Willard O. Wales, 17th BG, 344th BG, Martin B-26 Marauder pilot.

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432nd BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON (M) AAF
17th Bombardment Group (M) AAF
A.P.O. 374

12 July 1945

C E R T I F I C A T E

I hereby certify that I as the custodian of the records of F/0. WILLARD 0. WALES, T-130XXX, Pilot. I further certify that the following statistics are correct.

MISSIONS FLOWN ................................ 27
COMBAT SORTIES FLOWN ................. 23
COMBAT OPERATIONAL HOURS .......107:45
The following combat sorties were flown by F/0. Wales:

NO OF RAID | DATE. | TARGET | DURATION OF FLIGHT

1    3/03/45    Kirkel    4:40
2    3/13/45    Bad Kreuznach    4:35
3    3/15/45    Siegfried Line    3:10
4    3/16/45    ""             ""     3:30
5    3/16/45    ""             ""     2:55
6    3/18/45    Neustadt    3:50
7    3/19/45    Siegfried Line    3:40
8    3/21/45    Eberstadt    5:00
9    3/22/45    Neckargmund    4:00
10 3/23/45    Heidelberg    4:00
11 3/31/45    Heilbronn    4:10
12 4/02/45    Bablingen    4:05
13 4/09/45    Klein Engstingen    4:10
14 4/10/45    Schweinfurt    5:45
15 4/11/45    Strass    4:10
16 4/14/45    ""            4:10
17 4/15/45    Roube    4:20
18 4/16/45    Jaffe    4:10
19 4/16/45    Coubre    5:00
20 4/17/45    Gunzenhausen    4:25
21 4/18/45    Schussenreid    4:40
22 4/19/45    Ingolstadt    4:55
23 4/25/45    Schwabmunchen    4:15

CHARLES L. MILLER,
Major., Air Corps,
Commanding.

When the war was over the 17th BG was broke up most of the combat crews was transferred to 344bg. The ground personnel Along with thee top Officers were sent to Germany to inventory the German war equipment. I think we were transferred up in about June 1945 the 344bg was later transferred to Germany as part of the occupational air corps. I was with them until November 1945. I had enough points under the point system to ship home. Mr. Schnepper and Mr. Nimon were not in the 17bg the went to some other group. I was in the hospital when they shipped out so I don't know where they went. I attended the reunions from 1965 through 1997 when I was no longer physically able to attend. I have emphysema from smoking I am on 10 liters of oxygen 24 hrs a day 7 days a week I am also in the Hospices system if I can make it to the end of November I will have my 80th birthday. We moved a few years ago and I cant find my pictures of the crew that was taken at Barksdale before we shipped over seas. I will stick a picture of me taken at home in January 1946.

For the purpose of standardizing B-26 practice and transition flying the following procedures will be used by all pilots in this group: