401st Bomb Group

Group
A pathfinder B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 44-8258) of the 401st Bomb Group. Image by Robert Astrella. Written on slide casing: '48258 14 A, Mount Farm.' media-395370.jpg FRE 6533 A pathfinder B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 44-8258) of the 401st Bomb Group. Image by Robert Astrella. Written on slide casing: '48258 14 A, Mount Farm.' Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 6533 - A pathfinder B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 44-8258) of the 401st Bomb Group. Image by Robert Astrella. Written on slide casing: '48258 14 A,...

The 401st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Deenethorpe, Northamptonshire, from November 1943 to June 1945. Starting their missions at that time meant the focus was very much on the coming invasion attempt of France planned for the following summer. The Group won two Distinguished Unit Citations. The first, awarded to the whole of the 1st Bomb Division, was for an unescorted raid on aircraft factories at Oschersleben on 11 January 1944. The second was awarded to the Group for a raid on Leipzig on 20 February 1944.

For more information about the group, visit http://www.remember-our-heroes.nl/

Commanding Officers

Harold W Bowman

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: US Strategic Air Forces 401st Bomb Group
  • Service Numbers: O-21785
  • Highest Rank: Brigadier General
  • Role/Job: Commanding Officer
Hollywood actress Marlene Dietrich with airmen of the 401st Bomb Group after a ride in a B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Pakawalup". Printed caption on reverse: 'Marlene Dietrich, long famed for her attractive legs, entertained more than 1,000 officers and enlisted men of the 8th Air Force Base at Hangar no 1 on 29 September 1944, Miss Dietrich and party were picked up from Birmingham in the Boeing B-17 "Pakawalup" piloted by Colonel William T Seawell (2nd left) and Captain Felix Kalinski (left) with Lawr

William T Seawell

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-23712
  • Highest Rank: Brigadier General
  • Role/Job: Commanding Officer

Connections

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Unit stations

Station Location Date

Established

1 April 1943

Based

1 April 1943 - 27 May 1943

Based

Great Falls Army Air Base 1 July 1943 - 18 October 1943

Based

Deenethorpe 3 November 1943 - 20 June 1945

Encompassing

People

Alex Bache

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Toggellier

Albert M Bailey

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Alex A Becker

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant

Chambers

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant

A Cleveland

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant

Aircraft

B-17 Flying Fortresses, including (VK-H, serial number 41-24606) nicknamed "Werewolf", of the 303rd Bomb Group. On reverse: US Army Examiner [Stamp].

41-24606

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Werewolf
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 401st Bomb Group 91st Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron

41-9107

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: The 401st Hack, Agony Wagon, Gravy Train
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 401st Bomb Group 91st Bomb Group 97th Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron 613th Bomb Squadron

42-102393

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Diana Queen Of The Chase
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron

42-102394

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Down N Go
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron

42-102398

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Dynamite John
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron

Mission

669

  • Date: 7 October 1944

590

  • Date: 30 August 1944

578

  • Date: 26 August 1944

572

  • Date: 25 August 1944

Revisions

Date25 Jul 2017 22:07:19
ContributorWin Bryson
ChangesChanges to motto
Sources

Unit History: Pictorial Record of the 401st Bomb Group [BlueBook] Edited and compiled under supervision of Capt. Gordon R. Closeway, 401BG Public Relations Officer. pub. (orig.) 1946, Newsfoto Publishing Co., San Angelo, Texas. 300+pp; ill., 7-1/2"w x 10-1/2"h x 1-1/2"t, oversize hard cover, upholstered, History of the 401BG - formation through operations, from 8th USAAF Station 128, Deenethorpe, U.K., and return to U.S. in 1945.

Date1 Oct 2014 23:24:43
ContributorPaul Bellamy
ChangesChanges to mission associations and stations
Sources

401BG History (401BG Association)

Date1 Oct 2014 23:08:47
ContributorPaul Bellamy
ChangesChanges to nicknames and mission associations
Sources

401BG records (401BG Association)

Date1 Oct 2014 23:07:42
ContributorPaul Bellamy
ChangesChanges to type, citations, aircraft types, unit encompassing associations, commanding officers associations, mission associations and stations
Sources

401BG History (401BG Association)
1st Air Division records (1AD HQ Historical Society)

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)

401st Bomb Group: Gallery (617 items)