Barner Franklin Clemens

Military

Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying in B-24 Liberator 42-40316. His DFC and PH were awarded for the Ploesti raid.

Awards: DFC, PH, ACM, EAME Campaign Medal with one campaign star, WWII Victory Medal

Connections

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

Units served with

345th Bomb Squadron

  • Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
  • Air Force: Ninth Air Force Twelfth Air Force Fifteenth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
Three airmen of the 389th Bomb Group stand with a B-24 Liberator used as a Flight Assembly Ship. Image via Tim Bivens. Handwritten caption from Bivens: 'My friend remembers it being named "Bucksheesh Benny" that it was used to fly Jack Benny around USA shows. Says it flew in North Africa with Benny and was eventually assigned to 389th as a hack and later as a form-up ship. He thinks it was originally with another group (possibly 376th or 98th).' Handwritten caption on reverse: '389th BG Form-up ship.'

98th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Ninth Air Force Twelfth Air Force Fifteenth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

Hilary Mouzon Blevins

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 17061565 / O-728554
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Ernest Victor Martin

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32271998
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Aircraft

42-40316

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Snake Eyes
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Operation Tidal Wave

  • Date: 1 August 1943
  • Official Description: 177 B-24’s, of IX Bomber Command (including Heavy Bombers on loan from Eighth AF) are dispatched to bomb oil refineries at Ploesti and nearby Campina. The operation (TIDALWAVE) is costly, 54 planes and 532 airmen being lost, but damage to the targets...

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Mifflintown, PA 8 September 1921 Son of Livena Clemens.

Enlisted

Harrisburg, PA 8 August 1942 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Died

3 February 1974

Buried

Meadowlawn Memorial Gardens New Port Richey, Pasco County, FL 6 February 1974 Meadowlawn Memorial Gardens New Port Richey, Pasco County, Florida PLOT Garden of Meditation

Based

Assigned to 345BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date24 Mar 2022 13:08:16
ContributorAl_Skiff
ChangesChanges to middlename, biography, events and unit associations
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/545427963
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33132657/barner-f-clemens

Date27 Feb 2022 19:26:28
Contributordecwriter
ChangesChanges to person associations
Sources

Updated connections for Blevins Crew.

Date27 Feb 2022 18:45:37
Contributordecwriter
ChangesChanges to service number, biography, awards and events
Sources

Added awards, ASN and bio data. No AM files are available at NARA.
Of note, his ASN was entered in error against the DSC citation for Ernest Victor Martin and Clemens ASN denotes Martin's ASN on his DFC file. Both served on Lt Hilary M. Blevins crew.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33132657/barner-f-clemens

Date25 Nov 2020 14:56:21
Contributorgeneral ira snapsorter
ChangesCreated entry with surname, middlename, firstname, nationality, highest rank, role, biography, unit associations, aircraft associations and mission associations
Sources

Ploesti Sortie Reports for the 98th Bomb Group.
http://ploesti.com/roster.pdf;
https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=1&tf=F&q=bar…