On 7th April 1945 - just over 80 years ago - the 384th were in action again, with 42 aircraft assigned to bomb an oil storage plant at Hitzaker in Germany. With 3 unused ground spares 1 and 1 that scrubbed the mission, 38 B17s took off shortly after 10:31 and made their way towards the target. Group lead was an unnamed PFF equipped B17 being flown by Sam Gail Tuck  with Commander William T Johnson and 3 navigators on board (crew pictured)

The crews had been ordered to identify the target visually and despite 40-60% cloud coverage the 384th managed to bomb the target on the first run.

Flying their final missions today were 19 year old pilot of Century Bomber Hell’s Messenger William Carney, Miguel Hernandez engineer/top turret gunner and his crewmate tail gunner John Edward Sobota, Radio Operator in “Pauline” Adin Wolgemuth Mummer and his crewmate tail gunner Michael Novak, Joseph Murzda also an engineer/top turret gunner on board Lily Belle (pictured)

Radio Operator William Weston Smith and his crew mate Charles Nelson Wilcher were also completing their tours today.

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.