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SSgt.
Walter T. Vaughn
557th
BS/387th BG
The 387th BG records are very poor and do not include full crew manifests for their missions so a full mission list is not possible to compile for SSgt. Vaughn.
The only way a crew members progress can be measured is by the award of each Air Medal and Oak Leaf Cluster, these were awarded for each 5 completed missions, those in the records for SSgt Vaughn are as follows, (bear in mind that the dates shown are the date of the award and not the date upon which each batch of 5 missions was completed, there usually being a delay before the actual announcement of the award):
June 29, 1944 IX BC Gen Order No 115 Air Medal
??? Missing from the records Oak Leaf Cluster to AM
August 15, 1944 IX BC G.O. No 155 2nd OLC to AM
August 26, 1944 IX BC G.O. No 165 3rd OLC
September 4, 1944 IX BC G.O. No 172 4th OLC
September 30, 1944 IX BD G.O. No 6 5th and 6th OLC
October 3, 1944 IX BD G.O. No 9 7th OLC
October 26, 1944 IX BD G.O. No 23 8th OLC
November 22, 1944 IX BD G.O. No 33 9th OLC
December 22, 1944 IX BD G.O. No 46 10th OLC
January 13, 1945 IX BD G.O. No 6 11th OLC
April 24, 1945 IX BD G.O. No 56 Distinguished Flying Cross
So from the above we can determine that SSgt. Vaughn completed at least 60 missions but no more than 64 missions. The award of the DFC was for “Extraordinary Heroism in Aerial Flight” up until April 1944 this was awarded for the completion of 25 missions but it was felt that this devalued the award and after that date a person had to have performed some form of achievement in flight to receive the award, this had to be ratified by board of enquiry so hence the delay in the actual award until April. Sadly the citations for such awards are not included in the records so for what action/achievement or the date it referred to is not recorded.
What I do know is that SSgt. Vaughn was a part of the crew led by 2Lt. (later 1LTt.) George A. Seipp as pilot, 2Lt. James P. Render as copilot, with Sgt. Raymond W. Allard or Sgt. Blair as radio operator and SSgt. Robert F. Davis as Armorer/Gunner.
This crew most likely arrived at Sta 162 Chipping Ongar in May 1944 as a replacement crew.
Whilst a crew roster for each mission is not included in the Group records I can list the missions that Lt. Seipp flew as a first pilot and that SSgt. Vaughn possibly flew on most of these missions, but there is no guarantee that he did, so this information must be used with caution as it cannot be verified:
I can only find 55 missions with 2Lt. Seipp (later 1Lt.) listed as first pilot, we know through the award of 12 OLCs to his AM he flew at least 65 mission so 10 have not been identified but there are a number of missions in the records for which not even the first pilot’s name is not so he might have flown on some of these missions.
Lt Seipp’s mission missions flown are shown as detailed below, but I must stress there is no guarantee that SSgt Vaughn was on these missions:
(those shown in italics did not count toward a tour as they were aborted)
Key to target abbreviations:
Br = Bridge, C/C = Communications Center (usually a defended crossroads or village), C/D = Coastal Defences, D/A = Defended Area, F/D = Fuel Dump, M/T = Motor Transport Depot, M/Y = Marshalling Yard, Rd/J = Road Junction, Road Br = Road Br, RR/G = Railroad mounted gun, S/P = Strongpoint, T/C = Troop Concentration, V-1 Site = V-weapon launching site,
Date Target Aircraft Flown Notes
May 31 Bennecourt Rd Br 41-31714 KS-K “Keller’s Killer”
June 3 Etaples C/D 41-31707 KS-R “Five by Fives”
June 6 Beau Guillot C/D 41-31672 KS-Q “Worry Wart", Abort – Lost formation in cloud
June 7 Rennes Br 42-95869 TQ-F “Front Burner II”, 559 BS aircraft
June 7 Villedieu M/Y 41-31717 KS-B “Ollie L”
June 8 Foret de Grimbosq 42-107809 KS-N, Recalled weather
June 10 St Lo RR/G & Br 41-35248 KS-S “Ruffles”
June 10 Bretteville Rd & Br 41-31611 KS-T “Sweatin 2nd”
June 13 Domfront F/D 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
June 14 Ambrieres Rd/J 41-31690 KS-L “Lucky Lou”
