25th Bomb Group

Group
A B-26 Marauder of the 654th Bomb Squadron, 25th Bomb Group, parked on a runway. Handwritten on reverse: '654 BS.' media-407403.jpg FRE 3069 A B-26 Marauder of the 654th Bomb Squadron, 25th Bomb Group, parked on a runway. Handwritten on reverse: '654 BS.' Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 3069 - A B-26 Marauder of the 654th Bomb Squadron, 25th Bomb Group, parked on a runway. Handwritten on reverse: '654 BS.'

The 25th Bombardment Group (Reconnaissance) was constituted in the days after D-Day and activated in England in August 1944 to carry out photographic and mapping missions over mainland Europe as the Allied armies pushed east. The Group were designated a Bombardment Group but they did not drop bombs. Instead they flew bombers to drop 'chaff' screenings for other Bomb Groups. 'Chaff', strips of metallic paper, would interfere with the enemy's ability to detect aircraft using radar.

Commanding Officers

Ernest H Patterson

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: No 1 Combat Crew Replacement Center 25th Bomb Group 652nd Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Pilot; Commanding Officer

John R Hoover

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 25th Bomb Group 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Commanding Officer

Joseph A Stenglein

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 25th Bomb Group 652nd Bomb Squadron Headquarters (Eighth Air Force)
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot / Commanding Officer

Leon W Gray

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 25th Bomb Group 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group
  • Service Numbers: 32982801 / O-44665
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Commanding Officer

Connections

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Unit stations

Station Location Date

Based

Watton 22 April 1944 - 23 July 1945

Previously was

802nd Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Encompassing

People

Calhoun Ancrum

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 25th Bomb Group
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: J/E Communications Operator

Alfred A Arnold

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 25th Bomb Group 50th Fighter Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

Allen Russon Bateman

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 25th Bomb Group 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group 27th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39826473 / O-674444
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Charles R Birnbaum

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 25th Bomb Group 839th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 37258846
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Mechanic
Combat crew no. 123 stand in front of B-17 Knucklehead.

Albeny J Blanchard

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: No 1 Combat Crew Replacement Center 25th Bomb Group
  • Service Numbers: 11057785
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Gunner

Aircraft

42-102521

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 25th Bomb Group 652nd Bomb Squadron
Three airmen of the 100th Bomb Group, Lieutenant Kenneth Menzie, Lieutenant Donald Strout and Lieutenant Norman Scott, plan the route they will take during the next mission in their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30380). Image stamped on reverse: 'Reviewed and passed U.S. Army 23 Aug 1943 Press Censor E.T.O. U.S.A.' [stamp]'. Passed for publication 23 August 1943 INTLD 16 General Section Press Censorship Bureau '[stamp], 'Associated Press' [stamp] and '280035.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reve

42-30380

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: B-17f-100-bo
  • Unit: 100th Bomb Group 25th Bomb Group 802nd Reconnaissance Group (SP) 350th Bomb Squadron

42-3095

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Peggy Ann
  • Unit: 1st Strategic Air Depot 25th Bomb Group 802nd Reconnaissance Group (SP) 94th Bomb Group 95th Bomb Group Base Air Depot 2 412th Bomb Squadron

42-31130

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 25th Bomb Group 652nd Bomb Squadron

42-31674

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 25th Bomb Group 652nd Bomb Squadron

Mission

664

  • Date: 4 October 1944

Revisions

Date
Contributorphil marchese
ChangesChanges to type
Sources

Changed mission type to (R) in accordance with designation.

Date
ContributorEmily
ChangesChanges to motto, insignia, us air force combat units of world war ii description and commanding officers associations
Sources

Air Force Combat Units of WWII

Date
ContributorWattonman
ChangesChanges to nicknames, motto and insignia
Sources

Page 95, The 25th Bomb Group ( Rcn) in World War II

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
ChangesChanges to aircraft types, unit previously was association and aircraft associations
Sources

"The 25th Bomb Group in World War II" - Norman Malayney
page 280

Date
ContributorEmily
ChangesChanges to mission associations and stations
Sources

Associated Watton

Date
Contributorrossingtonj
ChangesChanges to type and mission associations
Sources

Type added.

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
ChangesChanges to aircraft associations and mission associations
Sources

USAAF Photo.

Date
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

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).

25th Bomb Group: Gallery (112 items)