456th Bomb Squadron

Squadron
Lieutenant "John Bull" Sterling of the 322nd Bomb Group in the cockpit of his B-26 Marauder nicknamed "John Bull" Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Not to be published 24 Jul 1943.' [stamp] and '276112.'[Censor no. ] Printed caption on reverse: 'Passed by the Censor- no 2761. Marauder is now operating from this country. Fastest Medium Bomber in use is now operating from this country. It has just been disclosed that the American Medium Bomber, the B-26 Marauder, which already has done media-379989.jpg FRE 1193 Lieutenant "John Bull" Stirling of the 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group, in the cockpit of his B-26 Marauder nicknamed "John Bull". Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Not to be published 24 Jul 1943.' [stamp] and '276112.'[Censor no. ] Printed caption on reverse: 'Passed by the Censor- no 2761. Marauder is now operating from this country. Fastest Medium Bomber in use is now operating from this country. It has just been disclosed that the American Medium Bomber, the B-26 Marauder, which already has done such fine defensive work in Sicily, North Africa and the Far East, is now operating from this country with the Ground Support Command of the U.S. 8th Air Force. A fast, hard hitting Bomber with a top speed in the region of M.P.H at 15,000 ft. The Marauder is capable of pentrating deeply into enemy zones as it has a range of 2400 miles and a "ceiling" of between six and seven miles. It carries 2,400 lbs of bombs and its 7 -man crew handles an armament of eight .50 calibre machine guns. [printed caption] ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO SHOWS: Lt "John Bull" Stirling of Annapolis, Maryland, in the cockpit of his Marauder plane about to set off on an operational flight from a U.S. Bomber Station "somewhere in England" WOR 25911.' Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Probably 456BS.' Roger Freeman Collection

Corrected unit associations after email from Jan Foster.

Object Number - FRE 1193 - Lieutenant "John Bull" Stirling of the 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group, in the cockpit of his B-26 Marauder nicknamed "John Bull". Image...

Selected Bibliography of Publications:



Moench, John O. Marauder Men: An Account of the Martin B-26 Marauder: An Examination and History of the Martin B-26 Marauder and Those Who Built, Supported, and Flew It in World War II: USAF-USN-RAF-SAAF-FFAF: Includes an in Depth Account of the 323rd Bombardment Group (M) of the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces in Europe. Longwood, FL: Malia Enterprises, 1999.



Harlan, Ross E. Strikes: 323rd Bomb Group in World War II. Oklahoma City, OK: Oklahoma Cavanal Publishers, 2005.



Pyle, Ernie. Brave Men. New York: H. Holt and, 1944.



Rehr, Louis S., and Carleton R. Rehr. Marauder: Memoir of a B-26 Pilot in Europe in World War II. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2004.



70th Anniversary Tribute D-Day: 24 Hours That Saved the World. TIME, 2014.

Commanding Officers

Robert Oxley Barker

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 323rd Bomb Group 456th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Unit stations

Station Location Date

Based

Earls Colne

People

William B Anderson

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 323rd Bomb Group 456th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Captain

Jack T Arnold

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 323rd Bomb Group 456th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Bombardier

Robert Oxley Barker

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 323rd Bomb Group 456th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Harland R Bird

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 323rd Bomb Group 456th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 38179907
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Henry E Bull

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 323rd Bomb Group 456th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator

Aircraft

41-31708

  • Aircraft Type: B-26 Marauder
  • Nicknames: The Gremlin II
  • Unit: 323rd Bomb Squadron 456th Bomb Squadron
A B-26 Marauder (WT-A, serial number 41-31722) of the 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group in flight. Handwritten caption on reverse: '71.'

41-31722

  • Aircraft Type: B-26 Marauder
  • Nicknames: Five Aces / Smokey Joe
  • Unit: 323rd Bomb Group 456th Bomb Squadron

41-31787

  • Aircraft Type: B-26 Marauder
  • Nicknames: City of Sherman
  • Unit: 323rd Bomb Group 456th Bomb Squadron

41-31801

  • Aircraft Type: B-26 Marauder
  • Nicknames: Black Fury II
  • Unit: 323rd Bomb Group 456th Bomb Squadron
An airman of the 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group on the nose of a B-26 Marauder (WT-G, serial number 41-31994) nicknamed "Klassie Lassie". Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Could be WT-G 131944? 456/323BG. AFM.'

41-31810

  • Aircraft Type: B-26 Marauder
  • Nicknames: Klassie Lassie
  • Unit: 323rd Bomb Group 456th Bomb Squadron

Revisions

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Type added.

