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Military
Sergeant Albert R Krassman of the 446th Bomb Group with a B-24 Liberator (RT-H, serial number 44-40268) nicknamed "Kentucky Belle". Image via Albert R Krassman Jr Handwritten caption on reverse: '"Kentucky Belle" call "H". B-24J-156-Co, 4440268, 706 Bomb Squadron (H), 446 Bomb Group (H), 20th Combat Bomb Wing, 2nd Air Division, 8th USAF. Sgt Albert R Krassman JR, AAF station 125, Flixtion, Bungay, Suffolk, England, Spring 1945.'
A B-24 Liberator of the 446th Bomb Group lands at Bungay. Image via Albert R Krassman Jr
Memorial to Edith Cavell in Norwich. Image via Albert R Krassman Jr, 446th Bomb Group. Written on slide casing: 'Edit Cavell Grave Norwich.'
King's College grounds, Cambridge. Image by Albert R Krassman Jr, 446th Bomb Group. Written on slide casing: 'P College, Cambs.'
Norwich Cathedral. Image by Albert R Krassman Jr, 446th Bomb Group. Written on slide casing: 'Norwich Cathedral.'
A B-24 Liberator of the 491st Bomb Group flies over St Michaels Church at South Elmham near Bungay. Image via Albert R Krassman Jr. Written on slide casing: 'St Michaels Rumburch?'
The nose art of a B-24 Liberator (FL-N, serial number 41-29411) nicknamed "Ridge Runner (Nov Shmoz Kapop)" of the 446th Bomb Group. Image via Albert R Krassman Jr Written on slide casing: 'Ridge Runner.'
B-24 Liberators of the 446th Bomb Group line up take off before the mission over Wesel. Image via Albert R Krassman Jr. Written on slide casing: 'Wesel Line Up. Mar 24 1945.'
A waist gunner of the 446th Bomb Group in position inside his B-24 Liberator. Image via Albert R Krassman Jr Written on slide casing: 'Gunner.'
The Backs and the River Cam, Cambridge. Image by Albert R Krassman Jr, 446th Bomb Group. Written on slide casing: 'Cambridge, bridge Cam.'
Born in Colorado, Krassman enlisted in 1943 and served as ground crew with the 706th Bomb Squadron of the 446th Bomb Group, based at Bungay in Suffolk. He worked as a gunsight, turret and armour mechanic, referring to himself playfully as a ‘bomb-stuffer-inner’. His crucial work helped maintain the B-24s for combat missions.
Krassman painted nose art on many of the 446th Bomb Group aircraft. His subjects included scantily-clad women, cartoon characters and the plane names themselves. Such images were usual for USAAF crews who also decorated aircraft with song titles, puns and even depictions of wives or girlfriends left behind.
Group
The 446th Bomb Group, who came to be known as "the Bungay Buckaroos" after the name of their Suffolk base, flew B-24 Liberators on strategic, support and interdictory missions over Europe. The Group led the Eighth Air Force and 2nd Bomb Division on the...
Squadron
B-24 Liberator
The Kentucky Belle was one of the later models of B-24J bombers and was equipped with some of the best technology available to the USAF. While in operation she served in 84 missions, 80 bombing runs and 3 'truckings' or fuel runs and a supply drop.
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 07 April 2019 13:35:56 | Carl Peplow | Changes to service number and unit associations |
| Sources | ||
personal ephemera |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 21 June 2016 14:49:04 | Lucy May | Changes to media associations |
| Sources | ||
Associated photos that Al Krassman took and later shared with aviation historian Roger Freeman. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:03:10 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / www.446bg.com/ |
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