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Podington
Military site : airfield
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![A bomber crew of the 92nd Bomb Group return to Podington following a mission flying B-17 Flying Fortresses to Wittenberg. A B-17 Flying Fortress (NV-K, serial number 42-29994) is visible in the background. Image stamped on reverse: 'Passed for Publication 23 Feb 1945' [stamp]. ' News Chronicle Copyright Picture' [stamp]. Printed caption on reverse: 'Crew back from Wittenberg.'](http://www.americanairmuseum.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/freeman/media-379172.jpg?itok=0pNZkV6c)
A bomber crew of the 92nd Bomb Group return to Podington following a mission flying B-17 Flying Fortresses to Wittenberg. A B-17 Flying Fortress (NV-K, serial number 42-29994) is visible in the background. Image stamped on reverse: 'Passed for Publication 23 Feb 1945' [stamp]. ' News Chronicle Copyright Picture' [stamp]. Printed caption on reverse: 'Crew back from Wittenberg.'
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Official Air Ministry Record Site Plan- Airfield site 1944
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Official Air Ministry Record Site Plan- Dispersed sites 1944
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The Doc Furniss War, and Historic Film account by Captain William E Furniss, Flight Surgeon of the 92nd Bomb Group.
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42-31898 Irene A and initial crew. Photo a gift from the pictured crew to Irene A, the namesake of the aircraft. - from family archives. Interested persons are invited to name members of the crew pictured here, if possible.
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The Podington "Big Picture" on display at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford. This piece of "wall-art" represents a B-17 of the 92nd Bomb Group. United States Eighth Air Force. The 92nd was the oldest group in the Eighth Air Force having been the first group to make a non-stop crossing of the Atlantic to the UK in August 1942. This Picture was removed from a hut at the Podington site in October 1989 by the Eighth Wall Art Conservation Society with the assistance of the USAF Europe. After the closure of Podington in 1946 the airfield was returned to agricultural use and the hut converted into a pig sty. It is probably for this reason that the picture survived. Originally painted by S/Sgt Waldschmidt the picture will be conserved by a team led by H Bosowitz.
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2nd Lt Lawrence Cook Crew: Back Row L to R: Thomas Mikulka-TG; John J Alexander, Jr-WG; Milo Blakely-WG; Jay Joyce-RO; John R Kyler-BGT; John Booth-TT Front Row L to R: Emmett Bell-B; Donald Caylor-N (KIA); Robert Bangs-CP; Lawrence Cook-P
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Aerial photograph of Podington airfield looking south west, the main runway runs vertically, 9 May 1944. Photograph taken by 13th Photographic Squadron, 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7GR/LOC334. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).
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Aerial photograph of Podington airfield looking east, the barrack sites are to the lower left of the airfield, 9 May 1944. Photograph taken by 13th Photographic Squadron, 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7GR/LOC334. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).
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Aerial photograph of Podington airfield looking north, the control tower, technical site and T2 hangar are in the upper middle, barrack sites are upper left 13 April 1947. Photograph taken by No. 58 Squadron, sortie number RAF/CPE/UK/1994. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
Built originally to accommodate two RAF bomber squadrons, the first USAAF unit to occupy the base was the 15th Bomb Squadron in September 1942. Podington was then used as a satellite for nearby Chelveston. Work to lengthen the runways, although this was not wholly successful due to landscape problems: one of the runways remained 1,100 yards long, the shortest at any Eighth Air Force airfield. The 100th Bomb Group moved in for a short time in 1943, before being replaced by th 92nd Bomb Group. The 92nd left Podington at the end of the war in Europe, and the airfield was used by the Ministry of Defence for storage. After it was sold off in the 1960s, the airfield was developed into a home for drag racing, now known as 'Santa Pod'.
Detailed history
Not yet known
English Heritage's record description
Not yet known
Service
Units
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92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Group
The 92nd Group sometime after arrivial in the UK converted to the role of in-theater combat crew indocrination and training. For this role, the Group traded its B-17F complement and obtained the B-17E, mostly from the 97th BG which was departing for... -
301st Bomb Group
Group
Activated 3-February-1942 at Geiger Field, Washington and equipped with B-17s. On 27-May-1942 the ground unit moved to Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico, and the aircraft went to Muroc Army Air Field (now Edwards Air Force Base), California for... -
100th Bomb Group
Group
"The Bloody Hundredth", so-called because of a reputation for losing a high number aircraft and crews, flew B-17s from Thorpe Abbotts, Norfolk. Their losses were not the highest of any Eighth Air Force Group but on several occasions the Group lost many... -
18th Weather Squadron
Squadron
Browse 18th Weather Squadron photographs and other documents in the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library digital archive here: www.2ndair.org.uk/digitalarchive/Dashboard/Index/60 -
325th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
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326th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
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327th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
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32nd Station Complement Squadron
Squadron
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15th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
The 15th Bomb Squadron was the first US bomb unit sent to UK. Flying personnel arrived at Newport without aircraft on 13 May 1942. ...
