Crew Roster · Personal File

Charles R. Bishop

Waist Gunner · 409th Squadron
HometownFerndale, MI

Charles R. Bishop embarked on the USS Uruguay for Liverpool, England, and from there went to Northern Ireland for advanced training before entering combat. His crew was assigned to Hardwick air base near Norwich, England, where they completed 30 missions, 26 as lead, in the 329th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group.

He was awarded the Air Medal with one Silver Oak Leaf Cluster, the European Theatre Ribbon with one Silver Star, and the Presidential Citation. He was among the first to return to New York from England, arriving on V-E Day, May 8, 1945.

Sortie Log

9 CATALOGUED SORTIES
12 SEP 1944 — 31 MAR 1945

The sorties below are those we have been able to document for this airman, drawn from flight logs, mission records, and archival sources. It is not necessarily a complete account of every mission flown; gaps may reflect missing documentation, transferred assignments, or records lost to time.

8AF Mission
Date
Target
Aircraft
№ 626
12 SEP 1944
HemmingstedtO/R
Lead aircraft (circle-1 marker on Pilot)
The Flying Moose44-10578
№ 670
09 OCT 1944
Target unrecorded
328th Squadron; formation position 1-1 (left column)
Un-Holy Virgin42-95544
№ 770
30 DEC 1944
MechernichM/Y
Gr Deputy; CA (Command Pilot): Capt Colvin, John R.
Lily Ann42-51465
№ 789
10 JAN 1945
Target unrecorded
Lead aircraft (Ø marker). MO (Medical Officer) listed; non-standard crew position.
XX-XX465
№ 821
06 FEB 1945
MagdeburgM/Y
Dep. Group Lead; CA (Command Pilot) designation held by Capt. Oscar P. Hoffman
42-51968
№ 841
22 FEB 1945
Target unrecorded
Deputy Lead 93rd; Major FANT listed as CA (Command Pilot)
XX-XX486
№ 877
10 MAR 1945
Target unrecorded
Deputy Lead 93rd; bomb load 3X1000; 'Command Pilot' designation noted for Capt. Sheffield listed as AC (Aircraft Commander/Command Pilot). Unclear annotation on bomb load.
Snow White42-95542
№ 913
25 MAR 1945
BuckenO/D
Lead Hi Rite
Misschief42-94880
№ 920
31 MAR 1945
Target unrecorded
Lead Hi Rite
XX-XX169
§ Personal Record
Before the War

Charles R. Bishop was born May 16, 1924. He joined the AAC on February 5, 1943, shortly after graduating from Lincoln High School in Ferndale, MI. He received basic training in St. Petersburg, FL in the jungle area known as Tent City. He was then sent to Lowry Field, CO for Air Force Technical School to study airplane armament, graduating on December 6, 1943 after nine weeks of schooling. He then attended Aerial Gunnery School at Laredo, TX and received his wings on February 14, 1943. He was assigned his crew at Tonopah, NV, where his crew received overseas training in practice bombing missions and air gunnery. Their pilot was Hollis H. Hunt.