96th Bomb Group
GroupIWM, Roger Freeman Collection
The 96th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses to targets across occupied Europe from May 1943 to April 1945.
The Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations for particularly testing missions. The first was awarded for the bombing of an aircraft factory at Regensburg on 17 August 1943 under intense pressure from enemy fighters. The second was for leading the 45th Bomb Wing through difficult weather conditions and anti-aircraft fire to drop their payload on aircraft components factories at Poznan on 9 April 1944.
Connections
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Unit stations
Station | Location | Date |
---|---|---|
Based |
Grafton Underwood | 16 April 1943 - 27 May 1943 |
Based |
Andrews Field | 13 May 1943 - 11 June 1943 |
Based |
Snetterton Heath | 12 June 1943 - 11 December 1945 |
Encompassing
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 337th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 337th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 13131697
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Aerial Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Group Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 32586126
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 338th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Boots II
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 337th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Chatterbox
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 338th Bomb Squadron
Mission
- Date: 14 July 1944
- Date: 21 June 1944
- Official Description:
- Date: 14 June 1944
- Date: 28 March 1944
- Date: 27 March 1944
Revisions
Added dates the Group were at different bases in England from Roger Freeman's book 'The Mighty Eighth'.
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)