381st Bomb Group
GroupIWM, Roger Freeman Collection
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
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Civilian
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 534th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 32620276
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 534th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 31053516
- Role/Job: Special Vehicle Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Civilian
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 448th Sub-Depot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Boomerang
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 94th Bomb Group
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Ole Flak Sack
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Lucifer II
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron 305th Bomb Group 535th Bomb Squadron 364th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: The Joker
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Pappy's Hellions III / Lucky Strike
- Unit: 2nd Strategic Air Depot 305th Bomb Group 381st Bomb Group 364th Bomb Squadron 532nd Bomb Squadron
Mission
- Date: 13 November 1943
- Date: 11 November 1943
- Date: 7 November 1943
- Date: 5 November 1943
- Date: 3 November 1943
Revisions
From the history of the 381st Bomb Group website: http://www.381st.org/
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)