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Edmund F "Misch" Auer, Mayfield R Shilling, Francis C "Eb" Eberhart and Ralph R Searle of the 487th Bomb Group outside the 838th Bomb Squadron operations room at Lavenham, 1944.

This photo was probably taken soon after the 487th Bomb Group arrived in England in April 1944.

IWM catalogue record

This contains information written on the back of the original print and some of it may be inaccurate.

Officers of the 487th Bomb Group outside the 838th Bomb Squadron operations room.

Connections

Units

  • 487th Bomb Group

    487th Bomb Group

    Group
    The 487th Bomb Group began operations as preparations for D-Day were reaching their crescendo and played their part by bombing airfields in northern France. Like the 486th Bomb Group, the 487th switched to B-17 Flying Fortress for missions from 1...

  • 838th Bomb Squadron

    838th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

People

  • Edmund Auer

    Military | Captain | Lead Navigator

  • Francis Eberhart

    Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Commanding Officer
    33 missions--13 B-24, 20 B-17 Flew on B-24H 42-52763 Blow Job DFC 1C, AM 4C

  • Ralph Searle

    Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier
    Lt Searle was Squadron Bombardier of the 838th Bomb Squadron during training in the States from September to December 1943. He flew overseas as bombardier on the crew of Lt Richard A. Ridlen, 837th Bomb Squadron, and was later transferred to the 418th...

  • Mayfield Shilling

    Military | Major | Air Leader
    Mayfield R. Shilling (16 Jul 1918 – 28 Jul 1997), U.S. Army Air Corps, of Texas. He was a pilot, operations officer, and air leader in the 838th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group (Heavy), based at Army Air Forces Station 137, Lavenham, Suffolk,...

Locations

  • Lavenham

    Military site : airfield
    Lavenham was built as a standard USAAF bomber airfield, with fifty hardstandings, T2 hangars and 2,000 and 1,400 feet runways. John Laing and Son Ltd. carried out the work in 1943, and the airfield opened in April 1944. The 487th Bomb Group occupied...

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Collection name
Roger Freeman Collection
Object number
FRE 2045

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
04 June 2019 14:44:31 Emily Changes to caption
Sources

Transferred biographical details to peoples' biographies
Date Contributor Update
22 March 2019 19:20:20 PaulWebber Changes to caption
Sources

Minor grammatical editing of caption
Date Contributor Update
19 February 2018 20:08:41 PaulWebber Changes to caption
Sources

1. Burbridge, Leo M., ed. 'The History of the 487th Bombardment Group, 22 September 1943 to 7 November 1945'. San Angelo, TX: Newsfoto Yearbooks, 1946 (aka Blue Book; out of print)
http://digicom.bpl.lib.me.us/ww_reg_his/130/
2. American Air Museum page for Ralph R. Searle
http://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/176209
Date Contributor Update
20 April 2015 04:03:53 PaulWebber Changes to caption, person associations and place associations
Sources

1. 487th Bomb Group Association, www.487thbg.org
2. de Jong, Ivo. 'The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H)'. Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004
3. de Jong, Ivo M; Hauenstein, Lee C; and Webber, Paul M. 'Photo History of the 487th Bomb Group (H)'. PRI Communications Inc, Nov 2010, www.487thbg.org/Book/487thPhotoBook.shtml
Date Contributor Update
20 April 2015 03:39:11 PaulWebber Changes to caption
Sources

1. 487th Bomb Group Association | www.487thbg.org
2. de Jong, Ivo. 'The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H)'. Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004
3. de Jong, Ivo M; Hauenstein, Lee C; and Webber, Paul M. 'Photo History of the 487th Bomb Group (H)'. PRI Communications Inc, Nov 2010 | www.487thbg.org/Book/487thPhotoBook.shtml
Date Contributor Update
08 September 2014 15:18:08 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

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