World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Charles R. Mueller
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
St. Louis County, Missouri
Honored By
Orville L. Kline
RANK: TECHNICAL SERGEANT. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE ARMY AIR CORPS JANUARY 23, 1943 AT JEFFERSON BARRACKS, MISSOURI. SERVED AS A B-17 ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ BOMBER TAIL GUNNER ASSIGNED TO THE 349TH BOMB SQUADRON, 100TH ‘BLOODY HUNDREDTH’ BOMB GROUP, U.S. 8TH AIR FORCE ‘MIGHTY EIGHTH’. HIS UNIT WAS BASED AT THE THORPE ABBOTS ROYAL AIR FORCE AIRFIELD ENGLAND, UNITED STATES ARMY AIRFIELD STATION #139. ON FRIDAY, MAY 12, 1944 HE WAS SHOT DOWN DURING A BOMBING RAID ON THE BRUX SYNTHETIC OIL REFINERIES LOCATED NORTHWEST OF PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC. WHILE OVER THE TARGET, HIS FLYING FORTRESS WAS HIT BY ARTILLERY FLAK BEHIND #3 ENGINE AND IN THE FUSELAGE NEAR THE BALL TURRET. THE BURNING BOMBER WENT INTO AN UNCONTROLLED SPIN, EXPLODED IN MID-AIR BEFORE IT CRASHED NEAR THE VILLAGE OF CESKY JIRETIN. THE BALL TURRET GUNNER WAS KILLED AND THE OTHER NINE CREWMEN BAILED OUT BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT EXPLODED. HE WAS CAPTURED BY THE GERMAN ARMED FORCES AND HELD IN CAPTIVITY AT AN UNKNOWN PRISONER OF WAR CAMP. BEFORE OR AFTER THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER, HE WAS REPATRIATED AND RETURNED TO MILITARY CONTROL.