Crown, Richard Keith

Individual Personnel Data
Name Crown, Richard Keith, "Snake"
⇗
Rank Second Lieutenant / Major
Serial Number O-670023
Unit Assignments
  • Assigned to the 384th Bombardment Group Headquarters Detachment, per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #93 dated 11 September 1943, effective 11 September 1943.
  • Assigned to the 384th Bombardment Group Headquarters Detachment, per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #206, effective 17 October 1944.
  • Transferred to the Casual Pool, 70th RD, Station 594, per Headquarters Detachment,384th Bomb Group Morning Report (PAR 1, SO 161, HQ, 1AD) dated 14 June 1945, effective 14 June 1945.
Duty Bombardier
MOS1035 - Bombardier
Last Duty Date 14 June 1945
Results Completed Combat Tour
DecorationsAwarded the Distinguished Flying Cross per 1st Bomb Division General Orders #116 dated 23 June 1944. Awarded the Air Medal with five (1 silver) oak leaf clusters.
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 11 September 1917
  • Graduated from Bombardier School at Big Spring AAF, Big Spring, Texas, Class #43-01, 7 January 1943.
  • Bailed out over England on return from 10 October 1943 mission.
  • Placed on seven days Temporary Duty to Air Force Officers Rest Home, Stanbridge Earls, Hampshire (a FLAK house) on or about 8 December 1943 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #161 dated 7 December 1943.
  • Placed on seven days Temporary Duty to the 8th Air Force Officers Rest Home (a FLAK House) on or about 27 January 1944 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #16 dated 23 January 1944.
  • Appointed Captain (AUS) effective 15 May 1944 per 546th Bomb Squadron Morning Report dated 31 May 1944.
  • Designated Group Bombardier effective 23 October per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #235 dated 29 November 1944.
  • Appointed as a member of a Special Court-Martial. All previous Court-Martial board appointments of SSO #200, 9 October 1944 and SSO #226, 25 November1944 are revoked per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #244 dated 12 December 1944.
    Ordered on approximately two days Temporary Duty at Headquarters 8th Air Force on 31 December 1944, purpose Official Business per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #260 dated 30 December 1944.
Related Documents Accident Report # 44-11-16-534⇓ (1.778 MB)
Photo Album:Crew Photo Album⇗
Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Ritt, Louis Eskel⇗PilotPOW
2nd Lt. Rabby, Carlos James, Jr⇗Co-pilotCT
2nd Lt. Belk, Robert Kirk⇗NavigatorTR
2nd Lt. Crown, Richard Keith, "Snake"BombardierCT
S/SGT. Compton, James Harold⇗Radio Operator / GunnerCT
SGT. Birnbaum, Lester (NMI)⇗Engineer / Top Turret GunnerCT
S/SGT. Heintzelman, David Leroy⇗Ball Turret GunnerCT
S/SGT. Greene, Frank Palmer⇗Tail GunnerCT
S/SGT. Stamm, Murray Raymond⇗Flexible GunnerCT
S/SGT. Myers, Guy Albert⇗Flexible GunnerKIA
Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 36 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
28⇗ 4 October 1943 Type: Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Bombardier 42‑5086⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at RAF Bradwell Bay due to low fuel.
Sortie Report⇗
30⇗ 9 October 1943 Target: Aircraft Factories
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Anklam, Germany 		Bombardier 42‑5086⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
31⇗ 10 October 1943 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Münster, Germany 		Bombardier 42‑5086⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Crew bailed out near Ipswich; aircraft continued in flight and crash-landed at Eye, Suffolk, killing a cow.
Sortie Report⇗
33⇗ 20 October 1943 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Düren, Germany 		Bombardier 42‑29723⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Sortie Report⇗
--⇗ 30 October 1943 Target: Marshaling Yard
Type: Transportation
Location: Geilenkirchen, Germany 		Bombardier 42‑31058⇗ Sortie Report⇗
34⇗ 3 November 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Wilhelmshafen, Germany 		Bombardier 42‑29651⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
35⇗ 5 November 1943 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Bombardier 42‑29651⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
38⇗ 29 November 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Bombardier 42‑31058⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
39⇗ 1 December 1943 Target: Non-Ferrous Metals Plant
Type: Industry
Location: Solingen, Germany 		Bombardier 42‑31058⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Low Squadron lead; turned back due to excessive icing (3/4' on wings), frozen guns, and lagging turbo.
Sortie Report⇗
40⇗ 5 December 1943 Target: Fighter Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Saint-Jean-d'Angély, France 		Bombardier 42‑31058⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead.
Sortie Report⇗
43⇗ 16 December 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Bombardier 42‑3429⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group lead.
Sortie Report⇗
44⇗ 20 December 1943 Target: Port Area/Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Bombardier 42‑37848⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead; dropped bombs 'a short time after the target, ... regarded as ... jettisoned.'
Sortie Report⇗
46⇗ 24 December 1943 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Croisette, France 		Bombardier 42‑37848⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Composite group, low Squadron deputy.
