41st Combat Bomb Wing
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Molesworth
Military site : airfield
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Aerial photograph of the east end of Molesworth airfield looking north, the control tower and two T2 hangars are right of the vertical runway, 5 October 1945. Photograph taken by No. 541 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/889. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
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Lt. Richard K Marsh and crew of the 359th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, beside the Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" "Scorchy". England, 4 February 1944. Rear L-R Lt Richard K Marsh, Lt Robert L Cunningham, Lt Myles J Marsh, Lt Jack Joyce. Front L-R T/Sgt Eugene B Davis, T/Sgt George A Minks, S/Sgt Warner G Rogers, S/Sgt James E Munson, S/Sgt Raymond J Moessner, S/Sgt William R Ferrell B-17G-10-BO serial number 42-31314 named "Scorchy" from the 359th BS, 303rd BG, 8th AF. Suffered brake failure during an emergency landing at RAF Shoreham on Feb. 11,1944 and collided with the guardhouse, injuring one soldier.
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Walter C. Campbell POW Photo
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Plane used by Robert M Wertz (and crew) on crashed mission 2/16/1945 after successfully bombing Munster Railhead (2ndary target). Crashed on east side of Weeze, Germany.
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Lt Frederick Gano and crew of the 303rd Bomb Group, based in England, pose beside Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 42-102411 'Miss Lace'. 14 October 1944. NARA Ref 342-FH-3A10215-C61689AC.
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Lt J A Newton and crew of the 303rd Bomb Group beside a Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 42-102411 'Miss Lace', England. 19 July 1944. Rear L-R: S/Sgt John F Hobgood, S/Sgt Jim S Reeves, S/Sgt Albert W Bricker, T/Sgt James A O'Leary, T/Sgt Leonard A. Turner. Front L-R: 2Lt William F Drew, 2Lt Frank G Mowatt, 1Lt John A Newton, 1Lt George L Lange Jr. NARA Ref 342-FH-3A10268-61751AC.
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Lt Chester E Flick and crew of the 303rd Bomb Group beside Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 42-102411 'Miss Lace', England. 18 July 1944. Rear L-R: S/Sgt Charles Park Eberly, Unknown, Unknown, . Front L-R: 1Lt Chester E Flick, Sgt Harvey W Forry, 2Lt Walter A Curley, S/Sgt John C Abeyta NARA Ref 342-FH-3A10265-A61750AC
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Lt Peter F Cureton and crew of the 303rd Bomb Group, beside Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 42-102411 "Miss Lace". England, 14 Oct. 1944. NARA Ref 342-FH-3A10321-C61766AC
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Lt Henry C Clark and crew of the 303rd Bomb Group beside Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 42-102411 "Miss Lace", England. 12 July 1944. NARA Ref 342-FH-3A10275-C61752AC
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Lt Roberts and crew of the 303rd Bomb Group, based In England, pose beside Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress 42-102411 'Miss Lace'. 14 October 1944. Front row (not in order) : T/Sgt Alf Riveland (engineer) : T/Sgt Frank Renzi (radio) : S/Sgt Harold A. Carlson (ball turret gunner): S/Sgt Gerald R. Campbell (waist gunner): S/Sgt Albert P. Barber (tail gunner). Back row (not in order) 1Lt Ingersall J. Roberts (pilot) : 2Lt Arthur Bluethenthal (copilot) : F/O Floyd L. Clark (navigator) : F/O Lloyd I. Long (bombardier). NARA Ref 342-FH-3A10217-A61690AC
Molesworth was one of the early stations used by the Eighth Air Force in the UK, first occupied by the 15th Bomb Squadron’s Douglas Bostons in June 1942. Built in 1940 and extended and improved in 1942, Molesworth is most associated with the 303rd Bomb Group, popularly known as 'Hell’s Angels' which moved in with its B-17s in September 1942 and remained at the base until June 1945. Molesworth reverted to RAF control in 1945 and was closed in 1946. It was re-opened in 1951 for use by the US Air Force, and it remains a US base today: home to the Joint Intelligence Operations Center Europe Analytic Center. It was announced in January 2015 by the US Department of Defense that RAF Molesworth will close as a USAFE base in 2022. The USAF intelligence and support elements currently located at RAF Molesworth and RAF Alconbury will be combined in a new complex at RAF Croughton, Northamptonshire. RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, will also close as a USAFE base after 2020.
Detailed history
Not yet known
English Heritage's record description
Not yet known
Service
Units
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303rd Bomb Group
Group
The 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated on 3-Feb-1942 at Pendleton Field, Oregon. They assembled at Gowen Field, Idaho on 11-February 1942 where it conducted flight training until 12-Jun-1942. The Group then moved to Alamogordo Field, New... -
444th Sub-Depot
Group
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18th Weather Squadron
Squadron
Browse 18th Weather Squadron photographs and other documents in the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library digital archive here: www.2ndair.org.uk/digitalarchive/Dashboard/Index/60 -
358th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
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359th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
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360th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
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3rd Station Complement Squadron
Squadron
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427th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
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15th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
The 15th Bomb Squadron was the first US bomb unit sent to UK. Flying personnel arrived at Newport without aircraft on 13 May 1942. ...
