No_Report

Summary

9th AF; 416th Bomb Gp; 668th Bomb Sq

Reason: Enemy strafing

Location: Billingslebe, Germany

*Personnel*
Duty	Name	Rank	S/N	Status
Pilot	Carver, James H.	1Lt	O-759569	WIA, RTD
Airplane Armorer - Gunner	Brown, Forest O.	Pfc	37493292	WIA, RTD
Airplane Mechanic - Gunner	Graham, Nathan M.	S/Sgt	14131123	WIA, RTD
Airplane Crew Chief	Valentine, Carl NMI	S/Sgt	15019343	SWA, EUS, RTD

Description:
Three crews who had been injured by enemy fire while touring the Front in Germany received the PURPLE HEART, First Lieutenant James A. Carver, Staff Sergeant Nathan M. Graham, and Private first class Forest C. Brown.
(416th BG History 1945)

The disintegration of effective German resistance is evidenced by the fact that in twenty-four missions flown during April, the Squadron suffered no combat losses whatever. Our only casualties, ironically enough, occurred as the result of one of the last sorties flown by the expiring Luftwaffe on 12 April, against the spearhead element of a 3rd Army column advancing on Billingslebe. First Lieutenant James H. Carver (pilot), Pfc Forest C. Brown (armorer), S/Sgt Nathan M. Graham Jr. (aerial gunner), and S/Sgt Carl Valentine (crew chief), on detached service with a Third Army combat team, were accompanying the convoy in a jeep. German fighters, coming in on the deck, strafed the column and dropped fragmentation bombs. Lt Carver and Pfc Brown received slight scalp wounds. S/Sgt Graham suffered a punctured ear drum and lacerations of the right hand. S/Sgt Valentine sustained serious shrapnel wounds of the right leg and was transferred to a General Hospital. The other three injured men were returned to the unit.
("668th Bombardment Squadron (L) History")

General Orders No. 117, 13 June 1945, Purple Heart is awarded, for wounds received as a result of enemy action, to: First Lieutenant James H. Carver, O-759569, Air Corps, 416th Bombardment Group (L), United States Army, on 12 April 1945 in Germany. Entered military service from Honolulu, T.H.

General Orders No. 117, 13 June 1945, Purple Heart is awarded, for wounds received as a result of enemy action, to: Private First Class Forest C. Brown, 37493292, 416th Bombardment Group (L), United States Army, on 12 April 1945 in Germany. Entered military service from Kansas.

General Orders No. 117, 13 June 1945, Purple Heart is awarded, for wounds received as a result of enemy action, to: Staff Sergeant Nathan M. Graham, Jr., 14131123, 416th Bombardment Group (L), United States Army, on 12 April 1945 in Germany. Entered military service from Alabama.
(416th BG Purple Heart Awards (PDF))