On the 11th of december 1944 the assigned mission was to mannheim, germany. The group was awarded two distinguished unit citations, the first for bombing shipyards at bremen, whilst under heavy attack, on 8 october 1943 and. For veterans, they can augment memories with hard facts. Macheill, reported that just after bombs way at 12. Usaaf nose art research project research study into named planes of usaaf during world war two wwii.
See more ideas about military insignia, patches and air force patches. The 381st became operational in june 1943, during a period that saw the total number of american combat aircraft in the european theatre rise from 1,260 in may up to 4,242 at the end of the year. The triangle representing the first division of the eighth air force, and the l representing the 381st group. A list of boeing b17 flying fortresses which were assigned to the 532nd bomb squadron. The 2nd bomb group h was equipped with b17 aircraft, flew missions in north africa. The group, then composed of the 14th, 26th, 42nd bomb squadrons and 50th recon squadron conducted flying operation from hawaii with the douglas b18 twinengine bomber. All photos are 4 x 6, professionally printed on fuji paper. May 31, 2014 my dad eugene b sloan was the navigator of ap 4328085 pilot dean rasmussen when it went from hunter field through mcclellan field and fairfieldsuisan to the pacific wing. The group was awarded two distinguished unit citations, the first for bombing shipyards at bremen, whilst under heavy attack, on 8 october 1943 and the second was awarded to the 1st bomb division as a whole for flying without fighter protection to bomb aircraft factories at oschersleben on. Those units include the 92nd bombardment group 1942 1946, the 92nd bombardment wing 1947 1962, the 92nd stratagic aerospace wing 1962 1972, the 92nd bombardment wing 1972 1991, the 92nd. Within a very few days, the 36th squadron packed up and departed for port moresby. It was an annual reunion of the 381st bombardment group heavy.
The old airfield can still be clearly seen on satellite images, about a mile eastnortheast of the village of ridgewell itself. The 302nd bombardment group was a bomber training unit that served in the united states from 19421944. Oct 21, 2018 explore sekattys board wwii, 381st bomb group, ridgewell. The united states air force 381st training group at vandenberg air force base, california. This page is dedicated to all the men and women who served with the 381st bomb group based at.
Wrote a book entitled, finding a fallen hero, about the loss of a 532nd bs crew in combat. Happy bottom, 42102664, b17g55bo, 381st bomb group, 532nd squadron, happy bottom. Luckily the 381st bomb group history and detailed mission information is available online so i was able to trace his service history. He wrote a book in 2002 about his wartime experience titled on final approach. When i was done reading this book, i sent it off to my cousin because her father was assigned to one of the squadrons of the 351st bg which was the group at. This site was first posted in 1993 when a search for information on the web about the 381st was scarce.
May 14, 2020 explore edmacmillans board military insignia. B17 bomber flying fortress the queen of the skies home database 532nd bomb squadron. When author john meurs was a nineyearold schoolboy living in nazioccupied holland, an american b17 bomber crashed behind his house near the village of apeldoorn. The 381st bomb group held its annual reunion in baltimore from september 2 to 9, 1997. The 92nd usaff usaf memorial association is committed to remembering and honoring those who served, or are currently serving, in 92nd units. It is dedicated to the mighty men of the 381st bomb group stationed in ridgewell, england during ww ii. B17 flying fortress of the 381st bomb group 532nd bomb. Please select any of the units below to submit a research inquiry to ww2 researcher bill beigel.
Red decal red canvas yellow canvas 533rd bomb squadron, 381st bomb group, 8th army air force duplicate vintage patch available. Silver chenile black felt 532nd bomb squadron, 381st bomb group, 8th army air force. The 40th squadron of the 35th fighter group moved in with the 36th squadron of the 8th fighter group at antil plains on 17 april 1942. Postal stamp as part of the 1997 series depicting classic aircraft. The 381st bomb group were based at ridgewell in essex, arriving in may and june 1943. Sep 18, 2014 the 381st bomb group is fortunate in that it has a modern day successor, unlike many wwii groups, which was found in the cold war era 381st strategic missile wing at mcconnell afb, kansas sac, titan ii icbm and now in the 381st training group aetc, at vandenberg afb, california. Miscellaneous information related to the 381st bg 381st.
