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑102661⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
214⇗ 19 October 1944 Target: Heinrich Lanz Tank Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Mannheim, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑102661⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
219⇗ 4 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany 		Ball Turret 44‑6141⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
220⇗ 5 November 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Ball Turret 44‑6141⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back; #3 engine feathered.
Sortie Report⇗
221⇗ 6 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑102661⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
222⇗ 8 November 1944 Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant (visual aim point)
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑38801⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
224⇗ 10 November 1944 Target: Ostheim Airfield & Butzweilerhof Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑102661⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41D Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
225⇗ 11 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑38062⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
226⇗ 16 November 1944 Target: Tactical - Artillery Positions
Type: Military
Location: Eschweiler, Germany 		Ball Turret 43‑38750⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron deputy, 41st Bomb Wing A group. Landed away at Stratford, due to weather.
Sortie Report⇗
227⇗ 20 November 1944 Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑102661⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
230⇗ 26 November 1944 Target: Railroad Viaduct
Type: Transportation
Location: Altenbeken, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑102459⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
232⇗ 29 November 1944 Target: Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Misburg, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑39888⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
234⇗ 2 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Oberlahnstein, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑97320⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
235⇗ 4 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Soest, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑97510⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
236⇗ 6 December 1944 Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑102430⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron flying spare; joined formation.
Sortie Report⇗
238⇗ 11 December 1944 Target: Road & Rail Bridge
Type: Transportation
Location: Mannheim, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑102661⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
242⇗ 23 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Ehrang, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑102661⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at Horham due to weather.
Sortie Report⇗

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