Bright, Getsel Merle

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Bright, Getsel Merle ‡ ⇗
Rank	Corporal / Technical Sergeant
Serial Number	15338308 ‡
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #190 dated 26 September 1944, effective 26 September 1944. Transferred to the Casual Pool, 70th Reinforcement Depot, AAF Station 591, per 545th Bomb Squadron Morning Report dated 12 March 1945, effective 1 March 1945.
Duty	Radio Operator / Gunner
MOS	757 - Radio Operator / Mechanic / Gunner, AAF
Last Duty Date	1 March 1945
Results	Completed Combat Tour
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 23 July 1922 Promoted to Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #196 dated 4 October 1944. Promoted to Staff Sergeant effective 14 November 1944 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #225 dated 14 November 1944. Promoted to Technical Sergeant effective 16 December 1944 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #247 dated 16 December 1944. Ordered on seven days Temporary Duty to Spetchley Park, AAF Station 562 (a flak house) on 23 December 1944 to carry out instructions of the Commanding General per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #253 dated 22 December 1944.

Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER	POSITION	RESULTS
2nd Lt. Herring, Harold F, "FISH"⇗	Pilot	CT
2nd Lt. Martin, Robert B⇗	Co-pilot	CT
Flt. Ofcr. Lamark, Edward Lincoln⇗	Navigator	TBD
2nd Lt. Epstein, Norman D⇗	Bombardier	CT
CPL. Bright, Getsel Merle	Radio Operator / Gunner	CT
CPL. Clark, Coral Clifton⇗	Engineer / Top Turret Gunner	CT
CPL. Samuels, Robert Howard⇗	Ball Turret Gunner	KIA
CPL. Huffine, Robert Edward, Jr⇗	Tail Gunner	CT
SGT. Ezell, William Charles⇗	Flexible Gunner	TR
CPL. Hanrahan, John E⇗	Flexible Gunner	CT

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 31 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
210⇗	14 October 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Saarbrücken, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑32106⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
211⇗	15 October 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑97309⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
212⇗	17 October 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑102566⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
213⇗	18 October 1944	Target: Ford Motor Works Type: Industry Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑102566⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
214⇗	19 October 1944	Target: Heinrich Lanz Tank Factory Type: Industry Location: Mannheim, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑102566⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
215⇗	25 October 1944	Target: Nordstern Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑97271⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
216⇗	30 October 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑97271⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
217⇗	1 November 1944	Target: Nordstern Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑32106⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low 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	Radio Operator	43‑37971⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
220⇗	5 November 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Radio Operator	43‑38823⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
221⇗	6 November 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany	Radio Operator	42‑97309⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗
222⇗	8 November 1944	Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant (visual aim point) Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑102566⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
223⇗	9 November 1944	Target: Ground Installations Type: Military Location: Ouvrages de Sorbey (Metz), France	Radio Operator	42‑97271⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
224⇗	10 November 1944	Target: Ostheim Airfield & Butzweilerhof Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑32106⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41C Group, Lead Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
225⇗	11 November 1944	Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Radio Operator	43‑38721⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
226⇗	16 November 1944	Target: Tactical - Artillery Positions Type: Military Location: Eschweiler, Germany	Radio Operator	43‑38678⇗	Combat Mission Credit Landed away at Stratford, due to weather. Sortie Report⇗
227⇗	20 November 1944	Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Radio Operator	44‑8409⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
230⇗	26 November 1944	Target: Railroad Viaduct Type: Transportation Location: Altenbeken, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑39888⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
231⇗	27 November 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Offenburg, Germany	Radio Operator	43‑38678⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
232⇗	29 November 1944	Target: Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Misburg, Germany	Radio Operator	43‑38678⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
237⇗	9 December 1944	Target: Airfield and Daimler Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Böblingen (Stuttgart area), Germany	Radio Operator	43‑38678⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
238⇗	11 December 1944	Target: Road & Rail Bridge Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany	Radio Operator	43‑38678⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
241⇗	19 December 1944	Target: Railway Junction Type: Transportation Location: Glaadt, Germany	Radio Operator	43‑37971⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron deputy. 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	Radio Operator	42‑97592⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron lead. PFF ship. Low Squadron released bombs when the group lead released. Sortie Report⇗
252⇗	7 January 1945	Target: Enemy Strong Point Type: Military Location: Blankenheim, Germany	Radio Operator	43‑38016⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group deputy. Gee-H ship. Sortie Report⇗
253⇗	8 January 1945	Target: Railroad Type: Transportation Location: Kyllburg, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑97986⇗	Combat Mission Credit High Squadron lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report⇗
254⇗	10 January 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Bonn, Germany	Radio Operator	42‑97986⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron lead. PFF ship. Left his position and assumed lead at IP and led group on a PFF bomb run on secondary target (primary was obscured with clouds). The (secondary) target was picked up visually half-way down the bomb run but prior to release it was found that the bomb racks were frozen. He circled around and completed a second run with successful bomb release. Sortie Report⇗
260⇗	23 January 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Neuss, Germany	Radio Operator	43‑38647⇗	Combat Mission Credit Assigned as low Squadron lead, took over group lead when Maj Strickland aborted. Landed away at North Pickenham Airfield, AAF Station 143. Sortie Report⇗
268⇗	19 February 1945	Target: Coking Plant Type: Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Radio Operator	44‑8580⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron lead; PFF ship. Sortie Report⇗
274⇗	25 February 1945	Target: Tank & Submarine Engine Factory Type: Industry Location: Friedrichshafen, Germany	Radio Operator	44‑8008⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group lead; PFF and Gee-H ship. Sortie Report⇗
276⇗	27 February 1945	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Wahren (Leipzig area), Germany	Radio Operator	44‑8008⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron lead; PFF ship. Sortie Report⇗

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