Carl Ray Thompson

Military
media-42442.jpeg UPL 42442 Carl Thompson`s "Fly Boy" portrait before going overseas

From Cindy Thompson Carrell Daughter of Carl Ray Thompson

Object Number - UPL 42442 - Carl Thompson`s "Fly Boy" portrait before going overseas

Reported to ETO on 03 Nov 1943. Completed tour on 27 Mar 1944. Departed in ETO on 10 Apr 1944.

26 combat missions, 19 as Co-Pilot on John Gassler crew, 6 as Airplane Commander, and 1 as aerial observer and Tail Gunner. Of the 25 men who left our barracks, I was one of the 4 who finished their tour. Missions: 1943 - Nov 16 Knaben; 26 Bremen; Dec 1 Leverkusen; 5 La Rochelle; 13 Kiel; 16 Bremen; 1944 - Jan 5 Kiel; 14 Noball, France; 21 Noball, France; 29 Frankfurt; 30 Brunswick; Feb 3 Wilhelmshaven; 4 Frankfurt; 5 Chateaudun; 20 Leipzig; 21 Hopsten; 22 Bernburg; 24 Schweinfurt; 28 Noball, France; Mar 8 Berlin; 9 Berlin; 16 Gessertshausen; 18 Lechfeld; 20 Frankfurt; 22 Berlin; 23 Hamm.



AM 3OLC, DFC,



His Daughter has said that he used to use a line as follows.

"It would have been the greatest adventure imaginable - - 19-year-old farm-boys operating the latest technology and traveling the world - - except that they were shooting at us!"

Post war he worked for Ford Motor Co.

Connections

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

Units served with

Official insignia of the 306th Bomb Group, approved 6 January 1943, and updated 2 October 1951.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32467764
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner; Flight Engineer
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-799752
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-797320
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 33287715
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: You Cant Miss! (cahnt)
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Brookston, Texas 13 September 1922

Died

23 November 1999 Renal failure

Buried

Roselawn Cemetery, Denton, TX, USA

Revisions

Date
ContributorHelen
Changes
Sources

306th Echoes Jan 2000

Date
ContributorRayWells
Changes
Sources

Updates to connections

Date
ContributorRayWells
Changes
Sources

Addition to Biography

Date
Contributorccarrell
Changes
Sources

Thompson's personal flight log lists each of these missions with notations.

Date
Contributorccarrell
Changes
Sources

From Thompson's personal flight record: 16 March 1944 mission was to Gessertshausen, Germany, but there is nothing showing on this site listing the 306BG on that date and location.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / daughter, Cynthia Thompson Carrell, 306th BGA Collection, Russell Strong Index Cards, / http://www.306bg.org/crewphotos/Crew%20Pictures%20Adam-Rector/Crew%20Pi…

Carl Ray Thompson: Gallery (4 items)