Ray Gilbreath

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-20013.jpeg UPL 20013 Trall Wertz's original crew put together in the States and sent to Old Buckenham Air Base in East Anglia, England. Several crew members were Killed In Action prior to March 6, 1944. Golbski, Diederich and Anderson had already been MIA on a mission February 22, 1944. Trall's Co-Pilot, Gilbreath was MIA March 6, 1944 flying with another crew, and a member from Crockett’s crew by the name of Santora was MIA ironically in the same plane as Gilbreath. The names below were written on the back of the photo in Trall’s handwriting:
Front Row from Left to Right: Pilot, Lieutenant George Wear (Colombia, Louisiana), Seymour Cohen, Navigator (New Jersey),
Ralph J. Swafford, Bombardier (St. Louis, Missouri), Co-Pilot, Second LieutenantLt. Ray Gilbreath (Massachusetts)
Back Row from Left: T/Sgt. Trail W. Wertz, Radioman (Jeannette, Pennsylvania), Jim Meyers, Nose Gunner (Buffalo, New York)
Staff Sergeant James Golbski, Lower Gunner (Biddendorf, Iowa), Raymond J. Diederich, Top Gunner (St. Joseph, Michigan),
Staff Sergeant Richard Anderson, Tail Gunner (North Canton, Ohio), Robert B. Williams, Engineer (Sheibourne, Massachusetts)

Information provided by grand-nephew of Trall W. Wertz, Bruce B. Wertz

Object Number - UPL 20013 - Trall Wertz's original crew put together in the States and sent to Old Buckenham Air Base in East Anglia, England. Several crew members were Killed...

Shot down by fighters on the return from a mission to Genshagen near Berlin and crashed near Oldenburg on 6 Mar 1944 in B-24H #42-64460 'Shack Rabbit'. Killed in Action (KIA).

Connections

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Units served with

Colonel Larry Thomas of the 453rd Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Col Larry Thomas 453BG.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Shack Rabbit
  • Unit: 453rd Bomb Group 733rd Bomb Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Andersonville, Tennessee, USA 1 September 1921

Other

Killed in Action (KIA)

Germany 6 March 1944

Buried

Listed on the Tablets of the Missing

Revisions

Date
Changes
Sources

Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia ;
- The Liberator Men of Old Buc

Date
Contributorusxpat
Changes
Sources

An Emotional Gauntlet, Stuart J Wright, Pen & Sword Books, © 2004
American Battle Monuments Commission
Find A Grave Memorial# 56299069

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2372, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces / MACR 2972 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Ray Gilbreath: Gallery (2 items)