Donald Percy Harmon

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-22816.jpeg UPL 22816 Crew 118; 379th, 524th Squadron. Probably taken at Dalhart, Texas in September 1943 during their training.

This crew arrived at Kimbolton Airfield (AAF Station 117), Huntingdonshire either on the 16th or 17th of November, 1943, as part of an unusually large contingent of 30 replacement crews. On arrival, Lt. Mueller’s crew was assigned to the 524th Bombardment Squadron and they were housed on Site No. 4, located on the eastern side of the airfield. The new crews would have received a period of training both on the ground and in the air to familiarize themselves with the complexities of flying combat in the crowded and dangerous skies over Europe. Lt. Mueller and his crew flew their first and only mission on Wednesday, December 22nd, 1943.

The 379th Bombardment Group dispatched 21 aircraft to attack the marshalling yards at Osnabruck, Germany. These aircraft joined with 20 aircraft from the 384BG and 20 aircraft of 303BG to form the 41st Combat Wing over the Fens. In turn this combat wing joined up at Cromer, on the Norfolk coast, with three other Wings to complete the leading Air Task Force which departed England at 1246 hours. By this time there were some 248 B-17s airborne from units of the First Bombardment Division. When units from the Second and Third Bombardment Divisions and the fighter escort were taken into account over 1000 planes were involved in the day's mission.

The weather conditions were poor this day with thick cloud reducing visibility. Each Combat Wing was accompanied by a radar equipped Pathfinder aircraft, which would enable the lead plane to pick out the target in the vent of cloud cover over Germany. At some point during the mission the Pathfinder B-17 leading the 41st Wing aborted and none of the Groups in the Wing bombed Osnabruck marshalling yards because the solid under-cast obscured their primary target. So the 379th, along with the 384th and 303rd turned for home and bombed a target of opportunity in Germany when a hole in the clouds permitted.

For this mission Lt. Mueller had been assigned to fly B-17F 42-29724 "Little Minnie," carrying the fuselage codes WA-H. The WA denoted membership of the 524BS and the letter H was its radio call sign letter. This aircraft was normally parked on Hardstand No. 3, on one of the two cloverleaf dispersal areas near the railway line on the north side of the airfield. Mission reports describe enemy opposition as "not severe".

During the return flight over the North Sea, when the 379BG was almost halfway between Ijmuiden (Holland) and Great Yarmouth (England), Lt. Mueller’s aircraft was seen to go into a dive, level off then pull up in a steep climb before finally going down in a spin. The plane disappeared into the dense clouds at 1800 feet. Returning crews reported seeing 3 parachutes and an Air Sea Rescue operation was set in motion, covering the general area of the North Sea where 724 was thought to have gone down.

Sadly, none of the crew were ever found. The crew was commemorated on the Wall of the Missing in Cambridge or and Lt. Mueller at Margraten American Military Cemetery. The cause of their loss is listed as being downed by FLAK. They were the only 379BG crew missing on the Group’s 51st mission. In all this day the Eighth Air Force lost 22 heavy bombers. In 2001 an eye witness of came forward. Mueller's plane was shot down by German plane.

Location the photo was taken and crew identification information was provided by Mervyn Wilson, former Assistant Historian to 379thBGA.

Object Number - UPL 22816 - Crew 118; 379th, 524th Squadron. Probably taken at Dalhart, Texas in September 1943 during their training. This crew arrived at Kimbolton Airfield...

Enlisted in 1938 initially serving with military police. Transferred to US air Corp in 1942. Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. Part of Ed Mueller's crew. Hospitalized by frostbite, hence not with his regular crew when they were lost in B-17 42-29724, 22-Dec-43. 7 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Wernigeerode in B-17 42-31028; Hit by flak, exploded in mid-air and crashed near Munster, Germany on 22-Feb-44. Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 2872.



Awards: AM (OLC), PH.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

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

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 526th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-802000 and 33131535 on enlisting
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-795841
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Mojo
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Paperdoll
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: The Blue Blazing Blizzard
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 525th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Portland, OR 12 April 1920 Son of Percy Ray and Jennet Marian [Smyth] Harmon.

Other

Married

Salt Lake City, UT 11 December 1942 Married Ruby Mildred Stinson in Salt Lake City, Utah on 11-Dec-42.

Died

Munster, Germany 22 February 1944 Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Wernigeerode in B-17 42-31028; Hit by flak, exploded in mid-air and crashed near Munster, Germany on 22-Feb-44. Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 2872

Buried

Senden, Germany 23 February 1944 Interred Senden Cemetery.

Buried

Netherlands American Cemetery Re-Interred Netherlands American Cemetery Plot G Row 20 Grave 9

Based

Killed in Action (KIA)

Kimbolton 22 February 1944 Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF.
New Brunswick, NJ Next of Kin - wife Ruby M Harmon, residing New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Enlisted

Enlisted into military police.

Other

Transferred USAAC.

Transferring to Air Corp.

Other

Basic training

Las Vegas, NV Basic training.

Other

Shipped overseas

England Shipped out to ETO.

Other

Hospitalised

Kimbolton, UK Hospitalised by frostbite, hence not with his regular crew when they were lost in B-17 42-29724, shot down 22-Dec-43, crashing into North Sea.

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

Removed # from A/C serial No. to aid clarity and consistency
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56299504/donald-percy-harmon

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2872 / MACR 2872, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Donald Percy Harmon: Gallery (2 items)