Interior of the Nissen hut known as "The Black Hole of Calcutta" which was the officers' quarters of Lt. Leo Dale Rush, Jr., Lt. Charles H. Stirneman, Lt. John Guldemond, Lt. Thomas Lemmon, Lt. Walter E. Foster and their puppy, ""Burma", who was one of Pfc. Gin Fizz's offspring. The Nissen jut may have been located in Site No. 13 at the north end of Earls Colne Airfield as noted on the British Air Ministry's Site Plan for the base. The photograph shows the pin-up board and the desk where the officers would have done work and written letters home.
Connections
Units
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Group
The 323rd Bombardment Group operated with B-26 Marauders, American medium bombers. They were the first Eighth Air Force Group to fly a medium level bombing mission with this aircraft on 16 July 1943. After flying a total of 33 missions with the Eighth,...
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Squadron
Selected Bibliography of Publications:
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People
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Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Bombardier
Lt. Walt Foster was a navigator and bombardier from Upstate New York who served with the 456th BS during the Second World War. His first combat mission was flown from Earls Colne Airfield on February 3, 1944 to the Ruisseville "No Balls” secret weapon...
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Military | First Lieutenant
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Military | Lieutenant | Bombardier, B-26 Marauder
Dale Rush served with the 456th BS as a bombardier. He was killed on May 20, 1944 on a mission to Dieppe when "Ole 33 Gal" WT-A Serial No. 41-35033, flying in the Box II, Flight 3 lead position, took a direct hit of heavy flak that shattered the...
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Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier - Navigator
Lt. Stirneman appears to have shared a Nissan hut with Lts. Leo Dale Rush, Walter E. Foster, John Guldemond, Lemmon, and Pfc. "Burma" in Quarters Area 13 at Earls Colne Airfield, England. Lt. Stirneman was born on 15 May 1921 and was killed in action...
Locations
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Military site : airfield
Earls Colne was built in 1941 as an airfield for No.3 Group, RAF Bomber Command, although never used as such. Assigned to the US Eighth Air Force (as Station 358) in 1942, its 36 hardstands were increased to 50, bringing the airfield up to Air Ministry...