381st Bomb Group
Group
IWM, Roger Freeman Collection
Object Number - FRE 5127 - The insignia of the 381st Bomb 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.
Commanding Officers
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group Headquarters (381st Bomb Group)
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Commanding Officer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group Headquarters (381st Bomb Group)
- Service Numbers: O-21388
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Commanding Officer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group Headquarters (381st Bomb Group)
- Highest Rank: General
- Role/Job: Commanding Officer
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Unit stations
| Station | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
|
Based |
Ridgewell | 1 July 1943 - 24 June 1945 |
Encompassing
- Unit Hierarchy: Company
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Unit Hierarchy: Company
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Unit Hierarchy: Company
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Unit Hierarchy: Company
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 534th Bomb Squadron
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 17146076
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner / Flight Engineer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 448th Sub-Depot
- Service Numbers: 17057817
- Role/Job: Sheet Metal
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Annie Freeze
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 535th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Lil Skunk Face
- Unit: 305th Bomb Group 381st Bomb Group 482nd Bomb Group 92nd Bomb Group 97th Bomb Group 327th Bomb Squadron 414th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Peggy D/ Little Rock-ette
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 97th Bomb Group 342nd Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: My Devotion
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group
Mission
- Date: 24 December 1944
- Date: 15 August 1944
- Date: 24 July 1944
- Date: 20 July 1944
- Date: 24 June 1944
Revisions
Headquarters (381st Bomb Group)
Triumphant We Fly is the motto for the 381st BG
From the history of the 381st Bomb Group website: http://www.381st.org/
My grandfather's plane
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)