People
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Frank Adams
Military | Staff Sergeant | Bombardier; Togglier | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Upon returning from a flight check, B-17G #42-37799 landed long and ran off the end of the runway. RTD. Struck by 20mm shells, B-17G #42-31888 went out of control, exploded into to pieces and crashed E of Hamm, GR on a mission to Munster and Hamm, GR... -
George Adams
Military | Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Shot down 30 April 1944 in B-17 #42-107012, Killed in Action (KIA). PH -
George Anderson
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Shot down by FW190s, B-17G #42-31532 crashed NW of Culman/Westfalen, GR on a mission to Munster and Hamm, GR on 23 Mar 1944. Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Robert Anderson
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Sgt. Robert Gordon Anderson was my father. He was from Cook, Minnesota and enlisted in the 8th Air Force so he would have more choice in his service. He wanted to be a pilot but did not make it and was a tail gunner on a Flying Fortress. He and my mom... -
James Angelillo
Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Shot down 30 April 1944 in B-17 #42107012. Killed in Action (KIA). PH -
Alfred Antonacci
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Assigned to 327BS, 92BG, 8AF USAAF. Blair Belongia crew. Ditched in Channel 5-Sep-43, on return from mission to Stuttgart due to fuel shortage in B-17 42-30668. All crew rescued by ASR. ... -
William Arntsen
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Assigned to 325BS, 92BG, 8AF USAAF. Hit by flak and landed in Sweden on 18-Mar-45 in B-17 Flag Ship 42-97288 Interned (INT). MACR 13150 Awards: WWII Victory, EAME. -
Glenn Asp
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Last seen near Esbjerg, Denmark in a steep dive on a mission to Aalbborg airfield, Denmark on 22 Feb 1944 in B-17G #42-97494 'Hot Rock'. Plane apparently crashed into the North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA). -
Carl Atteberry
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Carl O Atteberry served with the 92nd Bomb Group. On 26 November 1943 he was flying a mission over Bremen in pilot First Lieutenant Bernard Makowski's crew. Their aircraft came under sustained attack and Atteberry died when his oxygen supply failed him... -
Luther Baker
Military | Captain | Navigator | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Assigned to 327BS, 92BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Bochum, Germany in B-17 42-5801 12-Aug-43; A/C belly landed. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 656 Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
Aircraft
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41-24343
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 92BG Podington 13/7/42; transferred 343BS/97BG Polebrook 8/42; Maison Blanche 22/11/42; transferred 414BS; Salvaged 15/3/43 in Oran. PEGGY D Jr (II). -
41-24359
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 301BG Westover 8/9/42; instead of assignment to 12AF, Italy transferred to Chelveston 16/9/42; 813BS/305BG Grafton Underwood/Chelveston 25/11/42, sent to pathfinder base RAF Wyton of installation of Oboe Mk I radar equipment; 325BS/92BG [NV-F]... -
41-24360 'Hells Kitchen'
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned RAF [FA675] but transferred 419BS/301BG Westover 7/42; Podington 6/8/42; Tafaraoui 24/11/42; 101m; Returned to ZI flown home by Lt Col Skip Stoddard Oct 43 ... -
41-24361
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned RAF [FA676] but transferred 301BG Westover 18/7/42; Podington 6/8/42; Tafaraoui, Alg 24/11/42; 96BS/2BG Massicault, Tun {38m} 348BS/99BG Oudna, Tun 28/3/44 {52m}; 840BS/483BG Tortorella, It 31/3/44; {98m in total} Returned to the USA 11/6/44;... -
41-24362
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned RAF [FA677] but transferred 419BS/301BG Westover 6-Aug-42; Podington 6-Aug-42; ditched Channel just off Margate, on return from Lille 9-Oct-42 aircraft flew 3 missions. Crew rescued, the first such 8AF sea rescue. No MACR issued. 10 RTD. ... -
41-24363
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 32BS/301BG Westover 7/42; Podington 6/8/42; originally assigned RAF as [FA678]; Tafaraoui 24/11/42; Missing in Action {6m} Bizerte, Tun 28/11/42 with John Bruce, Co-pilot: Earl, Navigator: Knop, Bombardier: Tannehill, Flight engineer/top... -
41-24364
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned RAF [FA679]; Assigned 353BS/301BG 16/3/42; transferred 32BS Westover 6/8/42; Podington, UK 6/8/42; Tafaraoui, Alg 24/11/42 {64m}; 429BS/2BG Massicault, Tun 14/11/43; Amendola, It 9/12/43; Missing in Action Fano 15/1/44 with Bill Pederson,... -
41-24366
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned RAF [FA681] but transferred 353BS/301BG Westover 7/7/42; Podington 6/8/42 {6m}; Tafaraoui, Alg 24/11/42; 346BS/99BG Navarin, Alg 3/4/43; transferred 429BS/2BG {5m}; ret 99BG; Le Senia, It. depot 3/44; crash landed 19/8/44. Salvaged. K.O. -
41-24367
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned RAF [FA682] but transferred 419BS/301BG Westover 7/7/42; Podington 6/8/42; Tafaraoui 24/11/42; bombed by Luftwaffe at Biskra base 10/1/43. {20m} Salvaged. -
41-24368
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 352BS/301BG Westover 7/42; slated for RAF [FA683] Podington 6/8/42, but retained by USAAF for Tafaraoui 26/11/42; Maison Blanche 5/12/42; crash landed Bone {6m} 8/12/43 with Harry Brasher, crew?; Salvaged. MAVERICK.
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 02 November 2017 12:06:38 | Lucy May | Changes to person associations and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
Connected aircraft records that have 'Podington' in their biography fields. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:02:17 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Barry Anderson, Army Air Forces Stations (Alabama, 1985) / Roger Freeman, Airfields of the Eighth Then And Now (London, 1978) Roger Freeman, Mighty Eighth War Manual (London, 2001) Michael Bowyer, Action Stations 6: Military Airfields of the Cotswolds and the Central Midlands (Cambridge, 1983) |
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