Conway Hall
Military | Colonel | Commanding Officer | 381st Bomb Group
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Group
The 381st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Ridgewell, Essex between June 1943 and April 1945. 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 11 January 1944.
Military | Colonel | Commanding Officer | 381st Bomb Group
Military | Colonel | Commanding Officer | 381st Bomb Group
Commanding Officer 381st BG, 8th AF USAAF. Lt Col Harry P Leber, Jr, was transferred into the Group in December 1943, as Air Executive, and he took over command in January. Leber completed his duties in January, 1945.
Military | General | Commanding Officer | 381st Bomb Group
Led the 381st BG as Commander in WW II and was Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Air Forces and also Strategic Air Command until his retirement in 1971. USAF biography: https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/106057/general-joseph-j...
Wing
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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
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
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...
25 June 1943
This mission was intended to be the first major attack on the industrial area of Hamburg, Germany but weather and contrails made fromation flying too difficult and dangerous. As a result, the main formation 197 B-17s from: 91BG (18); 92BG (23); 303BG ...
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...
29 June 1943
1st Bomb Wing despatches two formations: one has the air depot at Villacoublay, France as their primary; and one has the Luftwaffe airfield at Tricqueville, France as their primary.
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10 July 1943
German airfields at Caen, Abbeville, and Le Bourget at Paris, France are the primary targets for this mission. 112 B-17s form a combined force from 91BG; 92BG; 305BG; 306BG; 351BG and 381BG to bomb the German airfield (Carpiquet) at Caen, France. Cloud...
14 July 1943
The German air depot at Villacoublay, France and the German airfields Amiens/Glisy and Le Bourget at Paris, France are the primary targets for this mission. These attacks are made by three separate elements: 116 B-17s are despatched from 92BG (15);...
17 July 1943
The railroad industry at Hannover, Germany and the aircraft industry at Hamburg, Germany were the intended targets for this mission but weather caused the mission to be cancelled. The element sent to Hannover was a combined force of 207 B-17s from:...
24 July 1943
Three targets in Norway are the primary targets for this first mission flown by 8th AIr Force to Norway. They are the nitrate works at Heroya and the port areas at Trondheim and Bergen. The first element is a combined force of 180 B-17s from: 91BG (22)...
Station | Location | Date |
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Based | Ridgewell | 31 June 1943 – 24 June 1945 |
Military | 381st Bomb Group
Military | Tail Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
October 1944 - April 1945.
Military | 381st Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner; Flight Engineer | 381st Bomb Group
ETTG, Malleus, V. crew. 381st BG, 535th BS, 8th AF.
Credited with 1 German fighter destroyed on the 7 January 1944 Mission #58 to Ludwigshafen, Germany.
Military | Waist Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
Wright, C. Crew
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
Shot down by fighters and forced to crash near Unna, GR on a mission to Oschersleben, GR on 22 Feb 1944 in B-17G #42-97474 'Homing Pigeon'. Evaded, then Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Radar Maintenance | 381st Bomb Group
October 1943 - May 1945
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner, Waist Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
Shot down by fighters and crashed N of Arlon, Belgium returning from the target of Frankfurt am Main, GR on 2 Mar 1944 in B-17G #42-39891. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | 381st Bomb Group
Military | Corporal | Sheet Metal Specialist | 381st Bomb Group
Entered service 2 Aug 1942. Discharged 5 Oct 1945.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Ogden 7/8/42; force landed Billings, MT 27/4/42 with Henry Blomquist; Scott 15/10/42; Presque Is 19/2/43; Assigned 535BS/381BG [MS-Y] Ridgewell, Ex. 27/5/43 ANNIE FREEZE;
