Merel D Bradley

Military ROLL OF HONOUR

10-Jul-42 Assigned as the Tail Gunner of B-17F #41-24619 [GN-S] "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. Arrived in the UK with the crew of 41-24619 aboard B-17F #42-2966, 303BG/427BS on 28-Oct-43. B-17F #41-24619 was commandeered by Maj George L. Robinson and flown with a different crew to Molesworth, UK on 25-Oct-42.



Killed in Action (KIA) in B-17F #41-24517 'Kali' while serving as Tail Gunner. Aircraft was targeting U/B (submarine base) at St. Nazaire, France. 'Kali' encountered intense flak and fighter attacks and went down over the Atlantic.



Participated in 7 Operations (4 were Aborted) See Biography events.

Connections

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

Units served with

Official emblem of the 303rd Bomb Group approved 7 November 1942.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Kali
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
The tail of a B-17 Flying Fortress (GN-V, serial number 41-24569) nicknamed "Memphis Tot" of the 427th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, shot down near Zwolle. Handwritten caption on reverse: '124569. Memphis Tot. SD. 4/2/43. 427BS. Near Zwolle.'
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Memphis Tot
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Bad Check
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
A bomber crew of the 303rd Bomb Group, with their B-17 Flying Fortress (GN-V, serial number 42-2966), after a raid on Germany. From left to right they are: Sergeant Ward W. Kirkpatrick (Kalispel, Montana); Technical Sergeant Lucian W. Means, (Luguna Beach, California); First Lieutenant Milton K. Conver (Cincinnatti, Ohio); Second Lieutenant John W Dillenger (Avoca, Iowa), Co-Pilot; Captain B.B. Southworth (Columbus, Ohio), Pilot; Sergeant Jack Belk (Temple, Texas); Sergeant William Fleming (Burdine, Kentu
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: No 11 Combat Crew Replacement Center No 1 Combat Crew Replacement Center 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Assigned to Aircraft

Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA 20 July 1942 Assigned as Tail Gunner of B-17G 41-25619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Other

Re-assigned to another aircraft

Bangor, ME, USA 23 October 1942 Assigned as a Aerial Gunner to B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine.

Other

Arrive in UK

Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK 28 October 1942 Arrived at Molesworth as the Tail GUnner on B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS.

Other

Mission #1, SGT Merel D. Bradley, w/B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS - Aborted

Saint-Nazaire, France 17 November 1942 Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #2, SGT Merel D. Bradley, w/B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS - Aborted

Saint-Nazaire, France 18 November 1942 Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #3, SGT Merel D. Bradley, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS - Aborted

Lorient, France 22 November 1942 Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #4, SGT Merel D. Bradley, w/B-17F 41-24517, 303BG/427BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 23 November 1942 Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #5, SGT Merel D. Bradley, w/B-17F 41-24517, 303BG/427BS

Lille, France 6 December 1942 Served as Left Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24587 "Bad Check", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #6, SGT Merel D. Bradley, w/B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS - Aborted

Romilly-sur-Seine, France 20 December 1942 Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK.

Other

Killed in Action (KIA)

Saint-Nazaire, France 3 January 1943 Killed when aircraft sustained damage from flak and fighter attacks and crashed into the Atlantic near the target. His remains have never been recovered.

Other

Mission #7, SGT Merel D. Bradley, w/B-17F 41-24517, 303BG/427BS - KIA

Saint-Nazaire, France 3 January 1943 Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24517 "Kali" on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. The aircraft was attacked by German fighters over the sea on approach to the target and exploded in mid-air. The entire crew was KIA.

Other

Commemorated

Saint-James, France Commemorated on the Wall of the Missing, Brittany American Cemetery

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Corrected a typo in the "Summary biography" - “Participated ” was misspelled.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 20-Dec-2015. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 20-Dec-2015. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 20-Dec-2015. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 20-Dec-2015. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 20-Dec-2015. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 20-Dec-2015. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 20-Dec-2015. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 20-Dec-2015. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Harry A. Robey crew pahe: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-robey.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 20-Dec-2015. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Harry A. Robey crew pahe: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-robey.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 20-Dec-2015. Added initial aircraft assigment and arrival in UK statement to Summary Biography; made connections to all Mission participations per my reasearch of 303BG Mission Reports, 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Harry A, Robey crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-robey.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Jan-2015. Added SN and KIA event per MACR 6141; added decorations and Commemoration event per American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) record; made connections to Place, Aircraft and Mission within existing website data; added crew position and made minor edits to biography.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Roll of Honor, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey p. 60