390th Bomb Group
GroupIWM, Roger Freeman Collection
The 390th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Framlingham, Suffolk, between July 1943 and the end of the war in Europe. The Group was engaged in strategic missions until the invasion of Europe when its role became more of a tactical one. This tactical role was more attuned to the needs of ground forces. For instance, the Group bombed the coast near Caen fifteen minutes before the landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944. The Group also carried out humanitarian missions, dropping food supplies for the Dutch in the final weeks of the war. The only man to fly 100 missions, Hewitt "Buck" Dunn, did so with the 390th Bomb Group.
Connections
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Unit stations
Station | Location | Date |
---|---|---|
Based |
Framlingham | 14 July 1943 - 4 August 1945 |
Encompassing
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Civilian
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 390th Bomb Group 570th Bomb Squadron
- Role/Job: Ground Echelon
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 390th Bomb Group 570th Bomb Squadron
- Role/Job: Ground Echelon
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 390th Bomb Group 570th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Civilian
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 390th Bomb Group 570th Bomb Squadron
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Silver Meteor
- Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Powerful Katrinka
- Unit: 390th Bomb Group 570th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Rum Boogie II, Dottie III, Green Banana
- Unit: 390th Bomb Group 569th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Patches, Well Never Know
- Unit: 390th Bomb Group 571st Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: All Shot to Hell
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron
Mission
- Date: 6 March 1944
- Date: 4 March 1944
- Date: 3 March 1944
- Date: 2 March 1944
- Date: 29 February 1944
Revisions
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / The Mighty Eighth. A History of the Units, Men and Machines of the US 8th Air Force.' by Roger A. Freeman (1989). 'Air Force Combat Units of World War II' compiled by the Department of the US Air Force, edited by Maurice Maurer (1983). / Units in the UK from ETOUSA Station List, as transcribed by Lt. Col. Philip Grinton (US Army, Retired) and extracted by IWM; air division data from L.D. Underwood, based on the 8th Air Force Strength Report of 6th August 1944, as published in 'The 8th Air Force Yearbook' by Lt. Col. John H Woolnough (1980)