Although the museum is currently closed, there is plenty to explore in our online archive.
The American Air Museum is a charity - Find out how you can support us
Military site : airfield
B-24H-10-DT #41-28621 Harpers Ferry #22 449th BG - 718th BS
B-24H-15-DT #41-28755 Hard Hearted Hannah #26 449th BG - 718th BS H2X Lead ship
B-24H-20-DT #41-28986 Brass Monkey #51 449th Bomb Group - 717th Bomb Squadron Belly landed on training flight 11 August 1944, Ed Kolek pilot
B-24H-5-CF #41-29193 Dixie Belle #13 449th BG - 719th BS Lost 4 April 1944 mission to Bucharest, Romania with Richard Kendall crew, MACR 4205
B-24H-5-FO #42-52089 Devil's Henchmen #63 449th BG - 716th BS
B-24H-5-FO #42-7744 Shack Happy #41 449th BG - 717th BS Shot down 5 May 1944 mission to Ploesti, Romania with the Morton Crew, MACR 4714
B-24J-1-NT #42-78503 "Jodey" Code: 454th Bomb Group - 736th Bomb Squadron - 15th AF Shot down 16 February 1944 with Bruce Rabun Crew Bruce Rabun Crew was lost 16 Feb 44 in 42-52261 - MACR 2488. First deliveries of J-NT's was approx. May 44. 42-78503 has soft (unconfirmed) connection to 449th BG, 719th BS, listed as ex 454/736 and arriving in 449th in February '45.
B-24H-30-FO #42-95314 "Twinkletoes" Code: #72 449th Bomb Group - 719th Bomb Squadron - 15th AF Lost 4 December 1944 on training flight with Dale Willard crew
In 1923 Grottaglie was a military airfield of Regia Aeronautica During World War II, was a military airfield used by Regia Aeronautica and after by the United States Army Air Forces. The airfield was designed for heavy bomber use, and was a major base for Fifteenth Air Force B-24 Liberator heavy bombers used in the strategic bombardment campaign against Germany. In addition, Twelfth Air Force tactical bombers were stationed at the airfield which were used to support Allied ground forces in the Italian Campaign.
Known USAAF units assigned to the airfield were:
47th Bombardment Group, 24 Sep-15 Oct 1943, A-20 Havoc (12 AF)
321st Bombardment Group, 15 Oct-20 Nov 1943, B-25 Mitchell (12 AF)
449th Bombardment Group, 4 Jan 1944-16 May 1945, B-24 Liberator (15 AF)
416th Night Fighter Squadron, 30 Sep 1943-28 Jan 1944, Bristol Beaufighter (12 AF)
[4] [5]
After the war ended, the airfield was turned over to local authorities, and in 1950 was air base of 86º Gruppo Antisom 8Antisubmarine Warfare Wing) of Italian Air Force In 1979 was a Naval Air Station of Italian Navy.
Not yet known
Group
The group was constituted as 449th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 6 April 1943 and activated on 1 May at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona.[2] its original components were the 716th,[3] 717th,[4] 718th,[5] and 719th Bombardment Squadrons.[6]
...
Military | Sergeant | Waist gunner | 449th Bomb Group
Assigned to 718BS, 449BG, 15AF USAAF. 2 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Mostar, Yugo 14-Jan-44 in B-24 41-28606; A/C hit by bombs form A/C above. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2070
Awards: PH.
Military | Sergeant | Nose turret gunner | 449th Bomb Group
Assigned to 718BS, 449BG, 15AF USAAF. 2 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Mostar, Yugo 14-Jan-44 in B-24 41-28606; A/C hit by bombs form A/C above. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2070
Awards: PH.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top turret gunner | 449th Bomb Group
Assigned to 718BS, 449BG, 15AF USAAF. 2 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Mostar, Yugo 14-Jan-44 in B-24 41-28606; A/C hit by bombs form A/C above. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2070
Awards: PH.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 449th Bomb Group
Assigned to 718BS, 449BG, 15AF USAAF. 2 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Mostar, Yugo 14-Jan-44 in B-24 41-28606; A/C hit by bombs form A/C above. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2070
Awards: PH.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail gunner | 449th Bomb Group
Assigned to 718BS, 449BG, 15AF USAAF. 2 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Mostar, Yugo 14-Jan-44 in B-24 41-28606; A/C hit by bombs form A/C above. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 2070
Awards: PH, POW, WWII Victory, EAME..
Military | Sergeant | Ball turret gunner | 449th Bomb Group
Assigned to 718BS, 449BG, 15AF USAAF. 2 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Mostar, Yugo 14-Jan-44 in B-24 41-28606; A/C hit by bombs form A/C above. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2070
Awards: PH.
Military | Sergeant | Photographer | 449th Bomb Group
Assigned to 718BS, 449BG, 15AF USAAF. 2 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Mostar, Yugo 14-Jan-44 in B-24 41-28606; A/C hit by bombs form A/C above. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 2070
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Sergeant | Waist gunner | 449th Bomb Group
Assigned to 718BS, 449BG, 15AF USAAF. 3 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Mostar, Yugo 14-Jan-44 in B-24 41-28606; A/C hit by bombs form A/C above. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2070
Awards: PH
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 449th Bomb Group
Assigned to 718BS, 449BG, 15AF USAAF. 2 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Mostar, Yugo 14-Jan-44 in B-24 41-28606; A/C hit by bombs form A/C above. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2070
Awards: AM, PH.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-pilot | 449th Bomb Group
Assigned to 718BS, 449BG, 15AF USAAF. 2 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Mostar, Yugo 14-Jan-44 in B-24 41-28606; A/C hit by bombs form A/C above. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2070
Awards: PH.
B-24 Liberator
'The Jinx' came over to Britain along with the original 490 Bomber Group. It flew throughout the war until it was declared unfit for flying in May 1945. It was given it's name after the pilot, Second Lieutenant Thomas Keyes realized that the plane...
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
An original cadre ship acquired 27-Oct-43 and assigned to Pickard’s crew who flew her overseas in Dec-43. The ship with Pickard’s crew aboard was downed over Mostar, Yugoslavia, on 14-Jan-44. She was hit by bombs dropped from another B-24 overhead in...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 02 November 2016 23:38:11 | 466thHistorian | Created entry with name, latitude, longitude, usaaf from date, usaaf to date, construction date and history |
| Sources | ||
