Barrett Family of Minneapolis, since 1875: Raymond Gene Barrett: Army Air Force Service in World War Two

Allied Families

The following allied families are in our direct Barrett ancestry: Potter, Minot, Wheeler, Jones, Merriam, Stone, Cutler, Dewey, Lawrence, Johnson, Spaulding, Chandler, Ladd, Gilman, Maverick, Hurley, Hilton, Dudley, Hall, Jewett, Hutchins, Carleton, Haseltine, Stone, Eastman, Smith, Barnard, Peasley, Kimball, Wilson, Farnum, Mason, Wells, Fiske, Wyeth, Monk, Brown, Simonds, Cravath, Clutterbuck, Hook, Butler, Austin, Wintermute (Windemuth), Kleppinger, Bernhardt, Ludolsin, Arason, Hankinson, Mattison, Snyder

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Raymond Gene Barrett: Army Air Force Service in World War Two

Ray Barrett is 2nd row, far right

Patch of the 352nd Bombardment Squadron

Raymond Gene Barrett enlisted in the Army Air Force during World War Two, with intentions to serve as a pilot. He graduated from Primary Flight Training School after having soloed and qualified in a Fairchild PT-19 in Ballinger, Texas; however, there was a surplus of pilots and a much bigger need for gunners. He retrained as an Armorer and Gunner then served as a Waist Gunner, Armorer and Togglier on a B-17 during World War Two.

Raymond G Barrett

Cpl 352 Squadron

Ray G. Barrrett's service record:
Induction: 21 Jun 1943:
Active Service: 2 Jul 1943:
Basic Training for Aviation Cadets: July/Aug 1943, Jefferson Barracks, MO. :
College Training Detachment (5mos.) at 2600 AAFBU, CTD Aircrew (S.W. :
Missouri Teacher's College, Springfield, MO). :
Primary Flight Training: Feb/March 1944 306th AAFFTD, Bruce Field, Ballinger, TX:
Armorer Technical School: Spring 1944, AAFTS Lowry Field, CO:
Flexible Gunnery School: Aug/Sep 1944, 327 AAF Base Unit, Kingman Field, AZ:
Combat Crew Training: Oct 44-Jan 45, 3rd AF PD, Drew Field, Tampa also :
Replacement Depot, Plant Park, Tampa.
Depart US: 18 Feb 1945 from 1379 Base Unit, Dow Field, Bangor, ME:
Crash at Meeks field Iceland 3/3/1945.
Arrive Lucera Field, Foggia, Italy 16 March 1945 serving with 301st Bomb Group - 352nd Bomb Squadron, :
George D. Grace ? Pilot for crew. :
Depart Italy: 14 Jun 1945:
Arrive US: 18 Jun 1945:
Separation: 24 Nov 1945, 211th AAF Base Unit, Sioux Falls, SD:

Ray passed away in Feb 2005 and is buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, MN. :

Crew was formed at Plant Park, Tampa and then picked up their 1st aircraft at Savannah, GA and named it 'Misbehavin' Lady'. Tail number was 44-83340, B-17G. They flew the northern route but got caught in bad snow storm at night and crash landed into anther aircraft at Meeks Field Iceland on 3/3/45. Took ATC rest of way to Scotland, England, Paris then Bari, Italy.

The crew consisted of the following:
George D. Grace, Jr. - Pilot
Thomas J. Kerrissey - Co-Pilot
Leonard P. Spagnolo - Navigator
John P. Snyder - Bombardier
Lawrence T. Ducas - Flight Engineer
Raymond Gene Barrett - Waist Gunner & Togglier
William J. Radigan - Waist Gunner
Arthur G. Buchholz - Ball Turret Gunner
Anthony T. Corbi - Tail Gunner
Albert R. Masserini - Radio Operator

They arrived at Lucera 16 March 1945 and flew 21 missions. Bombardier was pulled from crew for Radar training - and Ray stood in as Togglier.

The planes they flew from Italy were: 'Ain't Misbehavin' - a B-17G and 'Snoozin' Susan' - an older B-17F with camoflage and retrofitted chin turret.

Crew's dog was 'Malfunction'.