Daniel B. Orr

Daniel Orr and crew were assigned to the 515th squadron.  Dan published his diary in the 376 Memory Book.  Click on the date to read about his missions.

JUN 8 1943   Left Topeka. KS for Morrison Field, FL. for overseas duty. Ran into bad weather but made it OK.

JUN 9             Stayed at Morrison until June 11. 1943.

JUN 11           Left Morrison for Waller Field. Trinidad. Flew over Puerto Rico and everything OK. Stayed at Trinidad that night.

JUN 12           Left Waller for Beleu. Brazil, and everything OK. Stayed in Beleu one night. Instrument flying conditions.

JUN 13           Left Beleu for Natal and flew over lots of jungle. Flew over Amazon River and crossed equator.

JUN 14           Stayed at Natal all day and night for inspection of ship. Went to town for about 3 hours and natives were very interesting.

JUN 15           Left to cross the Atlantic and landed at Dakar after 11 hours of flying. Navigator hit field right on the nose. Stayed at Dakar. Used French money. Had bubonic plague in town.

JUN 16           Left Dakar for Marrakech and stayed there two days for ship inspection. Went to town, a very interesting town.

JUN 17           Went from Marrakech to Algiers and went to town and made the rounds.

Lots of activity there in all branches of the Army. Stayed at field first night and then in town the next.

JUN 19          Left Algiers for Tripoli and flew over old battlegrounds. Had trouble with radio and had interceptor sent up after us.

JUN 20          Left Tripoli for Cairo and stayed there for the night and reported in and assigned to 376th Bomb Group. Ran into Bob Phillips and "Red" Melcher.

JUN 21         Left Cairo for Davenport and left ship there for final inspection.

JUN 22         Stayed there and El Kabrib until June 25th. Went swimming and rested up.

JUN 25         Flew to Benghazi and reported into Group and was assigned to 515th Bomb Sq. Moved into our tent. Lost "G. I. Ginnie" to 514th Sq.

JUN 26         Rested up and ready for raid tomorrow -- the first.

JUN 27         No raid for my crew. Engines went out before take off. Raided Kalamaki, Greece. Shot down eight ME 109's. None of our ships lost.

JUN 30         Ready for raid but called off because of weather. Going tomorrow.

Jerry just flew over Little AA. No mail yet.

JUL 1          Raid called off due to weather. Briefed at 1900 for raid tomorrow. -- Mail today.

JUL 2         

                  Received mail again today. Had official opening of Officers Club after raid.

JUL 3          Very quiet. Grasshoppers are thick as hell.

JUL 8

---Combat hours 15:45---

JUL 9

---Combat hours 23:15---

JUL 10         No raid. Moved into new tent that belonged to Lt. Field's crew. No mail

JUL 11         Very quiet. No mail for me - the others received it.

JUL 12        Talk on Sicily and other war developments by 9th AF Sq. officer.

JUL 13       

                 Mail today.  British Navy picked up Lt. O'Brien near Sicily.

---Combat hours 30:35---

JUL 14        (No notes on his mission.)

JUL 15         Got up at 0700 to go to see decorations given to crews. Was officer in charge of Honor Guard at ceremony. General Brereton pinned the medals on. Raid tomorrow. Mail today.

JUL 16

                  No mail today.

---Combat hours 47:15---

JUL 17         Very quiet. Had lecture on "Escape Procedure". Took bath for first time this month. No mail.

JUL 18         Very quiet. No mail. Raid tomorrow.

JUL 19         

                   Mail today.

---Combat hours 54:55---

JUL 22          No mail. Practiced low altitude mission.

JUL 23         Flew low altitude practice mission this morning and again this afternoon. Dropped 5 bombs on island. No mail. Kept on practicing low altitude mission and being briefed on the target until July 30th. Was shown movies of the target each day.

AUG 1 

---Combat hours 68:25---

AUG 2         No mail for the last 10 days. Rested up from mission.

AUG 3        Flew over Malta to pick up another B-24 (#92] that was shot up badly.

Very interesting sights in town. No mail.

AUG 4         Lots of rumors running around as to the group moving.

AUG 6         Mail today. Went down to opening of 512th Officers' Club. (Bev's and crew sq.) Flew high altitude practice mission. Dropped one 300# high altitude bomb.

AUG 7         Test hopped #90 and let Hack fly from pilot's side. Briefing for another special mission was put off until tomorrow.

AUG 8         Briefed for this long special mission but not going until weather permits. Have been getting up at 0400 and then have mission called off.

---Combat hours 80:40---

AUG 13    

AUG 16        Took off for raid to Foggia, Italy, but #3 engine cut out and had to turn back. Made landing with full bomb load and couldn' t see runway for a long time. Hurd went down on this mission. Hanson, Wrighter, and Smith.

AUG 19        Practiced new type formation for fighter opposition.

AUG 19 

---Combat hours 90:40---

AUG 21

---Combat hours 100:10---

AUG 25

---Combat hours 110:40---

AUG 28

---# Missions 13 Combat hours 119:40---

AUG 31

---# Missions 14 Combat hours 131:40---

SEP 3

---# Missions 15 Combat hours 141:10---

SEP 8

---Combat hours 151:25---

SEP 10

---Combat hours 161:10---

SEP 12

---Combat hours 168:50---

SEP 14      (No notes on his mission.)

SEP 16 

---Mission #20 Combat hours 188:35---

SEP 18

---Mission #21 Combat hours 201:20---

SEP 20      On spare ship. Didn't get to take off though. Mission was to Castel, Franco, Tento. All the way up the Adriatic. Most of old crews are going home. Finished their 300 hours.

SEP 22

---Mission #22. Combat hours 208:05---

OCT 1

---Mission #23. Combat hours 218:20—

OCT 6       Went to B G

OCT 7

---Mission #24. Combat hours 226:35---

OCT 8

---Mission #25. Combat hours 231:20---

OCT 11      Moved back to Tunisia again. Received telegram from my wife.

OCT 10

---Mission #26. Combat hours 239:05---

OCT 19

Mission #27 (43). ---Combat hours 246:50---

OCT 24

Made my Combat missions 44 (28) ---Combat hours 279:50---

OCT 29        General Doolittle pinned the D. F. C. on us here at our field. Had the ceremony for the Ploesti Raiders.

OCT 30

Mission #45 (29). ---Combat hours 287:50---

NOV 2

Mission #46. ---Combat hours 298:35---

NOV 9

Mission #47. ---Combat hours 306:35---

NOV 11

Mission #48. ---Combat hours 314:50---

NOV 12        Went to see General Borum on Special Mission.

NOV 13        LEFT FOR THE STATES!!!