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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 / 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)

456th Bomb Squadron: Gallery (96 items)

Corporal William E. Haley, from Chicago, Illinois and Corporal Foy L. Jackson from Flat Rock, North Carolina, both of the 323rd Bomb Group, clean and maintain the windows and plexi-glass nose of a B-26 Marauder at Colne airbase. Printed caption on reverse: '79567 A AC - Cpl. William E. Haley of Chicago, Illinois and Cpl. Foy L. Jackson of Flat Rock, North Carolina clean the windows and plexi-glass nose of a Martin B-26 at their base in Colne, England. Both are members of the 323rd Bomb Group. 21 July 1943

Object number: FRE 10026 - Corporal William E. Haley, from Chicago, Illinois...

Lieutenant "John Bull" Sterling of the 322nd Bomb Group in the cockpit of his B-26 Marauder nicknamed "John Bull" Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Not to be published 24 Jul 1943.' [stamp] and '276112.'[Censor no. ] Printed caption on reverse: 'Passed by the Censor- no 2761. Marauder is now operating from this country. Fastest Medium Bomber in use is now operating from this country. It has just been disclosed that the American Medium Bomber, the B-26 Marauder, which already has done

Object number: FRE 1193 - Lieutenant "John Bull" Stirling of the 456th Bomb...

Personnel of the 322nd Bomb Group, including Flight Lieutenant Joe McCarty, talk with RAF personnel under the tail of a B-26 Marauder (serial number 41-17750) in August 1943. Passed for publication 18 Aug 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'America's New Super Medium Bomber In Britain. 18.8.43. The U.S. Super Medium bomber, the "Marauder" is now operating from Britain after doing fine work in N. Africa and Sicily. It has a range of 2,000 miles, with a speed of 350 m.p.h. and a wing span of 65 ft., and carr

Object number: FRE 4454 - Personnel of the 323rd Bomb Group, including...

A B-26 Marauder (WT-G, serial number 41-31994) of the 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'WT-G. Replacement, 58 missions. AFRS.'

Object number: FRE 4628 - A B-26 Marauder (WT-G, serial number 41-31994...

Corporal Raymond Wagner, Private Karl Sutherland and Staff Sergeant Lessley Studenroth of the 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group fit the top turret canopy to a B-26 Marauder. Not To Be Published 24 Jul 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'Fastest Medium Bomber In Use Now Operating From This Country. Associated Press Photo Shows:- Left to right: Cpl. Raymond Wagner, of Troy, Kansas; Pte. Karl Sutherland, of Southportland, Maine; and Staff Sgt. Lessley Studenroth, of Colombia, Penn. fitting the gun turret

Object number: FRE 4634 - Corporal Raymond Wagner, Private Karl Sutherland...

The nose art of a B-26 Marauder nicknamed "Hell's Belle" of the 453rd Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Appears to be 453BS/323BG although Hell's Belle is 386 name. AFM.'

Object number: FRE 4641 - The nose art of a B-26 Marauder nicknamed "Hell's...

The nose art of a B-26 Marauder nicknamed "Crew 13" of the 323rd Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'C-16-MO. 134869 - 134969. WT-S? Crew 13. AFM.'

Object number: FRE 4642 - The nose art of Martin B-26 Marauder 41-34969 WT-S...

An airman of the 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group on the nose of a B-26 Marauder (WT-G, serial number 41-31994) nicknamed "Klassie Lassie". Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Could be WT-G 131944? 456/323BG. AFM.'

Object number: FRE 4646 - A member of the ground crew of the 456th Bomb...

Personnel of the 323rd Bomb Group with a B-26 Marauder. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'WT-? 323BG.'

Object number: FRE 4647 - Personnel of the 323rd Bomb Group with a B-26...

An airman of the 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group with his B-26 Marauder (WT-G, serial number 41-31944) at Earls Colne. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Earls Colne, WT-G, 131944. 58 missions, no-name. AFM.'

Object number: FRE 4649 - An unidentified airman of the 456th Bomb Squadron...

An airman of the 323rd Bomb Group in the cockpit of a B-26 Marauder nicknamed "Black Fury". Handwritten caption on reverse: 'WT, 323BG. AFM.'

Object number: FRE 4650 - An airman of the 323rd Bomb Group in the cockpit...

Personnel of the 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb Group with a B-26 Marauder (WT-O, serial number 31-34786) nicknamed "Buffalo Girl". Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Tail End WT-O, Buffalo Girl, 456/323BG.'

Object number: FRE 4654 - Personnel of the 456th Bomb Squadron, 323rd Bomb...