Carpenter, Walter Richard

Individual Personnel Data
Name Carpenter, Walter Richard   ‡
⇗
Rank Flight Officer / First Lieutenant
Serial Number O-533026   ‡
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #93 dated 11 September 1943, effective 11 September 1943.
Duty Pilot
MOS1091 - Pilot, B-17
Last Duty Date 4 March 1944
Results Killed In Action
Final Resting Place or Memorial: Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, The Netherlands: Plot C Row 21 Grave 20
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 9 August 1921
  • appointed Second Lieutenant per 544th Bomb Squadron Morning Report dated 21 September 1943.
  • Ordered to travel to Coombe House Hotel (a flak house), Semley, Dorset, for seven days beginning 21 December 1943 on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #171 dated 20 December 1943.
Related Documents Missing Air Crew Report # 2741⇓ (54.222 MB)
Photo Album:Crew Photo Album⇗
Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
Flt. Ofcr. Carpenter, Walter RichardPilotKIA
2nd Lt. Kennedy, John Benton, Jr⇗Co-pilotPOW
2nd Lt. Hedin, Carl Anton⇗NavigatorPOW
2nd Lt. Altman, Murray David⇗BombardierKIA
SGT. Fallesen, Wayne Peter⇗Radio Operator / GunnerPOW
T/SGT. McCracken, Dwight Howard⇗Engineer / Top Turret GunnerPOW
S/SGT. O'Leary, Edward Joseph, "Mickey"⇗Ball Turret GunnerPOW
S/SGT. Leibring, Clarence Paul⇗Tail GunnerEV
S/SGT. Zyglowicz, Bernard Frank⇗Flexible GunnerEV
S/SGT. Girard, Donald Robert⇗Flexible GunnerPOW
Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 22 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
26⇗ 27 September 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Emden, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑29814⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
27⇗ 2 October 1943 Target: Port Facilities
Type: Transportation
Location: Emden, Germany 		Pilot 42‑29717⇗ Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed
Sortie Report⇗
28⇗ 4 October 1943 Type: Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Pilot 42‑5051⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at Boxted due to low fuel.
Sortie Report⇗
30⇗ 9 October 1943 Target: Aircraft Factories
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Anklam, Germany 		Pilot 42‑29651⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
32⇗ 14 October 1943 Target: Ball-Bearing Factory
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany 		Pilot 42‑29717⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Tail gunners heated suit failed after crossing coast and inside enemy territory. Individual Sortie Reports and Squadron Commander's notes on the Abortive Report submitted by the pilot indicate that combat credit was granted.
Sortie Report⇗
33⇗ 20 October 1943 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Düren, Germany 		Pilot 42‑29717⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
--⇗ 30 October 1943 Target: Marshaling Yard
Type: Transportation
Location: Geilenkirchen, Germany 		Pilot 42‑29717⇗ Sortie Report⇗
34⇗ 3 November 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Wilhelmshafen, Germany 		Pilot 42‑29717⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Kennedy (CP) and Hedin (N) wounded by flak burst in nose of aircraft.
Sortie Report⇗
36⇗ 16 November 1943 Target: Knaben II Molybdenum Mine
Type: Industry
Location: Knaben, Norway 		Pilot 42‑37785⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
37⇗ 26 November 1943 Target: City Center
Type: Non-Military
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Pilot 42‑37789⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at Snetterton Heath.
Sortie Report⇗
38⇗ 29 November 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Pilot 42‑37727⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
40⇗ 5 December 1943 Target: Fighter Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Saint-Jean-d'Angély, France 		Pilot 42‑31073⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
42⇗ 13 December 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Pilot 42‑37848⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low group deputy.
Sortie Report⇗
44⇗ 20 December 1943 Target: Port Area/Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Pilot 42‑31274⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
47⇗ 30 December 1943 Target: I. G. Farben Industrie, Chemical/Synthetic Rubber Plants
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany 		Pilot 42‑29717⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Composite Squadron
Sortie Report⇗
48⇗ 31 December 1943 Target: Blockade Runner 'Orsone' (name of ship)
Type: Transportation
Location: [Mouth of River Garonne], France 		Pilot 42‑29632⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
53⇗ 14 January 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Le Meillard, France 		Pilot 42‑30026⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back over field with runaway #2 prop, #3 magneto out, and reception on command radio transmission was very faint.
Sortie Report⇗
54⇗ 21 January 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Preuseville, France 		Pilot 42‑3440⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41A Group Deputy.
Sortie Report⇗
55⇗ 29 January 1944 Target: Aircraft Parts Plants
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Pilot 42‑31495⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead, lead group.
Sortie Report⇗
56⇗ 30 January 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany 		Pilot 42‑31495⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low group.
Sortie Report⇗
59⇗ 5 February 1944 Target: Bricy Aerodrome, Luftwaffe Training and Bomber Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Orleans, France 		Pilot 42‑31495⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead.
Sortie Report⇗
60⇗ 6 February 1944 Target: Nancy/Essey Aerodrome
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Nancy, France 		Pilot 42‑31495⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
64⇗ 21 February 1944 Target: Fighter Field & Aircraft Storage Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Werl, Germany 		Pilot 42‑31495⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead, low group.
Sortie Report⇗
65⇗ 22 February 1944 Target: Aircraft Factory
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Halberstadt & Aschersleben, Germany 		Pilot 42‑31495⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
41A Group Deputy.
Sortie Report⇗
68⇗ 28 February 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Preuseville, France 		Pilot 42‑31495⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron deputy.
Sortie Report⇗
71⇗ 4 March 1944 Type: Military
Location: Berlin, Germany 		Pilot 42‑39991⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Failed To Return
High Squadron lead. Was seen in formation at bombs away; at 1202 aircraft peeled off and left formation under control; all engines were running, but one may have been hit by flak; last seen going down still under control; flak, crashed 1 km south of Blangermont, France. MACR 2741
Sortie Report⇗

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