Chelveston | American Air Museum

Chelveston

Airfield

Ground crews of 305th Bomb Group B-17 Flying Fortresses wait for their aircraft to return to Chelveston airbase after a raid on the 30 June 1943; a B-17 Flying Fortress is coming in to land. Passed for publication 30 Jun 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'At A Fortress Station In Britain. From an American base in Britain the Flying Fortresses carry out operational activities which result in terrible blows against the German industrial war machine. This series of pictures shows scenes at a Flying Fortresse

media-458191.jpg FRE 10410 Ground crews of 305th Bomb Group B-17 Flying Fortresses wait for their aircraft to return to Chelveston airbase after a raid on the 30 June 1943; a B-17 Flying Fortress is coming in to land. Passed for publication 30 Jun 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'At A Fortress Station In Britain. From an American base in Britain the Flying Fortresses carry out operational activities which result in terrible blows against the German industrial war machine. This series of pictures shows scenes at a Flying Fortresses station where hige[sic] bombers take off for the raids or return from their missions to be serviced by the ground crews, ready for the next raid. Keystone Photo Shows:-' Damaged printed caption also attached to reverse: 'Ground crews waiting for Flying Fortress [to?] return from a mission. [U.S.]Pool/F. Keystone (SS). 13-18.' Censor no: 272245. On reverse: US Army Press Censor ETO and US Army General Section Press & Censorship Bureau [Stamps]. Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 10410 - Ground crews of 305th Bomb Group B-17 Flying Fortresses wait for their aircraft to return to Chelveston airbase after a raid on the 30 June 1943; a...

Chelveston was adapted and expanded in preparation for the arrival of American forces. Rather than heavy bombers, the first aircraft to fly from its runways were C-47 Skytrains that were flown by the 60th Troop Carrier Group in July 1942. The first combat group posted to Chelveston were the 301st Bomb Group who flew a handful of missions before moving to North Africa with the Twelfth Air Force in the aftermath of Operation Torch. The next Bomb Group to fly from the base were the 305th, another B-17 Group. The Group flew 330 missions from here and, as one of the first B-17 Groups to fly in the ETO, it was from here that some of the pioneering techniques and formations were developed.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

People

Alexander Archibald

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 305th Bomb Group 422nd Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 11138368
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Ambrosio G Avila

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 305th Bomb Group 366th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: waist gunner

Bernard G Beese

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 305th Bomb Group 366th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: waist gunner

Arthur J Biesak

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 305th Bomb Group 364th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Alvin Earl Billingsley

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 305th Bomb Group 366th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 17160789
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Aircraft

41-24347

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Nicknames: Doc Stork

41-24348

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

41-24350

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

41-24351

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

King George VI passes a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24352) nicknamed "Holey Joe" as he meets personnel of the 301st Bomb Group during a royal visit. Image stamped on reverse: 'Copyright Central Press Photos Ltd.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 13 Nov 1942.' [stamp], 'P (KING) CCC(USA).'[written annotation] and '232594.' [Censor no.] A printed caption was previously attached to the reverse of the image however this has been removed. Handwritten caption on reverse: '301 , 124352?, Alconbury?.'

41-24352

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Nicknames: Holey Joe
Unit: 301st Bomb Group 352nd Bomb Squadron

Revisions

Date23 Mar 2018 11:11:12

Contributorgeneral ira snapsorter

ChangesChanges to usaaf from date, usaaf to date and closure date

Sources

Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- user Despitz

Date4 Oct 2016 12:15:18

ContributorLucy May

ChangesChanges to aircraft associations

Sources

Connected aircraft record based on information in their biography.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:02:16

ContributorAAM

ChangesAAM ingest

Sources

Barry Anderson, Army Air Forces Stations (Alabama, 1985) / Roger Freeman, Airfields of the Eighth Then And Now (London, 1978)

Chelveston: Gallery (103 items)

Object number: UPL 17037 -

Object number: UPL 36189 -

Captain Allen V. Martini, pilot of the 305th Bomb Group from 45 Manor Drive, San Fransisco, California, talks to newsmen after returning from a late May 1943 raid. Passed for publication 31 May 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'Fortress Raid. At a Fortress station somewhere in England the big bombing groups go out for their day-light sweeps. The ground crews "sweat it out" waiting for their return. These pictures show some of the details of a return. Picture Shows:- 19- Capt. Allen V. Martini, of 45 Mano

