Herman B Mays

Military
A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30177) nicknamed "Charlene". Printed caption on reverse: '61552 AC- Crew of the 562nd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group, beside the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Charlene". England. 30 August 1943. Standing left to right are: 2nd Lt John N Harlan, Boise, Idaho; 1st Lt Charles Bliss, Los Angeles, California; 2nd Lt Vernon D Dunkin, Columbus, Ohio; 2nd Lt Bernard J Quenneville, Hadley, Mass. Kneeling left to right: S/Sgt Ro

Object Number - FRE 1492 - A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30177) nicknamed "Charlene". Printed caption on reverse:...

Evaded (EVD)
It appears that Mays finished his combat tour with the 388th BG on 14 January 1944. I can find no reference to him bailing out and becoming an evade. I also cannot find an explanation for his death in October 1944. A possible explanation would be that flew a 2nd combat tour with another bomb group.

Connections

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

Units served with

The insignia of the 388th Bomb Group.

388th Bomb Group

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

People

A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30177) nicknamed "Charlene". Printed caption on reverse: '61552 AC- Crew of the 562nd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group, beside the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Charlene". England. 30 August 1943. Standing left to right are: 2nd Lt John N Harlan, Boise, Idaho; 1st Lt Charles Bliss, Los Angeles, California; 2nd Lt Vernon D Dunkin, Columbus, Ohio; 2nd Lt Bernard J Quenneville, Hadley, Mass. Kneeling left to right: S/Sgt Ro

Charles Cushman Bliss

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-52478
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30177) nicknamed "Charlene". Printed caption on reverse: '61552 AC- Crew of the 562nd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group, beside the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Charlene". England. 30 August 1943. Standing left to right are: 2nd Lt John N Harlan, Boise, Idaho; 1st Lt Charles Bliss, Los Angeles, California; 2nd Lt Vernon D Dunkin, Columbus, Ohio; 2nd Lt Bernard J Quenneville, Hadley, Mass. Kneeling left to right: S/Sgt Ro

Vernon C Duncan

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-672780
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot/Pilot
A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group, and their mascot "Peggy", with a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-3295) nicknamed "Tech Supply". Handwritten caption on reverse: 'L to R: J I Flohr, H J Rodgers, P Lewis, S B Smith, W Sawyer, K Hill, E Pawlicki, J Ford, J Hallam, E Franklin, "Peggy".'

Patrick B Lewis

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

42-30030

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Old Ironsides
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 560th Bomb Squadron
A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30177) nicknamed "Charlene". Printed caption on reverse: '61552 AC- Crew of the 562nd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group, beside the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Charlene". England. 30 August 1943. Standing left to right are: 2nd Lt John N Harlan, Boise, Idaho; 1st Lt Charles Bliss, Los Angeles, California; 2nd Lt Vernon D Dunkin, Columbus, Ohio; 2nd Lt Bernard J Quenneville, Hadley, Mass. Kneeling left to right: S/Sgt Ro

42-30177

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Charlene
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 36th Bomb Squadron 562nd Bomb Squadron 803rd Bomb Squadron

42-30212

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Quarterback
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
The nose art of a B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed ""Li'l" One" of the 562nd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '388.' Printed caption on reverse: 'B-61555 AC - The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Li'L One" at an airbase in England, 19 September 1943. 562nd Bomb Sqdn., 388th Bomb Gp. U.S. Air Force Photo.'

42-30213

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Lil One
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron

42-31115

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Hells Belles
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 447th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Enlisted

Indianapolis, IN, USA 7 August 1942 Fort Benjamin Harrison

Other

388th BG Combat Tour

Knettishall, Diss IP22 2TH, UK 17 July 1943 - 14 January 1944

Died

12 October 1944

Born

Terre Haute, Indiana
Vigo County, IN, USA

Buried

Terre Haute, IN, USA Hull Cemetery • Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana, USA

Revisions

Date29 Dec 2017 01:52:23
Contributor466thHistorian
Sources

http://www.388bg.info/servlet/Controller?pageType=detail&id=388-I-MAY09…
http://www.ww2enlistment.org/index.php?page=directory&rec=5610868
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15638104/herman-bruce-mays

Date27 Sep 2014 18:12:59
ContributorAAM
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / www.388bg.info/Personnel.html

Herman B Mays: Gallery (1 items)

A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30177) nicknamed "Charlene". Printed caption on reverse: '61552 AC- Crew of the 562nd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group, beside the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Charlene". England. 30 August 1943. Standing left to right are: 2nd Lt John N Harlan, Boise, Idaho; 1st Lt Charles Bliss, Los Angeles, California; 2nd Lt Vernon D Dunkin, Columbus, Ohio; 2nd Lt Bernard J Quenneville, Hadley, Mass. Kneeling left to right: S/Sgt Ro

Object number: FRE 1492 - A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B...