1st Combat Bomb Wing
Wing
Group
The 351st Bomb Group flew strategic bombing missions from their base at Polebrook, Northamptonshire from April 1943 to June 1945. The Group's most famous member was Hollywood actor Clark Gable, who flew four/ five missions with them as an observer gunner for the making of recruitment film 'Combat America'. The Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations, the first for bombing an aircraft factory at Anklam, Germany under heavy fire, on 9 October 1943 and the second for a mission on 11 January 1944 bombing aircraft factories at Oschersleben, a DUC that was awarded to all 1st Bomb Division Groups.
Wing
Wing
The First Bomb Wing arrived in the UK in July 1942. The wing command became the 1st Bomb Division in August 1943, while the wing was retitled the 1st Combat Bomb Wing.
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Headquarters
13 May 1943
The large fighter sweeps of the last several weeks have not been successful in drawing any significant numbers of German fighters in opposition. So, if the German will not send his fighters up for a one-on-one confrontation with the American P-47s,...
14 May 1943
Today's operations will be the most extensive yet mounted by VIII Bomber Command. The operations call for a "maximum effort". Whereas in the past a single target or those close together have been chosen, today's effort is against widley separated...
15 May 1943
The missions of VIII Bomber Command are becoming more sophisticated. The primary stratgic target for today is the U-Boat pens, marshalling yards and Luftwaffe airfield at Emden, Germany. The resistance of Luftwaffe fighters is a primary concern for the...
21 May 1943
The German naval and port facilities at Wilhelmshaven and Emden, Germany are the two primary targets for this mission. Once again, there is a two-fold strategic objective: entice the Luftwaffe to commit its fighter forces; and further degrade the naval...
29 May 1943
Three primary targets are selected for this mission. The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are selected as the target for a force of 169 B-17s despatched from: 91BG (23); 92BG (22), 303BG (30); 305BG (25) 306BG (24); 351BG (21) and 379BG (24). This is...
11 June 1943
The harbour facilities, port areas and U-Boat pens at Wilhelmshaven and Cuxhaven, Germany are the primary targets for this mission. This is the largest number of heavy bombers yet despatched on a single mission - 252. This is the first mission flown...
22 June 1943
The German rubber industry (Chemische Werke Hüls AG) at Marl (district Hüls-Nord), Germany, is the primary objective of this mission and is assigned to the Bomb Groups with the most expericence. Also the industrial area of Antwerp, Belgium is assigned...
23 June 1943
A combined force of 172 B-17s is despatched from 91BG (13); 92BG (14); 303BG (22); 305BG (21); 306BG (22); 351BG (20); 379BG (20); 381BG (22); and 384BG (18). Also 8 YB-40 gunships from 92BG are interspersed in the formation. The intention was for 140...
26 June 1943
The targets for today are all Luftwaffe installations: the Villacoublay air depot SW of Paris, France is the primary; the airfield at Poissy, France is attacked as the secondary because of cloud cover; the airfield at Tricqueville, France; and the...
28 June 1943
The primary specific target for this mission are the lock gates at St. Nazaire, France to be attacked by two separate formations and also another force is despatched to bomb the German airfield at Beaumon Le Roger, France. A formation of 120 B-17s of...
Station | Location | Date |
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Based | Polebrook | 15 April 1943 – 23 June 1945 |
Military | Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 351st Bomb Group
Flew on 'Lucky Jewell'
Military | Staff Sergeant | 351st Bomb Group
Military | Corporal | Finance Section | 351st Bomb Group
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 351st Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) in Switzerland in B-17 'Torchy Tess' 43-37854
Military | Private First Class | 351st Bomb Group
Military | Second Lieutenant | 351st Bomb Group
Military | Technical Sergeant | 351st Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant | Nose Gunner | 351st Bomb Group
Flew in B-17 'Hot to Go. '
Military | Sergeant | 351st Bomb Group
Military | Corporal | 351st Bomb Group
B-17 Flying Fortress
Available: 18 February 1944 - Boeing Aircraft Co, Seattle, Washington
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 4/3/44; Gt Falls 6/3/44; Cheyenne 4/4/44; Hunter 18/4/44; Grenier 5/5/44; Assigned 335BS/95BG [OE-Z] Horham 8/5/44 LUCKY LADY; with H.E. Hansen force landed B-58 Melsbroek, Bel 6/2/45; with G.T. Purdy force landed A-96 Toul-Ochey,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 11/3/44; Gr Island 1/4/44; Grenier 6/4/44; Assigned 508BS/351BG [YB-J] Polebrook 29/4/44; Missing in Action {9m} Ludwigshafen 27/5/44 with Gosta Johnson, Co-pilot: Herb Neumann, Navigator: Bob Schmidt, Flight engineer/top turret...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 7/3/44; Kearney 2/5/44; Grenier 14/5/44; Assigned 510BS/351BG [TU-O] Polebrook 16/5/44; Missing in Action {3m} French A/fds 14/6/44 with Gus Cesarini, Navigator: George Reineke (2KIA*); Co-pilot: Frank Ludwig, Flight engineer/top...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 18/3/44; Kearney 3/4/44; Grenier 14/4/44; Assigned 508BS/351BG [YB-C] Polebrook 29/4/44; Missing in Action {10m} Ludwigshafen 27/5/44 with Howard Evans, Co-pilot: Jim Duffy, Bombardier: Roger Peterson (3 Prisoner of War); Navigator:...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 21/4/44; Kearney 2/5/44; Grenier 15/5/44; Assigned 457BG Glatton 30/6/44; transferred 508BS/351BG [YB-G] Polebrook 1/7/44; Missing in Action 22m Augsburg 19/7/44 with Herb Konecheck, Co-pilot: Barrett Levinsky, Navigator: Joe...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 22/4/44; Kearney 7/5/44; Grenier 24/5/44; Assigned 511BS/351BG [DS-H] Polebrook 31/5/44; Missing in Action 29m Merseburg 28/7/44 with Pilot Bill Long POW; Co-Pilot Ben Upshaw POW; Flight engineer/top turret gunner Jack Hurley POW;...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 24/4/44; Hunter 4/5/44; Grenier 19/5/44; Assigned 508BS/351BG [YB-J] Polebrook 29/5/44; Missing in Action {26m} Brandenburg 6/8/44 with Paul Pattison, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Clyde Bullock, Radio Operator: Winfred Wiemer,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 6/2/44; Grenier 27/2/44; Assigned 511BS/351BG [DS-Z] Polebrook 26/3/44; Missing in Action {21m} Brandenburg 6/8/44 with Bill Boyd, Co-pilot: Chester Snyder, Radio Operator: Max Thompson, Ball turret gunner: Malcolm Keanes (4 Killed in...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 14/2/44; Gr Island 3/3/44; Grenier 23/3/44; Assigned 510BS/351BG [TU-D] Polebrook 7/4/44; Missing in Action 32m Augsburg 19/7/44 with Richard Chapman, Navigator: Lewis Page, tog-Ken Graham, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Earl...
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Date | Contributor | Update |
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10 April 2015 07:58:24 | EMBLEMHUNTER | Changes to mission associations and media associations |
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my photo |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 February 2015 15:05:41 | rossingtonj | Changes to type and mission associations |
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Type added |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:42:45 | AAM | AAM ingest |
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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) |