People
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Donald Aagesen
Military | Captain | Pilot/Co-Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Donald C Aageson served as a pilot with the 303rd Bomb Group. He flew 29 missions. ... -
Milton Abernathy
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down by flak on a mission to Dyon, FR on 6 Feb 1944 in B-17G 42-97498 'Padded Cell'. Crew baled out and a/c crashed near Bricey. Prisoner of War (POW). -
John Abeyta
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio operator | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 427BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 34 x combat missions. Ended Tour Duty (ETD). Awards: WWII Victory, EAME. -
Howard Abney
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
11 missions from July to August 1943. Severely wounded and unable to return to active duty as gunner. 1. 10 July 1943-Poix, France2. 14 July, 1943-Villacoublay, France3. 24 July 1943-Heroya, Norway4. 25 July 1943-Hamburg, Germany5. 26 July 1943-Hamburg... -
Joseph Adamczyk
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down 20 December 1943 in B-17 #42-39764 'Santa Anna'. Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Arthur Adams
Military | Captain | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
26-Jul-42 Assigned as Pilot of B-17F 41-24563 [PU-H] "Garbage", 303BG/360BS with crew at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. 16-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK, aboard "Garbage". ... -
Ralph Adams
Military | Technical Sergeant | Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Orginally assigned with the 92BG at Bovingdon, UK as an Aerial Gunner with the rank of Sergeant. He flew his first mission (and the only one with the 92BG) on 21-Oct-42. ... -
Alexander Alex
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down 20 December 1943 in B-17 #42-39764 'Santa Anna', Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
George Ali
Military | Technical Sergeant | Automotive mechanic | 303rd Bomb Group
George N Ali served as an automotive mechanic with the 1681st Ordnance Company at Molesworth, which bombed up the B-17s of the 303rd Bomb Group. ... -
Arlan Allen
Military | Sergeant | Nose Gunner; Togglier | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 23 x combat missions. Mechanical problems en route Berlin, left them for the return journey 26-Feb-45 force landed at Zolotonosha, Russia, after a short stay at Poltava they were flown out by Air Transport Cmd. RTD ...
Aircraft
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41-24416 'Black Diamond Express'
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 326BS/92BG Bangor 16/7/42; 95BG Horham /43; 359BS/303BG [BN-V] Molesworth, 17/6/43; Returned to the USA Sheppard 5/7/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Walnut Ridge 26/10/45. BLACK DIAMOND EXPRESS. -
41-24517 Kali
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F #41-24517 [GN-O] 'Kali' 303BG/427BS assigned with crew on 1-May-42 at Alamogordo Field, Almogordo, New Mexico. Sent with crew to Dow Field, Bangor, Maine for deployment 5-Oct-42. Arrived at Molesworth, UK 24-Oct-42 ... -
41-24526 Leapin Liz
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 41-24526 "Leapin Liz". Assigned 358BS/303BG [VK-J] Bangor 19-Sep-42; Molesworth 16-Oct-42; Missing in Action St Nazaire 3-Jan-43, shot down by enemy aircraft, crashed off St Brevin, Bay of Biscay, France. 10KIA Missing Air Crew Report (MACR)... -
41-24539 Jersey Bounce
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 358BS/303BG [VK-K] Kellogg Fd 15/9/42; Molesworth 16/10/42; CCRC Bovingdon 27/7/43; 384BG Grafton Underwood 22/9/43; Salvaged NBD 31/5/45. JERSEY BOUNCE. -
41-24541 Spook
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 41-24541 "Spook" was assigned 358BS/303BG [VK-G] Kellogg Fd 14-Sep-42; Molesworth 16-Sep-42;The aircraft participated in 12 Operations - 4 Aborted (See Biography events) ... -
41-24558 Hunga Dunga
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F-25-BO 41-24558 [VK:F] "Hunga Dunga" was assigned to the 358BS/303BG [VK-F] at Bangor. Maine on 14-Oct-42; arrived at Molesworth, UK on 16-Oct-42; Missing in Action Vegasack 18-Mar-43 when it was attacked by enemy aircraft near Helgoland. Germany... -
41-24559 Ooold Soljer
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 41-24559 'Ooold Soljer' was assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-C] Bangor 14-Oct-42; Molesworth 16-Oct-42. ... -
41-24561 The Duchess, "Sure Stuff"
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-T] Bangor 10/9/42; Molesworth 16/10/42; 59m transferred 1 Base Air Depot (sic),* Burtonwood 7/7/44; Returned to the USA Altus 18/8/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Altus 14/8/45. Over... -
41-24562 Sky Wolf
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 358BS/303BG [VK-A] Bangor 14/10/42; Molesworth 16/10/42; 60m Missing in Action Oschersleben 11/1/44 with Aubrey Emerson, Co-pilot: McDonald Riddick, Navigator: Lew Halliburton, Bombardier: Don Delaura, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Grover... -
41-24563 Garbage
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-H] Bangor 14/10/42; Molesworth 16/10/42; on training flight with Arthur Adams, Co-pilot: Gene Witterstetter, Navigator: Glen Herrington, Bombardier: Mike Libonatti, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Lew Hart, Radio Operator:...
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
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| 08 November 2016 12:13:42 | Lucy May | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
Connected aircraft records that have 'Molesworth' in their biography fields. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 09 January 2015 11:36:33 | IWMPM | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
USAFE-AFAfrica Press Release, 08 January 2015. See http://www.mildenhall.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123435803. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:02:17 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Barry Anderson, Army Air Forces Stations (Alabama, 1985) / Roger Freeman, Airfields of the Eighth Then And Now (London, 1978) |
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