Object number: FRE 10406 -

Ground crews of 305th Bomb Group B-17 Flying Fortresses wait for their aircraft to return to Chelveston airbase after a raid on the 30 June 1943; a B-17 Flying Fortress is coming in to land. Passed for publication 30 Jun 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'At A Fortress Station In Britain. From an American base in Britain the Flying Fortresses carry out operational activities which result in terrible blows against the German industrial war machine. This series of pictures shows scenes at a Flying Fortresse

Object number: FRE 10410 -

A 305th Bomb Group B-17 Flying Fortress takes off from Chelveston airbase to go on a raid. Passed for publication 30 Jun 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'At A Fortress Station In Britain. From an American base in Britain the Flying Fortresses carry out operational activities which result in terrible blows against the German industrial war machine. This series of pictures shows scenes at a Flying Fortresses station where hige[sic] bombers take off for the raids or return from their missions to be service

Object number: FRE 10412 -

B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 305th Bomb Group line up for take off at Chelveston. On reverse: Keystone Press and [damaged] US Army Press Censor [Stamps]. Printed caption on reverse: 'At A Fortress Station In Britain. From an American base in Britain the Flying Fortresses carry out operational activities which result in terrible blows against the German industrial war machine. This series of pictures shows scenes at a Flying Fortresses station where hige[sic] bombers take off for the raids or return from

Object number: FRE 10413 -

The wing of a 305th Bomb Group B-17 Flying Fortress parked at Chelveston airfield frames another B-17 Flying Fortress in the distance. Passed for publication 4 Jul 1943. Handwritten caption on reverse: '29/6/43.' Printed caption on reverse: 'At A Flying Fortresses Base In Britain. This series of pictures shows scenes at a U.S. air base in Britain where Flying Fortresses are repaired, the scars torn in their sides - the price of victorious combats - patched up, engines overhauled and the planes made fit an

Object number: FRE 10414 -

305th Bomb Group B-17 Flying Fortress prepare to take off from Chelveston airbase to go on a raid. Passed for publication 30 Jun 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'At A Fortress Station In Britain. From an American base in Britain the Flying Fortresses carry out operational activities which result in terrible blows against the German industrial war machine. This series of pictures shows scenes at a Flying Fortresses station where hige[sic] bombers take off for the raids or return from their missions to be

Object number: FRE 10415 -

Ground crews of 305th Bomb Group B-17 Flying Fortresses play cards to pass the time until their aircraft return to Chelveston airbase. Passed for publication 30 Jun 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'At A Fortress Station In Britain. From an American base in Britain the Flying Fortresses carry out operational activities which result in terrible blows against the German industrial war machine. This series of pictures shows scenes at a Flying Fortresses station where hige[sic] bombers take off for the raids

Object number: FRE 10416 -

A line of 305th Bomb Group B-17 Flying Fortress taxiing at Chelveston airfield preparing to take off on another raid. The two rear-most B-17 Flying Fortresses belong to the 364th Bomb Squadron, (WF-N, serial number 42-30242) on the left and (WF-O, serial number 42-29807) on the right. Passed for publication 4 Jul 1943. Handwritten caption on reverse: '29/6/43. WF:N. WF:O 229807.' Printed caption on reverse: 'At A Flying Fortresses Base In Britain. This series of pictures shows scenes at a U.S. air base in

Object number: FRE 10418 -

Ground crew of the 305th Bomb Group work on the engine of a B-17 Flying Fortress (JJ-V, serial number 42-29641) nicknamed "Black Swan" at Chelveston, June 1943. Passed for publication 4 Jul 1943. Handwritten caption on reverse: '229641.' Printed caption on reverse: 'At A Flying Fortresses Base In Britain. This series of pictures shows scenes at a U.S. air base in Britain where Flying Fortresses are repaired, the scars torn in their sides - the price of victorious combats - patched up, engines overhauled a

Object number: FRE 10419 -

Ground crew work on the engine of a 422nd Bomb Squadron, 305th Bomb Group B-17 Flying Fortress (JJ-V, serial number 42-29641) nicknamed "Black Swan" at Chelveston airfield in late June 1943. Passed for publication 4 Jul 1943. Handwritten caption on reverse: '229641, JJ-V.' Printed caption on reverse: 'At A Flying Fortresses Base In Britain. This series of pictures shows scenes at a U.S. air base in Britain where Flying Fortresses are repaired, the scars torn in their sides - the price of victorious combat

Object number: FRE 10420 -