17th Replacement Control Depot
Group
Fersfield
Military site : airfield
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Aerial photograph of the west end of Fersfield (Winfarthing) airfield, looking north, the bomb dump is at the top, the technical site- with T2 hangar- at the bottom, 29 August 1946. Photograph taken by No. 541 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/1707. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
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Aerial photograph of the east end of Fersfield (Winfarthing) airfield, looking north, the technical site- with T2 hangar- is bottom left, 29 August 1946. Photograph taken by No. 541 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/1707. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
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General E Partridge in the cockpit of a B-26 Marauder of the 388th Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Gen E Partridge at Fersfield.'
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The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'Gremlin Gus II' at an airbase in England, 12 August 1943. 388th Bomb Group. - 42-30595 "Gremlin Gus II" (388th BG 560th BS -K-, 54 missions, transferred to Aphrodite program, aka "Olin's 69'ers", with open cockpit). NARA Ref 342-FH-3A45944-61559AC
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B-17F-85-BO 42-30066 taken at Fersfield after removal of all armament, etc. Note that the name "MUGWUMP" has been painted over on the nose and the dark square on the fin hiding previous unit marking. The plane still carries the individual code X. The antennas for receiving signals from the mother-plane have not yet been installed. The photo was taken just before the mission to Heligoland. Photo USAF.
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Photo of B-17 Flying Fortress 42-3438 taken in England before the final mission on October 30, when the plane crashed into the sea. The smoke-tank can be seen below the fuselage and you can also see how the fin and top side of the plane has been painted yellow (the drones had previously been painted white) for better visibility from the control plane. Photo USAF.
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An Aphrodite assault drone at takeoff from a relatively remote airfield in Norfolk, England. The drone carried a payload of 30,000 lb of Torpex, an explosive that was 50 percent more powerful than TNT by mass. Drones required a pilot and a co-pilot because the remote control system was insufficient for safe takeoff. NARA Ref partial 60799AC.
Originally named Winfarthing when the site was allocated to the Eighth Air Force in 1942, it was renamed Fersfield when built for the Eighth Air Force 1943-44. USAAF and US Navy projects 'Aphrodite' 'Batty' and 'Anvil' (attempts to develop and use radio-controlled aircraft as precision weapons) were launched from the airfield in 1944, one of which resulted in the death of Lt Joseph Kennedy, elder brother of future US President John F Kennedy. The airfield was closed in 1946, and it has since been since returned to agriculture.
Detailed history
Not yet known
English Heritage's record description
Not yet known
Service
Units
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388th Bomb Group
Group
The 388th Bomb Group flew strategic bombing mission from Knettishall, Suffolk from June 1943 to the end of the war. During this time, though, detachments were sent to Fersfield, Norfolk to conduct Aphrodite missions. In these Aphrodite missions veteran... -
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People
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Joseph Andrecheck
Military | Captain | Co-Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Command pilot Aphrodite drone B-17 42-30212, mission to V1 missile site Watten, France. 6-8-44. Baled out successfully over UK. -
Thomas Barton
Military | Captain | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
newly assigned May 1944 -
Eugene Creagh
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Pilot of B-17G 42-102696, acting as wireless relay for Aphrodite mission to V1 missile site at Wizernes, France. 4-8-1944. Killed in Action (KIA) 12 September 1944 in B-17G 42-107085 'Little Chum' AM w/ 2 Oak Leaf Cluster PH -
Roy Forrest
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Commanding Officer | 388th Bomb Group
Lt Col Roy W Forrest [Commanding Officer 388th BG] monitored Batty* project glide bomb mission from P-38J 43-28490 'Jeanne'. Target Le Havre submarine pens. 13-8-44. ... -
James Gabler
Military | Major | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Assigned to 562BS, 388BG, 8AF USAAF. Pilot of Aphrodite 'Mother' ship B-24J 43-37793 on mission to Wizernes V1 missile site. 4-Aug-44. ETD Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME. -
Hazen Graves
Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight Eng/Autopilot Eng | 447th Bomb Group
Autopilot Engineer, command crew of B-17G 42-31394 on Aphrodite mission to V1 missile site Wattens, France. Baled out sucessfully over UK. 6-8-44. -
Raymond Healy
Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight Eng / Autopilot Eng | 388th Bomb Group
Autopilot Eng, control crew of B-17 42-30212 on Aphrodite mission to V1 missile site Watten, France. Baled out safely over UK. 6-8-44. -
Perry Lewellen
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Assigned 8th AF June '44 - Dec. '44. Ours was a replacement crew - completed tour of combat. Arrived England about time of D-Day and back in states for Christmas. As a lead crew, think tour was 32 missions. ... -
David McCarthy
Military | Lieutenant | Navigator / Observer | 25th Bomb Group
Served with 8th AF USAAF September 1943 - May 1944. ... -
George Montgomery
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Assigned to 560BS, 388BG, AF USAAF. Pilot B-17 42-30793 (mission navigation support) on Aphrodite [remote controlled flying bomb] mission to V1 missile site at Wizernes, France. 4-Aug-44. Awards: AM (4OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Aircraft
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41-24639 'Careful Virgin'
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 9/9/42; Boise 16/9/42; wrecked on landing with broken crankshaft, rep; Cheyenne 11/10/42; Assigned 323BS/91BG [OR-W] Bassingbourn 29/1/43 and first in group to have AFCE fitted at 2 SAD Lt Staughton 8/3/44; transferred 7/5/44 50+m... -
42-102696 'Midge'
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 26/3/44; Hunter 16/4/44; Dow Fd 2/5/44; Assigned 562/388BG Knettishall 05/23/44 for combat. used on Aphrodite training project; Returned to the USA Bradley 3/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 18/7/45; Reconstruction Finance... -
42-30039 'Liberty Belle'
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 2/4/43; Sioux City 14/4/43; Kearney 3/5/43; Dow Fd 24/5/43; Assigned 337BS/96BG [AW-Q] in US; transferred 544BS/384BG [SU-H] Grafton Underwood 29/5/43; 2 SAD Lt Staughton 14/8/43; transferred Aphrodite Project 803BS RCM Knettishall 1... -
42-30066 'Mugwump' aka 'Rum Boogie II'
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 6/4/43; Gore 14/4/43; Kearney 16/4/43; Wendover 2/5/43; Hill 16/5/43; Kearney 22/5/43; Dow Fd 30/5/43; Assigned 413BS/96BG [MZ-X] Andrews Fd 2/6/43; RUM BOOGIE II; transferred 418BS/100BG [LD-U] Thorpe Abbotts 9/6/43; as war weary F... -
42-30212 Quarterback
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 29/4/43; Sioux City 14/5/43; Smoky Hill 11/6/43; Dow Fd 16/6/43; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 17/6/43; transferred Aphrodite project, Missing in Action V-sites, Watten 6/8/44 with Lt Joeseph P Andrecheck & T/Sgt Raymond Healy (2... -
42-30342 "T'aint A Bird II"
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 19/5/43; Gore 20/5/43; Smoky Hill 30/5/43; Wright 30/6/43; Smoky Hill 20/7/43; Kearney 22/7/43; Dow Fd 25/7/43; Assigned 334BS/95BG [BG-B] Horham 28/7/43; 54m, transferred APH with Azon for Aphrodite missions, Knettishall; Aphrodite... -
42-30363 'Ruth L III'
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 21/5/43; Smoky Hill 1/6/43; Gr Isle 5/6/43; Dow Fd 1/7/43; Assigned 338BS/96BG Snetterton 4/7/43 RUTH L III; transferred RCM 388BG project Aphrodite Knettishall; Missing in Action Hemmingstadt 14/9/44 with Lts M. Hardy & E. Hadley,... -
42-30595 'Gremlin Gus II' "Olin's 69'ers"
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 26/6/43; Smoky Hill 13/7/43; Kearney 16/7/43; Dow Fd 19/7/43; Assigned 560BS/388BG Knettishall 20/7/43; (34m) transferred Aphrodite project as OLIN'S 69'ERS; when War Weary, fuselage cut down and vehicle windshield fitted before open... -
42-30793 'Tom Paine'
B-17 Flying Fortress
Named Tom Paine after a famous soldier who served in the American Army during the War of Independence after the airmen of the 562nd after they found out that he had been born in the nearby town of Thetford. Was chosen to promote Anglo-American co... -
42-31394 Aphrodite
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 28/10/43; Assigned 526BS/379BG [LF-D] Kimbolton 20/1/44; transferred AFSC with Azon/Aphrodite (388BG) Knettishall 7/6/44; Missing in Action v-sites Watten, Fr; 6/8/44 with Lt J. Sollars & T/Sgt H. Graves (2 Returned to Duty); lost...
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
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| 27 September 2014 18:02:16 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Barry Anderson, Army Air Forces Stations (Alabama, 1985) / Roger Freeman, Mighty Eighth War Manual (London, 2001) Michael Bowyer, Action Stations 1: Wartime Military Airfields of East Anglia 1939-1945 (Cambridge, 1979) |
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