351st Bomb Group

Group
The insignia of the 351st Bomb Group. media-395060.jpg FRE 5117 The insignia of the 351st Bomb Group. Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 5117 - The insignia of the 351st Bomb 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.

Connections

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Unit stations

Station Location Date

Based

Polebrook 15 April 1943 - 23 June 1945

Encompassing

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 351st Bomb Group 510th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 351st Bomb Group 510th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 351st Bomb Group 509th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Private First Class
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 351st Bomb Group 508th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Corporal
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 351st Bomb Group 509th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Private

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 351st Bomb Group 511th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 351st Bomb Group 508th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 351st Bomb Group 511th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Shoo Shoo Baby
  • Unit: 351st Bomb Group 510th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Thunder Ball
  • Unit: 351st Bomb Group 511th Bomb Squadron

Mission

  • Date: 21 June 1944
  • Official Description:

Revisions

Date
ContributorEMBLEMHUNTER
Changes
Sources

my photo
351st Bombardment Group (center)
others not related to unit

Date
Contributorrossingtonj
Changes
Sources

Type added

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
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). / 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)

351st Bomb Group: Gallery (251 items)