Ronald; (pictures and documents coming from his proud nephew Jerry Spencer)

Ssgt. Ronald Spencer, was a bombadier with the 428th bomb squadron from March 1943 to August 1943. He flew 50 missions. His plane was the Ole Datch. OLE PATCH The pilot was Leonard Doolittle. (Capt. Leonard Doolittle became the GROUP Navigator). (Nephew) Jerry Spencer

Mediterranean Theatre of Operations;

1st MISSION; Friday, 12 March 1943

428th BS Mission Summary: (Ops Order ---/mission ---) Group Mission # 60: The following day the outfit had a battle on their hands. The mission was the same as usual--another sea search. The formation sighted eleven vessels consisting of Siebel Ferries and barges. As before there were two flights, upper and lower. Then ran into intense, accurate light flak and machine gun fire at the target. As the lower flight was on its bomb run, bombs from the higher element were seen to drop among the vessels and black smoke came up from two of them. The lower flight then tore into the vessels, dropping bombs and finishing what had been started by the first flight.It was hard to determine the exact damage done, as the weather was bad; however, an observer, Flight Lieutenant Dunn, R.A.F., was of the opinion that a least six vessels were sunk. A two-engine enemy aircraft, seen in the distance, was attacked by escort and seen to go down into the sea. Lt. Stack received a nasty shoulder wound from flak.

A/C No. 3 aircraft unidentified - may be “Bad Seed”

P Brock, James C., 1Lt

CP Blaauw, Harold A., 1Lt

N None

B Spencer, Ronald L., S/Sgt

E None

R Marrs, Horace S., S/Sgt

G Black, James F., Cpl

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2nd MISSIOn; Sunday, 4 April 1943

428th BS Mission Summary: (Ops Order ---/mission ---) Group Mission # 63: April 4th, 18 B-25’s took off on a sea search once again at 1300 hours. This time bomber command allowed us to use the altitude approach. Once the target was sighted each box of six was to pursue a separate path so timed and coordinated that one would pass over the target as the other passed off, without being in any danger from the following bombs of the other and son that they could regain a close formation in jig time. As the attack was to come from three directions, one or two bombs were bound to hit the vessel with reasonably accurate bombing regardless of the change in course resulting from her evasive action. It was an opportunity to prove we could get results without employing the skip-bombing technique and its attendant losses.

A/C No. 5 aircraft unidentified - may be “Bad Seed”

P Brock, James C., 1Lt

CP Blaauw, Harold A., 1Lt

N None

B Spencer, Ronald L., S/Sgt

E None

R Marrs, Horace S., S/Sgt G Black, James F., Cpl

MAY 1943;

S/Sgt. Ronald L. Spencer, 17033236 (428th BS), Air Medal awarded; two Clusters.

50 Combat Missions completed 9 Sept. 1943 - Potenza Marshalling Yards, Italy.

57th Bomb Wing Historical Research Team; John T Fitzgerald (446thBS Dad/Lt Jack Fitzgerald), Patti Johnsoon (446th BS T/Sgt Raymond Orechia) and Barbara Ennis Connolly (447th DadT/Sgt Ed Ennis)… Barbi Ennis Connolly PRINCESSBARBI_B25@msn.com

Ronald L Spencer