Charles Bonnett
Military | Captain | Group Bombardier | 384th Bomb Group
•Flew to England with 384th Group Commander, Colonel Budd J. Peaslee, per Army Air Base Kearney Special Orders #96 dated 17 May 1943.
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Budd J Peaslee
Military
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Col. Budd Peaslee, Commanding Officer, Scouting Force (Experimental) with his P-51D Mustang 44-13283 YF/-A "Carolyn Ann" named for his daughter. Photo via NARA.
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Col. Budd Peaslee's "Carolyn Ann" now wearing the 5E-A code of the 1st Scouting Force at Honington.
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A bomber crew led by Ralph E. Pulcipher of the 547th Bomb Squadron, 384th Bomb Group with their B-17F Flying Fortress (SO-S, serial number 42-5843) nicknamed "Black Ghost". Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Ralph E. Pulcipher crew, 547BS, 384BG. Lost on Sept. 6, 1943 aboard B-17F-25-VE "Black Ghost" 42-5843, SO*S. 7 POW, 3 EVD (their 14th mission).' On reverse: From Tim Bivens Collection [Stamp]. Caption from Tim Bivens: 'I recently obtained the enclosed pix from Mr. William McLain who flew in the 384th BG. I research the B-17F they were shot down in, “Black Ghost”, which was coded SO*S. The enclosed crew photo shows them by the right side of this Fort, but the codes read S*OS. I’ve never noticed codes arranged this way, probably should have been S*SO don’t you think? ' This image was taken after a mission on 28 June 1943. Back Row: William Eudey (N), *James Ray Martin-Vegue (N), *Robert E. Langlois (TG), Ralph R. Pulcipher (CP), Col Budd J. Peaslee (P, Group Commander), Paul S. Givens (B). Front Row: Asbury Lee Perkins (R), Willard D. Mclain (BT), Judson L. Dacus (Eng/TT), Thomas E. Furrey (WG), Joe M. Hawkins (WG). Langlois, a pilot, was assigned the tail gun position to serve as formation observer.
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43-38757 SO-L, PEASLEE'S PAYOFF 384th Bomb Group, 547th Squadron. Named for the 384th Bomb Group's first commanding officer, Colonel Budd J. Peaslee.
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Colonel Budd J. Peaslee, Commander of the 384th Bombardment Group, Station 106, Grafton Underwood, and Gladwin C. Hill.
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Memorial at RAF Honington
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Dale McCrory
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Dale McCrory
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1st scouting force / colonel budd peaslee
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1st scouting force / 1st Scouting Force Personnel Nov-44. L - R (Standing) Andy Peterson - Adjutant; Robert Van Beynum - Intelligence; Dwight W Hartman & Dick Smith - pilots; Harold C Strain - Navigator; John Allen, William 'Bill' E Schofield & William E Cox - Pilots; Herman Meyer - Weather Officer. L - R (Kneeling) Pilots - Edwin A Post, Robert C 'Bob' Burkholder, Phil Algar, Col. Budd Peaslee, Francis C Clark, Clifford R Buckles and Dale McCory
First Commanding Officer of 384th Bomb Group and instigator of the Scouting Force concept, to enable the bomber stream to change course in good time if target area was obscured.
Activated on 1st December 1942 in Idaho, the 384th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was placed under the command of Col Budd J Peaslee. In May 1943 the 384th moved to Grafton Underwood Airfield in Northamptonshire, England, and Col Peaslee was the Commanding Officer until 1 October 1943.
Col Peaslee later became well-known for being the primary founder of The Scouting Force. Lockheed P-38s, P-51 Mustangs and Dehavilland Mosquitos were used to range ahead of a bomber strike and report back on target weather conditions. They were also used to check for Anti-Aircraft sites and Luftwaffe interceptor airfields and units. The first Scouting Force Mission flew on July 16th 1944.
The “triangle-P” insignia emblazoned on Grafton Underwood’s B-17 aircraft may have been chosen to honour Col. Budd Peaslee.
Service
People
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Selden McMillin
Military | Major | Pilot | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down 25 June 1943 in B-17 42-5850. Prisoner of War. -
Walter Owens
Military | Captain | Public Relations Officer | 384th Bomb Group
Assigned to the 384th Bomb Group at Wendover Field, Utah and deployed to the UK in May 1943. Public Affairs Officer Author of the 384th Bomb Group History "As Briefed..."
Units served with
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384th Bomb Group
Group
The 384th Bomb Group flew B-17s from Grafton Underwood, Northamptonshire, between May 1943 and June 1945. They were engaged in daylight bombing missions over Germany as part of the Allies' efforts to destroy the effectiveness of the Luftwaffe by... -
1st Scouting Force
Squadron
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Scouting Force (Experimental) (SFX)
Squadron
Formed by Col. Peaslee following presentation of his theory to Gen. Doolittle. The purpose of the Scouting Force concept was for experienced, tour expired lead bomber pilots, escorted by volunteer fighter pilots, to fly ahead of bomber formations to...
Aircraft
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43-38757 Peaslee's Payoff
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Lincoln 16/9/44; Grenier 30/9/44; Assigned 547BS/384BG [SO-L] Grafton Underwood 6/10/44; crash landed Troston AD, Sfk, UK with Wallace Davidson 8/5/45, repaired; Returned to the USA Bradley 11/7/45; 4185 BU Independence 12/7/45; 4136 BU... -
44-13283 Carolyn Ann
P-51 Mustang
Personal aircraft of Col. Budd Peaslee, Commanding Officer Scouting Force (Experimental) and 1st Scouting Force. Flown by Lt William J. Doherty of 364th Fighter Group / 383rd Fighter Squadron on 10 January 1945. Was last seen in formation at about 12...
Associated Place
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Grafton Underwood
Military site : airfield
Grafton Underwood was built in 1941 by George Wimpey and Co. Ltd. It was the first airfield in England to receive an Eighth Air Force flying unit, when in May 1942 personnel of the 15th Bomb Squadron took up residence. As a satellite airfield for... -
Honington
Military site : airfield
Honington was in use by Eighth Air Force units for a longer period than any other air base in England. The air base, built in the mid 1930s as part of the RAF's expansion programme had seen plenty of action as an RAF base before it was handed over to... -
Steeple Morden
Military site : airfield
Originally used from 1940 as a small, grass airfield, satellite for nearby RAF Bassingbourn, Steeple Morden was allocated to the Eighth Air Force in August 1942 as a potential bomber base. It was used briefly by the 3rd Photographic Group during the...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Santa Cruz, CA, USA | 26 May 1902 |
| Commissioned | 28 February 1927 | |
| Retired | 30 September 1953 | |
| Died | Salinas, CA, USA | 3 April 1983 |
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 03 February 2016 21:38:32 | bombercommand | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/person.php?PersonKey=4490 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 02 February 2016 16:25:51 | Anne Hughes | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org; websites of 384th Bombardment Group and Little Friends |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 04 March 2015 03:09:02 | bombercommand | Changes to events and media associations |
| Sources | ||
BIOGRAPHICAL DIRECTORY OF THE 8TH AIR FORCE 1942-1945 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 16 February 2015 16:40:32 | bombercommand | Changes to awards and events |
| Sources | ||
384thbombgroup.com |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 October 2014 16:29:12 | Pyker | Changes to awards |
| Sources | ||
Added decorations. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 October 2014 16:26:22 | Pyker | Changes to nickname, role, biography, events, unit associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
Personal research plus that of Ted Damick. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:04:50 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list |
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