Coppage, Raymond Donald

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Coppage, Raymond Donald ‡ ⇗
Rank	Sergeant / Staff Sergeant
Serial Number	13110363 ‡
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #164 dated 10 December 1943, effective 10 December 1943. Transferred to a non-384th unit, per 545th Bomb Squadron Morning Report - 305th Bomb Group, AAF Station 105, effective 20 March 1944. Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per 545th Bomb Squadron Morning report, effective 13 April 1944.
Duty	Tail Gunner
MOS	612 - Airplane Armorer / Gunner
Last Duty Date	8 September 1944
Results	Transferred
Decorations	Awarded the Purple Heart Medal for wounds received on 19 July 1944 per General Orders #247, Headquarters 1st Bomb Division dated 15 August 1944. Awarded the Air Medal for six combat missions and three oak leaf clusters for subsequent missions.
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 14 February 1924 Promoted to Staff Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #14 Dated 21 January 1944. Placed on Detached Service (DS) with the 305th Bombardment Group. Wounded in Action on 19 July 1944 while serving with the 305th Bombardment Group. His Individual Sortie Record (incomplete) lists 26 combat missions. Placed on Temporary duty at the American Red Cross Club, Keythorpe Hall, AAF Station 566 (a Flak House) on 16 August 1944 for seven days per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #164 dated 15 August 1944. Transferred in grade to the Casual Pool, 8th AFRD, AAF Station 594 on 8 September 1944 per Squadron Morning Report.
Photo Album:	Crew Photo Album⇗

Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER	POSITION	RESULTS
2nd Lt. Pryor, Raymond Thomas⇗	Pilot	CT
2nd Lt. Helmley, Loyd Elmer⇗	Co-pilot	CT
2nd Lt. Harmon, Frank James⇗	Navigator	CT
S/SGT. Lewis, James William, Jr⇗	Radio Operator / Gunner	WIA
SGT. Coppage, Raymond Donald	Tail Gunner	TR

Crew History

The Pryor crew, composed of only 5 members when assigned, did not stay together for their entire combat tour. In fact, James Lewis flew no missions with Pryor. The others flew together for eighteen to twenty-two missions, with the balance of the crew provided by a variety of other personnel.

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 14 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
55⇗	29 January 1944	Target: Aircraft Parts Plants Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑37974⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead group. Sortie Report⇗
56⇗	30 January 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑31433⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group. Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑31484. Sortie Report⇗
57⇗	3 February 1944	Target: Submarines (under construction) Type: Submarine Facility Location: Wilhelmshaven, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑3441⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Group. Sortie Report⇗
59⇗	5 February 1944	Target: Bricy Aerodrome, Luftwaffe Training and Bomber Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Orleans, France	Tail Gunner	42‑29809⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
60⇗	6 February 1944	Target: Nancy/Essey Aerodrome Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Nancy, France	Tail Gunner	42‑29809⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back at 1031 hrs due to defective bomb racks; bombs were released when bombardier released bomb bay tanks over North Sea. Sortie Report⇗
61⇗	8 February 1944	Target: Piston Ring Factory Type: Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑97477⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron. Sortie Report⇗
62⇗	11 February 1944	Target: Propeller Factory (Foundry) Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑29809⇗	Combat Mission Credit Landed away at RAF Stansted, Essex, due to low fuel and #1 engine knocked out by flak. Sortie Report⇗
63⇗	20 February 1944	Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Leipzig & Bernburg, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑97521⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off 41A Group. Turned back with #1 engine out. Sortie Report⇗
66⇗	24 February 1944	Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑31926⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron, lead group. Sortie Report⇗
67⇗	25 February 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Ball Bearings Plants Type: Industry Location: Augsburg & Stuttgart, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑29632⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41C Group, High Squadron, Lead Group. Landed away at RAF Boreham, Essex, on return due to low fuel. Sortie Report⇗
69⇗	2 March 1944	Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant and Machine Shop Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑31166⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
71⇗	4 March 1944	Type: Military Location: Berlin, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑37792⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back at 1010 hrs because engineer was knocked out while fixing the ball turret; when azimuth power switch was released, it caused the turret to swing around and hit the engineer in the head; he was taken to Thrapston Hospital for observation. Sortie Report⇗
72⇗	6 March 1944	Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑3440⇗	Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off Did not take off because of gas leak. Sortie Report⇗
73⇗	8 March 1944	Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑37982⇗	Combat Mission Credit Flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
75⇗	16 March 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑97521⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back at 0955 hrs because #3 & #4 engines failed; #1 oil cooler was leaking very badly and the lead was off of sparkplug of #7 cylinder, #2 engine. Sortie Report⇗
76⇗	18 March 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑97081⇗	Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed Sortie Report⇗
77⇗	19 March 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-2 Storage and Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Wizernes, France	Tail Gunner	42‑31166⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
114⇗	24 May 1944	Target: Unidentified Military Installations Type: Military Location: Berlin, Germany	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑97647⇗	Combat Mission Credit Wing Lead. PFF ship and radio operator (T/Sgt L A Taylor) provided by the 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105. Col. William L Travis, 41st Bomb Wing, aboard as combat flight leader. Sortie Report⇗
116⇗	27 May 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany	Tail Gunner	42‑97699⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Group, Wing Deputy. PFF ship provided by the 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105. Sortie Report⇗
141⇗	20 June 1944	Target: Oil Refineries Type: Oil Industry Location: Harburg (Hamburg area), Germany	Waist (Flexible) Gunner	42‑97699⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Group, Wing Lead. PFF ship provided by 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105. Sortie Report⇗

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