381st Bomb Group

Group
The insignia of the 381st Bomb Group. media-395070.jpg FRE 5127 The insignia of the 381st Bomb Group. Roger Freeman Collection

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

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

A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24500) of the 381st Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '125.'
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Annie Freeze
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 535th Bomb Squadron
A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-9019) nicknamed "Little Skunk Face" of the 92nd Bomb Group prepares for take off. Printed caption on reverse: 'New "Fortress" Makes History In The Air. Oct. 1942. The most striking development of the war in the air is undoubtedly the sensational success of the American "Boeing" Flying Fortresses in the daylight bombing of enemy-occupied territory. In the most recent operation 105 German craft were destroyed, probably destroyed or damaged, for the loss of four bombe
  • 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
41-9043
  • 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

Revisions

Date14 May 2023 17:06:36
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Changed Unit Purpose to Bombardment.

Date13 Jul 2017 17:21:19
ContributorFrankM
ChangesChanges to aircraft associations
Date14 Mar 2016 20:36:42
Contributorfairly docent
ChangesChanges to nicknames and mission associations
Sources

no nicknames

Date14 Mar 2016 20:35:47
Contributorfairly docent
ChangesChanges to type, nicknames and mission associations
Sources

Headquarters (381st Bomb Group)

Date14 Mar 2016 20:32:16
Contributorfairly docent
ChangesChanges to motto and mission associations
Sources

Triumphant We Fly is the motto for the 381st BG

Date15 Aug 2015 05:40:39
ContributorShoebob
ChangesChanges to insignia and mission associations
Sources

From the history of the 381st Bomb Group website: http://www.381st.org/

Date18 May 2015 17:46:02
ContributorBagarre
ChangesChanges to nicknames, aircraft types and mission associations
Sources

My grandfather's plane

Date10 Apr 2015 19:13:36
ContributorEMBLEMHUNTER
ChangesChanges to mission associations and media associations
Sources

my photo

Date27 Feb 2015 15:10:12
Contributorrossingtonj
ChangesChanges to type and mission associations
Sources

Type added

Date5 Oct 2014 13:52:34
ContributorChrisTennet
ChangesChanges to commanding officers associations and mission associations
Date2 Oct 2014 13:36:37
ContributorChrisTennet
ChangesChanges to unit part of associations and mission associations
Date30 Sep 2014 22:33:26
ContributorChrisTennet
ChangesChanges to unit part of associations and mission associations
Date27 Sep 2014 18:42:45
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). / 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)

381st Bomb Group: Gallery (419 items)