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 414BS/97BG 3/42 as LI'L SKUNKFACE; transferred 305BG Grafton Underwood 6/11/42; 381BG Ridgewell 11/6/43; 327BS/92BG Bovingdon [UX-V] 10/7/43 as target tug; 482BG Alconbury 27/8/43 for operations; with Gene Smith in landing accident at Deopham...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 342BS/97BG Polebrook 3/42 PEGGY D on co-pilot’s side; with Capt Bill Musselwhite on 1st 8AF mission 17/8/42; 92BG Bovingdon /9/42; transferred 534BS/381BG [GD-A1] Ridgewell 7/43 as hack & tow target; to 2SAD 21/8/43 and ret 24/8/43 used to...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 2/3/44; Kearney 14/4/44; Grenier 29/4/44; Assigned 533BS/381BG [VP-Q] Ridgewell 21/5/44; detailed Allach, Ger. 28/6/44 with Leon O’Dell,Tail gunner: Bill Bursaw (Killed in Action); Missing in Action 24+m Munich 31/7/44 with Jack...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 10/3/44; Gr Island 31/3/44; Dow Fd 21/4/44; Assigned 368BS/306BG [BO-A] Thurleigh 5/5/44; landing accident with Ned Erne 1/1/45; transferred 534BS/381BG Ridgewell 5/45; 100+m, Returned to the USA Bradley 10/6/44; 4168 Base Unit,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 16/3/44; Hunter 8/4/44; Dow Fd 29/4/44; Assigned 398BG Nuthampstead 30/4/44; transferred 367BS/306BG [GY-D] Thurleigh 18/5/44; 532BS/381BG Ridgewell 5/45; 100+m, Returned to the USA Bradley 10/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 16/3/44; Kearney 1/4/44; Dow Fd 8/4/44; Assigned 534BS/381BG [GD-A] Ridgewell 24/4/44; Missing in Action 12m Tours 24/6/44 with Vic Romasco, Navigator: Jim Chandler, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Elbert Giddens,Tail gunner:...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 17/3/44; Gr Island 10/4/44; Dow Fd 29/4/44; Assigned 535BS/381BG [MS-M] Ridgewell 22/5/44; Missing in Action 91m Bremen 30/3/45 with Bob Bennett, Navigator: Paul Cawley, tog-Elbert Holt, Radio Operator: Bob Mumper, Ball turret gunner...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 23/3/44; Hunter 17/4/44; Grenier 30/4/44; Assigned 534BS/381BG [GD-L] Ridgewell 21/5/44; after {70+m} transferred 327BS/92BG [UX- ] Podington 10/5/45; then,Sal 9AF Germany 10/12/45. CAROL LEIGH.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 24/3/44; Kearney 15/4/44; Grenier 29/4/44; Assigned 533BS/381BG [VP-U] Ridgewell 21/5/44; Missing in Action 23m Peenemunde with Frank O'Black, Co-pilot: Bob Karch, Navigator: Francis Treanor, Bombardier: Herb Higginbotham, Flight...
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Date | Contributor | Update |
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13 July 2017 17:21:19 | FrankM | Changes to aircraft associations |
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14 March 2016 20:36:42 | fairly docent | Changes to nicknames and mission associations |
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no nicknames |
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14 March 2016 20:35:47 | fairly docent | Changes to type, nicknames and mission associations |
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Headquarters (381st Bomb Group) |
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14 March 2016 20:32:16 | fairly docent | Changes to motto and mission associations |
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Triumphant We Fly is the motto for the 381st BG |
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15 August 2015 05:40:39 | Shoebob | Changes to insignia and mission associations |
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From the history of the 381st Bomb Group website: http://www.381st.org/ |
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18 May 2015 17:46:02 | Bagarre | Changes to nicknames, aircraft types and mission associations |
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My grandfather's plane |
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10 April 2015 19:13:36 | EMBLEMHUNTER | Changes to mission associations and media associations |
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my photo |
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27 February 2015 15:10:12 | rossingtonj | Changes to type and mission associations |
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Type added |
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05 October 2014 13:52:34 | ChrisTennet | Changes to commanding officers associations and mission associations |
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02 October 2014 13:36:37 | ChrisTennet | Changes to unit part of associations and mission associations |
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30 September 2014 22:33:26 | ChrisTennet | Changes to unit part of associations and mission associations |
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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) |