John Anderson
Military | Sergeant | Waist gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 21 x combat missions. Harry Ahlers crew.
Awards: AM (2OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (1 x Battle Star).
The American Air Museum archive is under redevelopment
We are currently working on a site-wide upgrade which will be completed in September 2022
You will not be able to search, add or edit information in the American Air Museum archive while this takes place.
You can find out more about our plans here
Harry William Ahlers
Military
-
Harry W Ahlers
-
2nd Lt Harry W Ahlers:- Air medal award card. 401BG.
-
2nd Lt Harry W Ahlers:- Air medal award card. 401BG.
-
401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 230, 17 Mar 1945, Molbis, Germany. The Group was briefed at 0400 hours, and all aircraft were airborne by 0824. Flying Control noted: "Very good take off." By 1748 hours all but two aircraft had returned from the mission. Those two ships (which must have landed elsewhere to refuel) landed at 2044 and 2049 hours, respectively. On this mission, with the 401st putting up the three squadrons comprising the 94th Combat Wing "A" Group, the primary target was flak gun installations in the Leipzig area protecting the oil installations at Molbis. The secondary target was the oil installations themselves. As 10/10th's cloud cover obscured the gun positions, the Group bombed the oil installations by PFF (radar) techniques. Because of the clouds, the results could not be visually observed or photographed. No enemy aircraft were encountered, and the meager flak in the target area did not result in damage to any 401st aircraft.
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 21 x combat missions.
Awards: AM (2OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Service
People
-
-
Merle Boyce
Military | Colonel | Ball Turret Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 21 x combat missions. Harry Ahlers crew. Awards: AM (2OLC), WWII Victory, EAME. -
Herbert Clark
Military | Sergeant | Flight Engineer / Top Turret | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 21 x combat missions. Harry Ahlers crew. Awards: AM (2OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (1 x Battle Star). -
Robert Cropp
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-pilot | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 21 x combat missions. Harry Ahlers cew. He joined the 401st at Deenethorpe in late 1944 flying on his first mission in January 1945 and flying a further 18 as co-pilot before taking over as pilot for the final 16. ... -
Adam Czubat
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 21 x combat missions. Harry Ahlers crew. Awards: AM (2OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (1 x Battle Star). -
Armand Galfo
Military | Colonel | Radio Operator | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 21 x combat missions. Harry Ahlers crew. ... -
Henry Moos
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 21 x combat missions. Harry Ahlers crew. Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME. -
Cleon Sires
Military | Staff Sergeant | Togglier | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 21 x combat missions. Awards: AM (2OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Units served with
-
401st Bomb Group
Group
The 401st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Deenethorpe, Northamptonshire, from November 1943 to June 1945. Starting their missions at that time meant the focus was very much on the coming invasion attempt of France planned for the following... -
612th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
Aircraft
-
42-31891 The Shape
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 31/12/43; Kearney 12/1/44; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-P] Deenethorpe 15/2/44; Returned to the USA 121 BU Bradley 1/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 8/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)... -
43-38541 Diabolical Angel
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 16/8/44; Lincoln 24/8/44; Grenier 18/9/44; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-F] Deenethorpe 17/10/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 6/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 8/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in...
Missions
-
851
27 February 1945
-
857
1 March 1945
-
859
2 March 1945
-
861
3 March 1945
-
863
4 March 1945
-
872
8 March 1945
Mission 872: 1,353 bombers and 326 fighters are dispatched to hit benzol plants, an oil plant and rail targets in Germany using PFF; NO AIRCRAFT ARE LOST AND THERE ARE NO CASUALTIES! ... -
883
12 March 1945
Heavies Hit Near Rhine, Along Baltic ... -
886
14 March 1945
"1,250 Heavies Strike Tanks, Gun Factories Near Hanover" ... -
892
17 March 1945
-
894
18 March 1945
Associated Place
-
Deenethorpe
Military site : airfield
Deenethorpe was a base purpose-built for American heavy bombers, with the Class A regulation 2,000 and 1,400-yard runways. All the buildings on site,such as the accommodation and administrative blocks, were temporary. In December 1943, several local...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | New York | 21 January 1921 |
|
Son of John and Catherine [Apel] Ahlers. |
||
| Enlisted | New York City, NY | 25 June 1942 |
|
New York City, New York |
||
| Based | Deenethorpe | February 1945 – May 1945 |
|
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. |
||
| Discharged USAAF | January 1946 | |
|
Honourable discharge. |
||
| Died | Hopedale, Tazewell County, IL | 11 February 2011 |
| Buried | Minier Cemetery Minier, Tazewell County, IL | 14 February 2011 |
|
Minier Cemetery |
||
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 20 November 2021 01:05:30 | acbernstein1 | Changes to mission associations |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 November 2021 19:28:36 | Al_Skiff | Changes to middlename, service number, role, biography, awards, events, person associations, unit associations, place associations and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/image/695147596 |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:12:29 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / http://www.401bg.org/Main/History/Members/Details.aspx?ID=1 |
||
