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Missions 2LT Malrait Gilbert and the Thieme crew

During the period from January 1944 to April 1945, the 449th Bomb Group flew a total of 254 missions to targets located in Central and Eastern Europe. From each mission, a detailed report was prepared by the Operations Staff. These secret reports were prepared and submitted to the 47th Wing Headquarters as soon as possible, after the completion of the mission and generally on the same day as the mission. Each report was a standardized format with a chronological overview, circuit & attack, results, enemy resistance, important observations and conclusions. The original mission reports are kept by the USAF Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, AL. The Historical Research Agency is open to the public. Below is a summary of the missions that 2LT Malrait Gilbert flew with the Thieme Crew from Grottaglie Italy.

Special thanks to Marc Coffee who provided me the mission folders (+/- 9000 pages).

Mission
Number
Date
Target
No. of
449th
A/C
Over
Target
Tons of
Bommbs
dropped
Nr. of
enemy
A/C
destroyed
Loading lists
15
24/01/1944
Skopje, Yugoslavia
Airdrome.
29
52-1/4 GP
0
2ndLT Beck and SSGT Ebert in Swan crew.
2ndLT Beck and S/SGT Ebert in Swan crew
16
28/01/1944
Ferrarra, Italy
M/Y
28
69-3/4 GP
0
2ndLT Beck in McCormick crew.
2ndLT Francis Beck in McCormick crew
17
29/01/1944
Arezzo, Italy
M/Y
33
0
0
18
30/01/1944
Udine, Italy
Airdrome
32
37-1/5 Frag
6(Destryd)
1(Prob)
2(Damgd)
Accident 01-30-1944
Accident during take off, bombardier 2ndLT Beck slightly injured. Did not take off!
21
04/02/1944
Toulon, France
Harbor
24
0
0
F/O Thieme in Grimmer crew
F/O William Thieme co-pilot in Grimmer crew
22
08/02/1944
Prato, Italy
M/Y
33
82-1/2 GP
0
2LT Malrait in Woodle crew
2LT Gilbert Malrait navigator in Woodle crew
23
10/02/1944
Genzano, Italy
M/Y
31
0
0
Loading list
24
 14/02/1944
Prato, Italy
M/Y
37
80 GP
0
Loading list 14-02-1944
25
 15/02/1944
Poggibonsi, Italy
M/Y
31
45 GP
0
Loading list 15-02-1944
26
 16/02/1944
Poggibonsi, Italy
M/Y
23
57-1/4 GP
0
Loading list 15-02-1944
28
20/02/1944
Beachhead troop concentration
17
42-1/2 GP
0
Early return.
Early return, oil system failure engine 4.
33
 19/03/1944
Knin, Yugo.
M/Y
37
85 GP
0
Loading list 19-03-1944
34
 24/03/1944
Steyr, Austria
Ball Bearing Factory
0
Geen
0
Loading list 24-03-1944
35
 28/03/1944
Mestre, Italy
M/Y
40
99-3/4 GP
0
Loading list 28-03-1944
36
 29/03/1944
Bolzano, Italy
M/Y
36
87-1/2 GP
0
Loading list 29-03-1944
2ndLT Malrait replaced by 2ndLT Thomson
37
 30/03/1944
Sofia, Bulgaria
Industrial Area
35
87-1/2
3
Loading list 30-03-1944
2ndLT Malrait replaced by 2ndLT Thomson
39
 03/04/1944
Budapest, Hungary
M/Y
30
72-1/2 GP
0
Loading list 03-04-1944
40
 04/04/1944
Bucharest, Romania
M/Y
28
70 GP
40
Loading list 04-04-1944


19/01/1944
Perugia, Italy
Air Drome
SSGT Sunderland in Swan crew
20/01/1944
Guidonia, Italy
Air Drome
SSGT Sunderland in Grimmer crew
Early return
21/01/1944
Pontedera, Italy
M/Y
SSGT Sunderland in Grimmer crew
22/01/1944
Terracina, Italy
Road
SGT Sunderland in Grimmer crew
23/01/1944
Perugia, Italy
M/Y
SGT Sunderland Raymond in Grimmer crew
24/01/1944
Skopje, Yugo.
M/Y
SGT Sunderland Raymond in Grimmer crew

SGT Raymond Sunderland.SSGT Raymond Sunderland was originaly assigned to the Easters crew but most of the crew was to die on the crash in the Atlas Mountains of North Africa during movement overseas. All 14 men aboard lost. An original aircraft and crew. In addition to crew members of the Easters crew, some members of 719th HQ staff were lost.
SSGT Raymond Sunderland flew then missions in the Swan crew and Grimmer crew.
From January 29, 1944 to his last mission on April 4, 1944 SSGT Sunderland flew missions in the Thieme crew.