Medals Technical Sergeant Harold C. Dudley probably earned

Technical Sergeant Harold C. Dudley was born in British North America or Canada or Labrador or Newfoundland in 1918. He lived in Washington County, Maine. Harold completed 4 years of High School before he voluntary enlisted on January 7, 1942, at age 24, in Bangor, Maine.

Technical Sergeant Dudley became part of the 527th Bomber Squadron, 379th Bomber Group, Heavy . He probably served as a radio-operator on a flying fortress. The 379th Bomber Group was one of 12 heavy Bombardment Groups in the First Bombardment Division of the United States 8th Air Force. On November 26, 1942 the 379th Bomber Group was activated at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. The 379th Bomber Group had 4 (524th, 525th, 526th and 527th) B-17 squadrons.

In April/May 1943 they moved to England where they were stationed at Kimbolton, England. On May 29, 1943 they flew their first mission, with as target the bombing of German U-boat pens at St. Nazaire, France.

Technical Sergeant Harold C. Dudley was Killed in Action on June 11, 1943, at age 25, on a mission to bomb U-boat pens in Wilhelmshaven, Germany and then fly back over the Baltic Sea.

B-17

The 379th Bomber Group received a Presidental Unit Citation for their actions between May 28, 1943 to July 31, 1944, the period in which T-Sgt. Dudly was KIA. Their last mission was on April 25, 1945. They flew in total 330 missions, 10.492 sorties and had 141 B-17’s Missing in Action. The 379th Bomber Group flew more sorties than any other bomb group in the 8th Air Force, dropped a greater bomb tonnage than any other group, had a lower abortive rate than any other group in action from 1943, and pioneered the 12-plane formation that became Standard during 1944.

Technical Sergeant Harold C. Dudley’s final resting place is, together with 8,301 brothers in arms, the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, Plot I, Row 20, Grave 18.