Wilmer Jacob Link

Military
media-32354.jpeg UPL 32354 Flight Engineer Wilmer Jacob Link, 390th Bomb Group Charles D Taylor collection

"Iowans of the Mighty Eighth", Chapter 26 "Biographies", by Charles D Taylor.

Object Number - UPL 32354 - Flight Engineer Wilmer Jacob Link, 390th Bomb Group

Wilmer flew twenty-eight combat missions. His first mission on December 18, 1944, was a bombing raid on Koblenz. He flew seven missions in what remained of December. Eight missions were flown in January mostly in support of American troops during the Battle of the Bulge. In February their crew began flying as lead aircraft. He later served as a Crew Chief on a C-47 with the 9thAF before returning to the USA in December 1945. He afterwards worked ofr the John Deere Co in Dubuque for 37 years.





Wilmer included among his most memorable missions a January 13, 1945, raid on Mannheim, Germany. on January 13, 1945. In route their aircraft flew in “prop wash”. “We were bouncing all over the place. On the bomb run we didn’t drop our bombs and we had to make a second bomb run.” This exposed them to more accurate flak from German anti-aircraft batteries.

Air Medal 4 clusters

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 379th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

5 February 1921

Enlisted

16 August 1943 Enlisted CP Dodge Herrold, Iowa

Died

Dubuque, IA, USA 23 July 2004
Dubuque, IA, USA

Other

Transferred

Wilmer, along with a B-17 bomber, was transferred to the 55th Fighter Group. Selected for duty as part of the occupational air forces at Kaufbeuren, Germany, Wilmer became a crew chief on a C-47 aircraft and transferred to the Ninth Air Force.

Revisions

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ContributorHelen
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Sources

Iowans of the Mighty Eighth

Date
Contributordecwriter
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NARA file verified AM w/3 Oak Leaf Clusters. He earned at least one bronze star device on the EAME Campaign Medal and more than likely the Good Conduct Medal. His personnel records would verify any additional awards.

Date
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Sources

Entry added with details from:
- "Iowans of the Mighty Eighth", Chapter 26 "Biographies", by Charles D Taylor.;
- http://www.379thbga.org/taps.htm;
- https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/69899089/wilmer-jacob-link

Wilmer Jacob Link: Gallery (2 items)