Raymond G Spoerl

Military

Assigned to 838BS, 487BG, 8AF USAAF. Was on 'Frantic Joe' mission 21-Jun-44 to USSR, Italy and England. Flak hit on Munster mission with Walt Mc Carty crew; ditched in channel in B-24 42-52739 30-May-44 RTD MACR 15237

Ended 1st Tour of Duty (ETD). Second tour with 654BS, 25BG, 8AF USAAF. Flying the 'Wooden Wonder'. 'Graypea' mission to Hamburg in de Havilland Mosquito RF992, flew line abreast with two other Mosquitos dispensing chaff ahead of the lead B-17 formation, intercepted by Me262's. RTD



Awards: DFC, AM (OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

A B-26 Marauder of the 654th Bomb Squadron, 25th Bomb Group, parked on a runway. Handwritten on reverse: '654 BS.'

25th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Reconnaissance
The insignia of the 487th Bomb Group.

487th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

Walter W McCarty

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 487th Bomb Group
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

42-52739

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Unit: 487th Bomb Group

RF992

  • Aircraft Type: Mosquito
  • Unit: 25th Bomb Group 654th Bomb Squadron

Missions

428

  • Date: 21 June 1944
  • Official Description:

Places

Officers of the 487th Bomb Group outside the 838th Bomb Squadron operations room.

Lavenham

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Lavenham/Alpheton Airfield

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Brown County, WI 24 May 1924 Son of Joseph H and Mary M Spoerl.

Enlisted

Green Bay, WI 8 September 1942 Green Bay, Wisconsin

Died

Niles, MI 19 March 1967

Buried

Calvary Cemetery, Niles, Berrien County, MI 21 March 1967 Calvary Cemetery Niles, Berrien County, Michigan

Based

Lavenham Assigned to 838BS, 487BG, 8AF USAAF.

Based

Watton Assigned to 654BS, 25BG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/29425099
https://www.fold3.com/record/47660127-raymond-spoerl
https://www.fold3.com/record/84439310-raymond-g-spoerl
Mosquito: Menacing the Reich: Combat Action in the Twin-engine Wooden Wonder ... By Martin W. Bowman
http://www.mossie.org/stories/Norman_Malayney.htm
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/92643995/raymond-g-spoerl

Date
ContributorEmily
Changes
Sources

Removed source information added by Wattonman from biography

Date
ContributorWattonman
Changes
Sources

Norman Malayney, "The 25th Bomb Group (Rcn) in WWII" Shiffer Publications Ltd. 2011.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Aerial Intelligence of the 8th Air Force, pg 48 (photo), 71 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia