Crew Roster · Personal File
Lee Sharp
Ball Turret Gunner · 409th Squadron
S/Sgt. Lee Sharp (18108375) served as ball turret gunner on the 409th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group aircraft during the August 1, 1943 Ploesti mission.
Sharp was wounded in the crash landing and taken as a prisoner of war in Romania. He recovered and was held as an internee until Romania changed allegiances in 1944. His serial number 18108375 is listed in the 15th Air Force repatriation orders of September 3, 1944, with the 93rd Bomb Group.
Completed Tour
Sortie Log
1 CATALOGUED SORTIE
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
The aircraft was lost on August 1, 1943 during the low-level Ploesti mission (Operation Tidal Wave), approximately 10 miles southwest of the target at around 1515 hours. Two engines were shot out and a third was hit, with the tail section badly damaged. The pilot crash-landed the aircraft rather than ordering a bail-out. None of the crew used parachutes. The plane did not explode on impact but was totally wrecked. Seven of the ten crew members were injured in the crash. Navigator 2nd Lt. Thompson reported seeing all crew members after reaching the ground. The crew was subsequently taken into Romanian custody and held as internees before being repatriated to Allied control in September 1944.
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