Air force 22nd bombardment group, medium usaf veteran locator. The 381st bombardment group was a b17 group in the eighth air force and took part in the daylight strategic bombing campaign over europe. Us army air force, corps wwii squadron patch insignia pictures. The 381st bomb group flew b17 flying fortresses from ridgewell, essex between june 1943 and april 1945. If you do not see the name of the unit you are searching for, you may click on any unit and type the correct name into the form that follows. The group was awarded two distinguished unit citations, the first for bombing shipyards at bremen, whilst under heavy attack, on 8 october 1943 and the second was awarded to the 1st bomb division as a whole for flying without fighter. The 534th training squadron is an inactive united states air force unit. Ii this site is dedicated to the 351st bombardment group heavy, eighth united. They are the actual daytoday records of the squadrons missions and movements from the inception of the group through the end of the war. The squadron took part in the daylight strategic bombing campaign over europe.
A mix of 532nd and 535th bomb squadron planes from the 381st bomb group. Searchable data base containing details are gathered from veterans, diary notes, official archive records, photographs and more. Jul 21, 2011 i recently aquired this a2 jacket which belonged to 534th bomb squadron commander major douglas l. Postal stamp picture is the account by lloyd sunderland about how the ship he was flying 532nd squadron of the 381st and a picture of it ended up on a u. The 381st bombardment group was a b17 group in the eighth air force and took part in the. The ve on the fuselage represented the 532nd squadron, vp was for the 533rd, gd for the 534th, and ms for the 535th. Within walking distance of the 40th squadron s camp was an airfield pasture. The under ground farmer took off on morning of the 6th august 1944 on a mission to bomb targets in brandenburg, germany.
B17 flying fortress of the 381st bomb group 532nd bomb squadron 1945 site statistics. After arriving in the south pacific, the airplane was transferred to the 100th bomb squadron of the 42nd bomb group. During world war ii, the groups first predecessor, the 381st bombardment group was an eighth air force boeing b17 flying fortress unit. Beginning in 1941, the group transitioned into the boeing b17 flying fortress flying patrol and search missions off the hawaiian islands. B17f of the 381st bomb group 534th bomb squadron world war.
His father and a gunner, assigned to a 532nd bomb squadron crew. Group the 381st bomb group flew b17 flying fortresses from ridgewell, essex between june 1943 and april 1945. The wing was composed of two strategic missile squadrons the 532nd and the 533rd. Four squadrons made up the group, the 532nd, 533rd, 534th and 535th bomb squadrons. B17f of the 381st bomb group 534th bomb squadron site statistics.
Item descriptionoriginal us army air forces photo showing a b17 flying fortress bomber assigned to the 532nd bomb sqdn, 381st bomb group on a bombing mission. Original wwii us aaf photo b17 on bombing mission 532nd. Squadrons of the 381st bg 532nd bombardment squadron heavy 533rd bombardment squadron heavy 534th bombardment squadron heavy 535th bombardment squadron heavy. The group was activated in june 1942 and became part of the second air force. L triangle symbol 381st bg squadrons identification codes. The daily reports from the 401st bomb squadron is part of that vast store of administrative detail. The 43rd bombardment group was created over the winter of 19401, on the us east coast, training with a mix of aircraft. History books aircraft time line commanders main bases. The aircraft closest to the camera 42102938 was lost in a midair collision during the mission to vienna on 16 march 1944emblem of the 340th bombardment squadron world war ii source mauer,mauer 1969, combat squadrons of the air force, world. Later flew missions from amendola air base, near foggia italy. The daily reports from the 322nd bomb squadron is part of that vast store of administrative detail.