Crew Roster · Personal File

Joseph A. Dondero

Bombardier · Edward McGuire · 409th Squadron

That same October, Dondero stepped into the role of bombardier for the lead crew. The position required precision and steady nerves, skills he would need in the months ahead as the Group's missions continued over Europe.

Sortie Log

7 CATALOGUED SORTIES
05 OCT 1944 — 05 JAN 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

№ 665

05 OCT 1944

LippstadtA/F

M1 (first mission). Plane: 168 'Y', B-24J, 409th — not found in DB. Captain Kenneth Gilbert (on his 71st mission) rode co-pilot seat per 93rd policy of pairing new crews with a veteran pilot. Prop-wash from another aircraft inverted the plane near bombs-away; crew salvoed bombs while inverted — bombs hit a crossroads dead center. Crew was posted MIA on return. McGuire called the target Paderborn; official target was Lippstadt M/Y.

—

№ 667

06 OCT 1944

Harburg Rhenania EbanoO/I