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Page 135 of the 401st Bomb Group unit history.
Many of the 8th Air Force Groups produced an unofficial unit history in the months after the war ended in Europe but before they were redeployed out of the ETO (European Theater of Operations).
Resembling a college yearbook, unit histories were an unofficial – and often tongue-in-cheek – record of the unit’s time based in the UK. They include photo montages showing different aspects of base life. Often the servicemen in the photos are unnamed. The American Air Museum hopes that by adding unit histories to the website as individual pages, the men in the photos will be identified and associated to their person entries. Many included lists of personnel and a mailing address, providing a means for servicemen to keep in contact with each other after the war. These lists are now incredibly useful records of where US airmen in England in 1945 called their home.
Group
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...
Military | Captain
"Major Arnold Kuenning and Capt Rufus Causey, navigator completed 18 missions to German-occupied territory. Inseparable on the ground and in the air, they typlify the spirit of teamwork destroying the Germans.
Shot u"
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot
As co-pilot on return from mission to Oschersleben on 11 Jan 1944, B-17G #42-31090 'Nasty Habit' was instructed to land at RAF Matlask, Norfolk due to poor visibility at Deenethorpe. Upon landing on the grass strip, the a/c overshot the runway and went...
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. Gaston Fox crew. Shot down 10-Apr-44 in B-17 42-31511 'Fool's Luck III'. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 3939
...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot
On return from mission to Oschersleben on 11 Jan 1944, B-17G #42-31090 'Nasty Habit' was instructed to land at RAF Matlask, Norfolk due to poor visibility at Deenethorpe. Upon landing on the grass strip, the a/c overshot the runway and went through two...
Military | Brigadier General | Commanding Officer
Commanding Officer of 401st BG from 5 December 1944 to 30 May 1945. Flew 30 missions. He later served as Commandant of the cadets at USAF Academy in Colorado and then as President and Chairman of Pan Amercian World Airways.
...
Military | Private | Guard
11 January 1944
Three aviation industry targets in Germany are bombed. The bomber force consists of 291 B-17s despatched from 1st Bomb Division in two elements, one element of 177 B-17s is despatched to Oschersleben, Germany as the primary target, the other 1BD...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 21 June 2017 15:07:50 | general ira snapsorter | Created entry with collection, caption and unit associations |
| Sources | ||
An original copy of the 401st Bomb Group unit history in IWM’s Roger Freeman Collection, printed in 1946. |
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