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Crew 63 - Assigned 755th Squadron - October 7, 1943 |
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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)
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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.
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Loading list and debrief sheet for Crew 63 - March 6, 1944, Berlin |



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SO183 dated July 14, 1944 assigning the crew to Leuchars, Scotland |
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Crew 63 - Missions flown |
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Date |
Target |
Pilot |
Sqdn |
Mission No. |
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06-Mar-44 |
Berlin/Genshagen |
Brudos |
755 |
1 |
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08-Mar-44 |
Berlin/Erkner |
Brudos |
755 |
2 |
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15-Mar-44 |
Brunswick |
Brudos |
755 |
3 |
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16-Mar-44 |
Friedrichshafen, Germany |
Brudos |
755 |
4 |
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18-Mar-44 |
Friedrichshafen, Germany |
Brudos |
755 |
5 |
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22-Mar-44 |
Berlin |
Brudos |
755 |
6 |
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27-Mar-44 |
Biarritz, France |
Brudos |
755 |
7 |
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05-Apr-44 |
Siracourt |
Brudos |
755 |
8 |
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08-Apr-44 |
Brunswick |
Brudos |
755 |
9 |
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10-Apr-44 |
Bourges |
Brudos |
755 |
10 |
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11-Apr-44 |
Oschersleben |
Brudos |
755 |
11 |
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18-Apr-44 |
Brandenburg |
Brudos |
755 |
12 |
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24-Apr-44 |
Leipheim |
Brudos |
755 |
13 |
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27-Apr-44 |
Bonnieres (1) |
Brudos |
755 |
14 |
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27-Apr-44 |
Blainville (2) |
Brudos |
755 |
15 |
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01-May-44 |
Msn #1 Marquise/Mimoyeques |
Brudos |
755 |
16 |
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04-May-44 |
Brunswick |
Brudos |
755 |
17 |
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08-May-44 |
Brunswick |
Brudos |
755 |
18 |
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09-May-44 |
St Trond, Belgium |
Brudos |
755 |
19 |
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11-May-44 |
Epinol |
Brudos |
755 |
20 |
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12-May-44 |
Bohlen |
Brudos |
755 |
21 |
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27-May-44 |
Neunkirchen |
Brudos |
755 |
22 |
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28-May-44 |
Zeitz |
Brudos |
755 |
23 |
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02-Jun-44 |
Stella Plage |
Brudos |
755 |
24 |
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06-Jun-44 |
Misson 1 Coastal Area |
Brudos |
755 |
25 |
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06-Jun-44 |
Misson 3 Pontaubault |
Brudos |
755 |
26 |
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08-Jun-44 |
Pontabault |
Brudos |
755 |
27 |
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10-Jun-44 |
Chateaudun |
Brudos |
755 |
28 |
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14-Jun-44 |
Domleger (Noball) |
Brudos |
755 |
29 |
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02-Jul-44 |
Coubronne (Noball) |
Brudos |
755 |
30 | |
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