On 10 April 1945 - just over 80 years ago - the 384th were in action again, with 43 aircraft assigned to bomb an Ordnance depot at Oranienburg in Germany. With 1 unused ground spare and 3 that scrubbed the mission, 39 B17s took off shortly after 10:00 and made their way towards the target.

Group lead was PFF equipped “Swamp Angel” being flown by Donald Olsen Funk with Commander Clarence Lewis Thacker and 3 navigators on board (crew pictured) Visibility was good and the depot was targeted successfully.

Pilot of “Little Cinder” John Carper Moxley, Mando Oliver pilot of “Boomerang”, top turret gunner 20 year old Rudolph Pobega on an unknown but pictured B17, Carl Anderson ball turret gunner on “Tu Yung Tu”, Tail gunner on Doasy Doats 19 year old Robert Rudolph Kotnick, togglier Albert Payne and   Ball Turret Gunner Clifford Wright Spradlin onboard Danny all completed their tours today. Spradlin had been part of the Keller Hall crew which was the first crew assigned to the 544th squadron back in June 1943. They had been rescued by a Canadian fishing boat after ditching in the Atlantic on the way over from Newfoundland (picture attached) the rest of the crew were shot down in July 1943. Spradlin was assigned to ground duties for over a year, flying his first combat mission in October 1944 and his 44th mission today!

There were no wounded and all ships 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.