On 9th April 1945 - just over 80 years ago - the 384th were in action again, with 43 aircraft assigned to bomb a Luftwaffe airfield at Fürstenfeldbruck  in Germany. With 4 unused ground spare and 3 that aborted the mission, 36 B17s took off shortly after 11:29 and made their way towards the target.

Group lead was Gee-H and PFF equipped “Buckeye Belle” being flown by Charles E Gilmer with Commander Philip Young Williams and 3 navigators on board (crew pictured) Visibility was unlimited and the airfield was targeted successfully.

Charles Gilmer and his crewmates radio operator Vincent Allesi and engineer/top turret gunner Joseph Sainsbury and several others were flying their final missions today. Pilots Charles Pershing Hewes (pictured) and his crewmate tail gunner 19 year old James Charles Mutchler, Harold Miley and his crewmate tail gunner Clarence Earl Greer, copilot Phillo Tozer and his crewmate 20 year old navigator Maurice Gatlin, radio operator on “Boomerang” (pictured) Charles L Gardner and his crewmate ball turret gunner Lyle Boyer who had just turned 20, ball turret gunner Roy Barbosa, Harold Lewis Waggoner - spot jammer (?!)

There were no injuries and all planes returned safely.

With kind thanks to the 384th Bomb Group website (384thbombgroup.com) for permission in using material from their records in the making of this story. It holds a wealth of information, documents and photographs of the Group’s activities during World War 2.

Research courtesy of Helen Childs on behalf of 384^th Bombardment Group Museum.