42-5852 The Natural
Front Row: Burnia Martin (WG), Preston Davis (RO), Joe Turlington (TT), Marion Rogers (WG), Robert E. Ralph (BT)
Photo courtesy of Johnny Butler. https://photos.384thbombgroup.com/picture.php?/37912/category/LeadCrews
Delivered Long Beach 22/3/43; Sioux City 15/4/43; Kearney 4/5/43; Dow Fd 20/5/43; Assigned 547BS/384BG [SO-T] Grafton Underwood 24/5/43; battle damaged Schweinfurt 14/10/43 with Edmund Goulder, Co-pilot: Ernie Boyce (546bs), Navigator: Julius Schwartz (546bs), Bombardier: Mike Vodilko, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Ed Thomassen, Radio Operator: Bill Sears, Ball turret gunner: Claude Leslie, Waist gunner: Stan Wilson, Waist gunner: Paul Saunders, Tail gunner: Francis Seager, (10 Returned to Duty); crew bailed over RAF Oakley, enemy aircraft crashed Chetwode, Oxon, demolishing two cottages, and injuring a civilian, Mr Tew; Salvaged MRU 15/10/43. THE NATURAL.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron 547th Bomb Squadron Headquarters (384th Bomb Group)
- Service Numbers: O-735155
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Role/Job: Group Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-735170
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Pilot : Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 0–672341
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 14107839
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator/ Gunner
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Grafton Undermud
Missions
- Date: 14 October 1943
- Date: 8 October 1943
- Date: 27 September 1943
- Date: 23 September 1943
- Date: 6 September 1943
Revisions
Added a space before the words "Tail gunner" in the A/C “Description” to aid readability.