Hardwick SkiesStation 104 · 93rd Bomb GroupAdd to the Record
Crew Roster · Personal File
← Airmen Index

Charles A. Reed

Gunner
Hometown1800 Linden Street, Ridgewood, Long Island, New York

S/Sgt. Charles A. Reed (ASN 12146785) served as tunnel/waist gunner aboard a 93rd Bomb Group B-24 on the August 1, 1943 low-level raid on Ploesti, Romania. Born October 16, 1923, he had completed 7 missions and 23 months of service at the time.

Reed was wounded during the mission when a 20mm explosion at the waist position knocked him across the camera hatch, cutting his leg at the thigh. He bailed out at roughly 100 to 150 feet altitude, his parachute opening just in time. Upon landing, Romanian soldiers confiscated his aids box, purse, maps, compass, and currency.

Reed was held in Romania and released following Romania's surrender in August 1944. He signed a security certificate at Bari, Italy on September 4, 1944, and departed for the UK on September 7, arriving on September 9, 1944. His next of kin was his father, Mr. Charles Reed, of 1800 Linden Street, Ridgewood, Long Island, New York.

In his debrief, Reed noted that civilian morale in Romania was very low and that local civilians would not assist evaders. He advised future airmen to stay away from railroads, main roads, and bridges. His account is documented in E&E Report No. 1801.

Prisoner of War

Sortie Log

4 CATALOGUED SORTIES
01 AUG 1943 — 01 AUG 1943

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
№ 115
01 AUG 1943
Ploesti Oil Fields
B-24D serial 42-40612 (designated A/C No. 612-K in unit records) departed Benghazi on August 1, 1943 as part of the low-level mission against the Ploesti oil fields in Romania. The aircraft was lost over the target as a result of enemy anti-aircraft fire. Weather conditions at the time of loss were not available. The aircraft carried a crew of eleven. Engine serials recorded: (a) 42-62861, (b) 42-62807, (c) 42-62784, (d) 42-62037. The MACR was prepared on 14 July 1944 by 1st Lt. George D. Weisel, Air Corps, Intelligence Officer. Two crew members, Dickson and Boswell, were interred in the village cemetery of Plop, Commune of Harsa, District of Prahova, Romania. A sketch of the cemetery was attached to the MACR file.
Euroclydon The Storm42-40612
№ 115
01 AUG 1943
Ploesti Oil Fields
B-24D serial 42-40612 (designated A/C No. 612-K in unit records) departed Benghazi on August 1, 1943 as part of the low-level mission against the Ploesti oil fields in Romania. The aircraft was lost over the target as a result of enemy anti-aircraft fire. Weather conditions at the time of loss were not available. The aircraft carried a crew of eleven. Engine serials recorded: (a) 42-62861, (b) 42-62807, (c) 42-62784, (d) 42-62037. The MACR was prepared on 14 July 1944 by 1st Lt. George D. Weisel, Air Corps, Intelligence Officer. Two crew members, Dickson and Boswell, were interred in the village cemetery of Plop, Commune of Harsa, District of Prahova, Romania. A sketch of the cemetery was attached to the MACR file.
Euroclydon The Storm42-40612
№ 115
01 AUG 1943
Ploesti
The aircraft was on fire when the crew bailed out over the Ploesti area on August 1, 1943 (the low-level Ploesti raid, Operation Tidal Wave). The bailout occurred at approximately 100 to 150 feet altitude. Reed reported seeing five dead bodies in the airplane after reaching the ground. The plane was completely destroyed upon crash — Reed examined the wreckage and reported nothing was salvageable. He believed the plane exploded on impact. The crash was at approximately 5:15 PM local time in the Ploesti area. The crash site and fate of most crew members were confirmed via the Romanian Army's death list, on which Reed reported seeing unidentifiable bodies listed.
—
№ 115
01 AUG 1943
Ploesti, Romania
The aircraft was hit by 20mm and 34mm AA fire in the nose during the low-level attack on Ploesti on 1 August 1943. Fires broke out under the navigator's table, in the rear at the waist, and on the flight deck. The plane was burning violently. The aircraft crashed approximately 3/4 mile from the bail-out point. Five crew members were found burned in the wreckage. Sgts. Reed and Vest visited the crash site and reported the plane was completely burned.
—