June 18 Rennes M/Y 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
June 20 Lambus V-1 Site 41-31672 KS-Q “Worry Wart”
June 23 Remainsil V-1 Site 41-31717 KS-B “Ollie L”
June 25 Foret de Senonches F/D 41-31707 KS-R “Five by Fives”
June 25 Foret d’ Ecouves F/D 41-31707 KS-R “Five by Fives’
June 30 Villers Bocage 41-31707 KS-R “Five by Fives”
July 6 Doullens Citadel 41-31717 KS-B “Ollie L”
July 16 St Lo D/A 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
July 16 Foret de la Guerche F/D 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
July 18 Demouville D/A 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
July 19 Tours RR Br 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
July 21 387th BG moves from Sta 162 Chipping Ongar to Sta 452 Stoney Cross
July 23 Serquigny RR Br 41-31691 KS-H “ Capes Gremlin Chaser”
July 25 St Lo T/C 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
July 26 Marigny D/A 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
July 28 Bouth RR Br 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
July 28 Foret de Senonches F/D 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
July 30 Caumont D/A 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
August 4 St. Remi sur Avre RR Br 42-96276 KS-N “Miss BeHavin”
August 5 Briollay RR Br 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”, Formation recalled, no escort
August 5 Briollay RR Br 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
August 12 Corbeil Fuel Depot 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
August 16 Anizy Le Chateau Br 41-31714 KS-K “Keller’s Killer”
August 17 Beaumont le Roger Br 42-96309 KS-G “Shirley D”
August 27 387th BG moves to A-15 Maupertus, France
September 6 Brest S/P’s 41-31672 KS-Q “Worry Wart”
September 12 Siegfried Line S/Ps 41-31718 KS-O “El Capitan” (Aborted lost power)
September 16 Metz S/Ps 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
September 18 387th BG moves to A-39 Chateaudun, France
September 28 Foret de Parroy T/C 41-31720 KS-Z “Ole Smokey”
September 29 Euskirchen M/Y 41-35248 KS-S “Ruffles”
October 3 Duren Ammo/D 41-31799 KS-F “Eaglet”
October 8 Erkelenz Town 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
October 12 Camp de Bitche D/A 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
October 28 387th BG moves to A-71 Clastres, France
November 4 Eschweiler G/P 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
November 17 Weisweiler T/C 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
November 19 Merzig S/Ps 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
November 25 Kaiserlautern Ammo/D 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
November 30 Zweibrucken Depot 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
December 6 Mariaweiller D/A 41-31799 KS-F “Eaglet”
December 9 Dellfeld RR Sidings 41-31799 KS-F “Eaglet”
December 23 Mayen RR Br. 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
December 23 Prum C/C 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
December 24 Nideggen C/C 41-31717 KS-B “Ollie L”
December 27 Nonnweiller RR Br 41-31871 KS-X “Dottie”
January 2 Badmunster RR Br 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
January 16 Erkelenz C/C 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
January 22 Dasburg Rd Br 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
February 6 Rosbach RR Br 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser”
February 6 Berg Gladbach M/T 41-31720 KS-Z “Ole Smokey”
February 8 Materborn D/A 44-67924 KS-L “Dixie Darling”
February 9 Viersen C/C 44-67924 KS-L “Dixie Darling”
From the above we can see that 1Lt. Seipp flew many missions in aircraft 41-31691 KS-H “Capes Gremlin Chaser” so it may be considered as “his” aircraft whilst serving with the Group.
Alan Crouchman
Left to Right: Render, Seipp, Vaughn, Blair and Davis
Left to Right: Davis, Render, Seipp, Vaughn and Allard
"Capes Gremlin Chaser" with "Baby Bumps II"
Left to Right: Standing, Seipp, Vaughn, Render; Kneeling, Davis, Allard
