458th Bombardment Group (H)
  Honoring those who served with the 458th BG during World War II.  
   
Navigation
-  Home

-  Aircraft A-M

-  Aircraft N-Z

-  Combat Crews

-  Missions

-  Group pictures

-  Azon Project

-  Unknown Crews

-  Casualties

-  A Navigator's Diary

-  Stories

-  Links

-  Guestbook

-  Contact Me



- Crew 63 - Assigned 755th Squadron - October 7, 1943

- 2Lt Rex L. Brudos Crew (L-R)
Standing: Grant Conant - B, Billie Spivey - CP, Harold "Mac" McDonald - N, Rex Brudos - P
Kneeling: Michael Mulkerrin - G, Ralph Bonner G, Albert Lind - G, Ken Duffy - G, Herschel Dailey - G, Clay Wilkening - RO
(Photo: AFHRA & Harold McDonald)

- Crew 63 - Completed Tour
 Name

Pos 

Status 

Date 

Target 
 Capt Rex L. Brudos

P

 CT 

2 Jun 1944 

Stella/Plage
 1Lt Billie A. Spivey

 CP

 CT 

2 Jun 1944 

Stella/Plage
 1Lt Harold W. McDonald

 N 

 CT 

2 Jun 1944 

Stella/Plage
 1Lt Grant E. Conant

 B 

 CT 

2 Jun 1944 

Stella/Plage 
 T/Sgt Clayton C. Wilkening

 RO 

 CT 

2 Jun 1944 

Stella/Plage 
 T/Sgt Ralph E. Bonner

 E 

CT

2 Jun 1944 

Stella/Plage 
 S/Sgt Kenneth F. Duffy

G

 POW 

9 Apr 1944 

Tutow, Germany
 S/Sgt Herschel A. Dailey

 G 

CT

2 Jun 1944

Stella/Plage 
 S/Sgt Albert Lind

G

 CT 

2 Jun 1944 

Stella/Plage 
 S/Sgt Michael Mulkerrin

 G 

CT

2 Jun 1944 

Stella/Plage 

Crew 63 trained with the 458th in Tonopah and moved overseas with the group in January 1944.  Their first mission was made on March 6, 1944 to Berlin, Germany.  Five B-24's from the 458th were lost that day - the highest single mission loss for the group.  On April 9, 1944, S/Sgt Kenneth F. Duffy was assigned to fly the mission to Tutow, Germany as a replacement gunner on Crew 71, piloted by 1Lt Joseph M. Stroup.  They were shot down by fighters near Osnabruck after releasing their bombs on the target.  Crew 63 visited Berlin three times, Brunswick four times, and Friedrichshafen twice.  Towards the end of May and the beginning of June they help to soften the German coastal defenses for the upcoming invasion of the Continent.  The 458th flew three missions on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and Brudos' crew flew on two of them.  They finished up their 30 mission tour on July 2nd with a trip to a Noball target near Coubronne, France.

After completing their missions, the crew was somehow assigned to Leuchars, Scotland to participate in Carpetbagger operations.  According to navigator, Harold "Mac" McDonald, when they heard that the crew had just finished a combat tour, they didn't want any part of them and sent them back to Horsham.  The whole crew received the DFC in July and was transferred to the Casual Pool, 12th Replacement Depot later that same month for reassignment.



- Loading list and debrief sheet for Crew 63 - March 6, 1944, Berlin



- SO183 dated July 14, 1944 assigning the crew to Leuchars, Scotland



- Crew 63 - Missions flown

 

Date

 Target

Pilot

Sqdn

Mission No.

06-Mar-44

 Berlin/Genshagen

Brudos

755

1

08-Mar-44

 Berlin/Erkner

Brudos

755

2

15-Mar-44

 Brunswick

Brudos

755

3

16-Mar-44

 Friedrichshafen, Germany

Brudos

755

4

18-Mar-44

 Friedrichshafen, Germany

Brudos

755

5

22-Mar-44

 Berlin

Brudos

755

6

27-Mar-44

 Biarritz, France

Brudos

755

7

05-Apr-44

 Siracourt

Brudos

755

8

08-Apr-44

 Brunswick

Brudos

755

9

10-Apr-44

 Bourges

Brudos

755

10

11-Apr-44

 Oschersleben

Brudos

755

11

18-Apr-44

 Brandenburg

Brudos

755

12

24-Apr-44

 Leipheim

Brudos

755

13

27-Apr-44

 Bonnieres (1)

Brudos

755

14

27-Apr-44

 Blainville (2)

Brudos

755

15

01-May-44

 Msn #1 Marquise/Mimoyeques

Brudos

755

16

04-May-44

 Brunswick

Brudos

755

17

08-May-44

 Brunswick

Brudos

755

18

09-May-44

 St Trond, Belgium

Brudos

755

19

11-May-44

 Epinol

Brudos

755

20

12-May-44

  Bohlen

Brudos

755

21

27-May-44

 Neunkirchen

Brudos

755

22

28-May-44

 Zeitz

Brudos

755

23

02-Jun-44

 Stella Plage

Brudos

755

24

06-Jun-44

 Misson 1 Coastal Area

Brudos

755

25

06-Jun-44

 Misson 3 Pontaubault

Brudos

755

26

08-Jun-44

 Pontabault

Brudos

755

27

10-Jun-44

 Chateaudun

Brudos

755

28

14-Jun-44

 Domleger (Noball)

Brudos

755

29

02-Jul-44

 Coubronne (Noball)

Brudos

755

30


Copyright ©2003-2007 www.458bg.com