Beesley, Delmar James

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Beesley, Delmar James ‡ ⇗
Rank	Sergeant / Staff Sergeant
Serial Number	35581546 ‡
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 546th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #140 dated 17 July 1944, effective 17 July 1944.
Duty	Tail Gunner
MOS	612 - Airplane Armorer / Gunner
Last Duty Date	23 March 1945
Results	Killed In Action Final Resting Place or Memorial: Ardennes American Cemetery, Neupré, Belgium: Plot A Row 43 Grave 32
Decorations	Awarded the Purple Heart medal for wounds received on 27 December 1944 per General Orders #29, Headquarters, 1st Bomb Division dated 10 January 1945.
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 26 February 1920 Landed in enemy territory on 9 September 1944 near the French town of Harville, Meuse. Aircraft left formation on return near Luxemburg due to battle damage; crash-landed in France; crew evaded and all returned to allied lines by the next day; the aircraft was salvaged. Granted a seven (7) day Convalescent Furlough effective 16 September 1944 per 546th Bomb Squadron Morning Report dated 16 September 1944. Placed on seven (7) days Temporary Duty (TD) to Southport, AAF Station 524 (a Flak House) on 2 October 1944 to carry out the instructions of the Commanding General per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #195 dated 2 October 1944. Promoted to Staff Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #2 dated 2 January 1945.
Related Documents	Missing Air Crew Report # 13611⇓ (7.970 MB) Beesley's 9 September 1944 Debrief⇓ (4.554 MB)

Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER	POSITION	RESULTS
Capt. Vinnedge, Roy Alan⇗	Pilot	CT
2nd Lt. Schaaf, Herbert Henry⇗	Co-pilot	CT
2nd Lt. Hightshoe, Clarence Cecil⇗	Navigator	CT
2nd Lt. Roberts, Jack Deighton⇗	Bombardier	CT
S/SGT. Burek, Stanley Thomas⇗	Radio Operator / Gunner	CT
S/SGT. Walcott, Lester Allen⇗	Engineer / Top Turret Gunner	CT
SGT. Wisdahl, Raymond Orlando⇗	Ball Turret Gunner	CT
SGT. Beesley, Delmar James	Tail Gunner	KIA
SGT. Dunham, Lorin Arthur⇗	Flexible Gunner	TR
SGT. Rock, Frank Willis⇗	Flexible Gunner	CT

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 34 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
167⇗	29 July 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil & Chemical Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑102500⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron lead, lead group, 41st B wing. Sortie Report⇗
168⇗	31 July 1944	Target: Aero Engine Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Munich / München, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑102500⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Group, High Squadron Lead. Sortie Report⇗
172⇗	4 August 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Crepieul, France	Tail Gunner	43‑38016⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low section lead. Sortie Report⇗
175⇗	8 August 1944	Target: Tactical - Enemy Strong Points Type: Military Location: Bretteville-sur-Laize, France	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑102933⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group lead. Sortie Report⇗
176⇗	9 August 1944	Target: Erding Airdrome & Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Erding, Germany	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑97557⇗	Combat Mission Credit Wing deputy. PFF ship. Sortie Report⇗
190⇗	9 September 1944	Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑102601⇗	Combat Mission Credit Landed in enemy territory on 9 September 1944 near the French town of Harville, Meuse. Aircraft left formation on return near Luxemburg due to battle damage; crash-landed in France; crew evaded and all returned to allied lines by the next day; the aircraft was salvaged. Sortie Report⇗
216⇗	30 October 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑107121⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
217⇗	1 November 1944	Target: Nordstern Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑38747⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
218⇗	2 November 1944	Target: Ruhr-Chemie A.G. Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Sterkrade (Holten), Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑38588⇗	Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed Lead Squadron. Could not find formation. Sortie Report⇗
219⇗	4 November 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑102501⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
220⇗	5 November 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑31484⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
222⇗	8 November 1944	Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant (visual aim point) Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑37713⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
228⇗	23 November 1944	Target: Nordstern Coking Plant at Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks-A.G. Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑37713⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
230⇗	26 November 1944	Target: Railroad Viaduct Type: Transportation Location: Altenbeken, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑107083⇗	Combat Mission Credit Hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
232⇗	29 November 1944	Target: Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Misburg, Germany	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑102500⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
236⇗	6 December 1944	Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑107083⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
237⇗	9 December 1944	Target: Airfield and Daimler Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Böblingen (Stuttgart area), Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑97510⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
238⇗	11 December 1944	Target: Road & Rail Bridge Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany	Tail Gunner	44‑8430⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron, B Group. Sortie Report⇗
242⇗	23 December 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Ehrang, Germany	Tail Gunner	44‑8430⇗	Combat Mission Credit Hot camera ship. Landed at Grafton Underwood. Sortie Report⇗
243⇗	24 December 1944	Target: Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Kirch Göns, Germany	Tail Gunner	44‑8430⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41C Group. Sortie Report⇗
244⇗	27 December 1944	Target: Bridge (Tactical) Type: Transportation Location: Altenahr, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑102500⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron flying spare. Sortie Report⇗
275⇗	26 February 1945	Target: Schlesicher Railroad Station (Bahnhof) Type: Transportation Location: Berlin, Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑39131⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
276⇗	27 February 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Wahren (Leipzig area), Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑39203⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
277⇗	28 February 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Hagen, Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑39203⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
279⇗	2 March 1945	Target: Low Temperature Carbonization Plant and Refinery of Deutsche Petroleum A.G. Type: Oil Industry Location: Rositz, Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑38994⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
280⇗	3 March 1945	Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Misburg, Germany	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	43‑39060⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
281⇗	4 March 1945	Target: Ordnance Depot Type: Military Location: Ulm, Germany	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	43‑38994⇗	Combat Mission Credit Landed away at RAF Manston, Kent, on return due to low fuel. Sortie Report⇗
284⇗	9 March 1945	Target: Henschel Tank and Locomotive Works Type: Industry Location: Kassel, Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑38994⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
285⇗	10 March 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Schwerte, Germany	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	43‑38994⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
287⇗	12 March 1945	Target: Railway Center Type: Transportation Location: Betzdorf, Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑38548⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
289⇗	15 March 1945	Target: Army HQ Type: Military Location: Zossen, Germany	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	43‑38630⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron deputy and hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
292⇗	19 March 1945	Target: Braunkohle-Benzin Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bohlen, Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑38548⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41C Group. Sortie Report⇗
293⇗	20 March 1945	Target: Deutsche Werft Submarine Shipyard Type: Submarine Facility Location: Hamburg, Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑38747⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
294⇗	22 March 1945	Target: German Hutted Camps (Barracks) at 51°36'N,7°06'E Type: Military Location: Westerholt, Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑38766⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
295⇗	23 March 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Gladbeck, Germany	Tail Gunner	43‑39053⇗	Combat Mission Credit Failed To Return Left formation at target on fire after aircraft received direct flak burst, setting #4 on fire and #2 started smoking; the aircraft lost 8-10,000ft in a spin, then exploded in mid-air; two to four chutes observed; crashed near Duisburg, Germany. MACR 13611 Sortie Report⇗

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