Sortie Report⇗
48⇗ 31 December 1943 Target: Blockade Runner 'Orsone' (name of ship)
Type: Transportation
Location: [Mouth of River Garonne], France 		Bombardier 42‑37848⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead. Landed away at Molesworth.
Sortie Report⇗
54⇗ 21 January 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Preuseville, France 		Bombardier 42‑37848⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41B Group Lead.
Sortie Report⇗
63⇗ 20 February 1944 Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Leipzig & Bernburg, Germany 		Bombardier 42‑37848⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41B Group Deputy.
Sortie Report⇗
65⇗ 22 February 1944 Target: Aircraft Factory
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Halberstadt & Aschersleben, Germany 		Bombardier 42‑37848⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41B Group Lead.
Sortie Report⇗
81⇗ 24 March 1944 Target: Ball-Bearing Plant
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany 		Bombardier 42‑38014⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group lead.
Sortie Report⇗
84⇗ 28 March 1944 Target: Dijon-Longvic Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Dijon, France 		Bombardier 42‑31433⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑97139. Wing lead.
Sortie Report⇗
86⇗ 9 April 1944 Target: FW-190 Fighter Aircraft Assembly Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Marienburg, Germany 		Bombardier 42‑38014⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low group lead.
Sortie Report⇗
91⇗ 19 April 1944 Target: Fieseler Aircraft Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Kassel (Waldau), Germany 		Bombardier 42‑97574⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Wing lead. PFF ship and unidentified crew members provided by 305th BG.
Sortie Report⇗
94⇗ 24 April 1944 Target: Dornier-Werke GMBH Aircraft Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany 		Bombardier 42‑38014⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Wing lead.
Sortie Report⇗
99⇗ 1 May 1944 Target: Launch Site in Foret Nationale de Tournehem
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Foret Nationale de Tournehem, France 		Bombardier 42‑31211⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Wing Lead.
Sortie Report⇗
104⇗ 9 May 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Thionville, France 		Bombardier 42‑31364⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Wing lead.
Sortie Report⇗
109⇗ 19 May 1944 Target: Unidentified Industrial Area
Type: Industry
Location: Berlin, Germany 		Bombardier 42‑38014⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Group Lead.
Sortie Report⇗
116⇗ 27 May 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Mannheim, Germany 		Bombardier 42‑97574⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Group, Wing Lead. PFF ship provided by the 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105.
Sortie Report⇗
119⇗ 29 May 1944 Target: Focke-Wulf Aircraft Parts Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Krzesiny District, Poznań, Poland 		Bombardier 42‑38014⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Group Lead.
Sortie Report⇗
134⇗ 13 June 1944 Target: Dreux Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Dreux, France 		Bombardier 42‑97824⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Group, Wing Lead.
Sortie Report⇗
216⇗ 30 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Bombardier 44‑8007⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report⇗
222⇗ 8 November 1944 Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant (visual aim point)
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany 		Bombardier 44‑8008⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report⇗
-- 16 November 1944 None
Non-combat sortie 		Bombardier 43‑38588⇗ During an administrative flight to Villacoublay Airfield, near Paris, France, weather closed in forcing a diversion to A-46 (Toussous le Noble). Through a misunderstanding, pilot landed on a runway that was closed to B-17 traffic. The right main gear sank into a filled bomb crater at the end of the landing roll, damaging portions of the right wing, engines, and propellors. There were no injuries to personnel.
Sortie Report⇗
234⇗ 2 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Oberlahnstein, Germany 		Bombardier 44‑8007⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Division lead. PFF & Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report⇗
241⇗ 19 December 1944 Target: Railway Junction
Type: Transportation
Location: Glaadt, Germany 		Bombardier 44‑8221⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group lead. PFF & Gee-H ship. Landed away at RAF Fairwood Common near Swansea, Wales.
Sortie Report⇗
250⇗ 3 January 1945 Target: Enemy Strong Point & Transportation Hub
Type: Military
Location: St Vith, Belgium 		Bombardier 42‑98027⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group lead. PFF & Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report⇗
268⇗ 19 February 1945 Target: Coking Plant
Type: Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Bombardier 44‑8541⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Wing lead; PFF and Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report⇗
285⇗ 10 March 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Schwerte, Germany 		Bombardier 44‑8649⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Wing lead; PFF and Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report⇗
293⇗ 20 March 1945 Target: Deutsche Werft Submarine Shipyard
Type: Submarine Facility
Location: Hamburg, Germany 		Bombardier 42‑98027⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report⇗
300⇗ 30 March 1945 Target: Deutsche Schiff- u. Maschinenbau A.G. (DESCHIMAG)
Submarine and Warship Yard
Machine Shop
Type: Submarine Facility
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Bombardier 42‑102430⇗ Combat Mission Credit
This aircraft replaced 42‑98027. 'Cowboy-Scouter' mission.
Sortie Report⇗
301⇗ 31 March 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Lützkendorf, Germany 		Bombardier 44‑8649⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron lead.
Sortie Report⇗
310⇗ 14 April 1945 Target: Gun Battery
Type: Military
Location: Royan (Bordeaux), France 		Bombardier 44‑8401⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Col. Milton, Wing Lead.
Sortie Report⇗

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