95th Bomb Group
Group
IWM, Roger Freeman Collection
Object Number - FRE 5089 - The insignia of the 95th Bomb Group.
The 95th Bomb Group was the only Eighth Air Force Group to be awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations. The first, shared by all four Bomb Wing Groups, was for the bombing of an aircraft factory under intense enemy fire at Regensburg on 17 August 1943. The second was awarded for a raid on marshalling yards at Munster on 10 October 1943 and the third for bombing a suburb of Berlin, on 4 March 1944, the first time the German capital had been bombed by USAAF. After VE Day, the Group transported liberated prisoners and displaced persons from Austria to France and England.
Flew a total of 321 combat missions between 13 May 1943 to 20 April 1945
Dropped 19,769 tons of bombs and 456.5 tons of food
Completed 8,625 sorties
Lost 156 B17s in combat, 36 in other operations
1,362 planes battle damaged and 61 forced to land on the continent
Claimed 425 enemy aircraft destroyed, 117 probable, 231 damaged.
Lost 569 men KIA and 3 MIA (assumed KIA)
Lost 825 men as POWs, 61 internees, 61 evaders, 192 wounded in action; 63 killed in noncombat accidents
Total casualties: 1,774
Commanding Officers
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 412th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-14903
- Highest Rank: General
- Role/Job: Commanding Officer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron Headquarters (95th Bomb Group)
- Service Numbers: O-19258
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 412th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: On Board ; Observer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 92nd Combat Bomb Wing (II) 452nd Bomb Group 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-19436
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Commander, 95th , 452nd , Base Commander
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 93rd Combat Bomb Wing 95th Bomb Group Headquarters Squadron (95th Bomb Group)
- Service Numbers: O-17954
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Wing Commander/Group Commander/Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Role/Job: Group Commander
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Unit stations
| Station | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
|
Based |
Alconbury | 15 April 1943 - 1 June 1943 |
|
Based |
Framlingham | 12 May 1943 - 15 June 1943 |
|
Based |
Horham | 15 June 1943 - 3 August 1945 |
Encompassing
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Headquarters
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 34666075
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron 335th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12120017
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Black Diamond Express
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 92nd Bomb Group 95th Bomb Group 326th Bomb Squadron 359th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 97th Bomb Group 341st Bomb Squadron 94th Bomb Group 95th Bomb Group 482nd Bomb Group 327th Bomb Squadron 92nd Bomb Group
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron
![An airman of the 95th Bomb Group with a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-102447) nicknamed "El's Belles". First handwritten caption on reverse: 'F/L on last of 365's bases in Belgium other side "Angels Sister" [name struck-out and annotated 'No'] 365 FG C Johnson/icm/75' Second handwritten caption on reverse: 'BG-A 95 BG.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-379271.jpg.webp?itok=QwML6lTh)
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: El's Belles
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Paisano
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 96th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron 336th Bomb Squadron
Mission
- Date: 6 May 1945
- Official Description:
- Date: 24 March 1945
- Date: 23 March 1945
- Date: 25 February 1945
- Date: 19 February 1945
Related videos and documents
- Media Type: Video
- Object Number: UPL 57084
- Description: half hour ish long video vith Mac at the chehalis fairgrounds
- Media Type: Video
- Object Number: UPL 57085
- Description: interview with leonard c mcreynolds begins at 1:18
- Media Type: Video
- Object Number: UPL 57086
- Description: 2005 horham reuninon. mcreynolds can been seen intermittently thruout the video, particularly around the 20 minute mark.
- Media Type: Document
- Collection Name: William L Beigel Collection
- Object Number: Document 15797
- Description: Extract from Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) for Sergeant Frederick W Briske of the 95th bomb Group researched by historian Bill Beigel. The...
- Media Type: Document
- Object Number: Document 16246
- Description: Summary of the loss of the B-17G 'I'll Get By' of the 412th BS, 95th BG, 8th AF on 2 Aug 44 at Airan, France. Note: existing database on the A/C has...
- Media Type: Document
- Object Number: Document 50364
- Media Type: Document
- Collection Name: Unit histories
- Object Number: Document 51266
- Description: 95th Bomb Group unit history, complete copy Many of the 8th Air Force Groups produced an unofficial unit history in the months after the war ended in...
- Media Type: Document
- Object Number: Document 56098
- Description: Lt Gen Ira C. Eaker's 8 Aug 1979 letter to SSgt Floyd Logan Thompson's daughter, Paulina Kittle, concerning Sgt Thompson's heroics as a gunner in the...
- Media Type: Document
- Object Number: UPL 60427
- Description: 95th Bomb Group 300th Mission Party Program
Revisions
Motto, as taken from group patch insignia. Tail marking was the letter B on a square background (a white square with a black B on camouflaged aircraft, and a black square with a white B on unpainted/natural aluminum aircraft.
B17s Over Berlin: Personal stories from the 95th bomb group
Edited by Ian L. Hawkins
From: B-17s Over Berlin - Personal stories from the 95th bomb group.
Edited by Ian L. Hawkins
From: B-17s Over Berlin - Personal stories from the 95th bomb group.
Edited by Ian L. Hawkins
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)
