479th Sub-Depot
Group
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Military site : airfield
Built comparatively late during 1943-44 as an Eighth Air Force bomber base, North Pickenham was rather cramped as an airfield site so the main runway was shorter than typical. It had three concrete runways, 50 loop hardstandings and two dispersed T2 hangars. This station was first occupied by the 'hard luck’ 492nd Bomb Group from May to August 1944, operating B-24s, which was withdrawn from combat after losing 51 aircraft to enemy action during 64 missions. It was replaced by the highly successful 491st Bomb Group, also equipped with B-24s, which remained at North Pickenham until August 1945. The station was then used for a variety of purposes by the RAF and USAFE from 1945 to 1965, most notably as a Douglas Thor IRBM site during 1958-63, and as a Hawker Siddeley P1127 Kestrel trials airfield during 1964-65. It has since reverted mostly to agriculture plus turkey farming, a wind farm and light industry.
Not yet known
Not yet known
Group
Group
The 492nd Bomb Group were assigned to the 8th Air Force in April 1944. They flew 60 missions over occupied Europe from 11 May 1944 until 7 August 1944.
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Group
The 491st Bomb Group flew B-24 Liberators in bombing missions over northern France and Germany from June 1944 until April 1945. Missions over Germany included bombing the headquarters of the German General Staff at Zossen. The Group was awarded a DUC...
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Headquarters
Military | Sergeant | Togglier / Nose Gunner | 491st Bomb Group
Assigned to 854BS, 491BG, 8AF USAAF. 1 x combat mission.
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 491st Bomb Group
Thomas Alexander’s older brother, Marston Alexander Jr, born in 1917, died in October 1929. Thomas enlisted in the Air Corps and was trained as a pilot. Sent overseas, he was assigned to the 491st Bomb Group / 854th Bomb Squadron in England. He was on...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 491st Bomb Group
Prisoner of War (POW) Shot down near Soest on 9/26/44 in B-24 #4410500
Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight engineer / Top turret | 491st Bomb Group
Assigned to 852BS, 491BG, 8AF USAAF. 30 x combat missions. Crashed, exploded and burned 5-Jan-45 in assembly ship B-24 44-40165 'Rage in Heaven' near Swaffham after taking off in a snowstorm to lead the assembly of the group. Killed in Action (KIA)
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-pilot | 491st Bomb Group
Post war George Aschinger was owner of G. Aschinger & Son Electric, Streator and served as president of Streator Chamber of Commerce. He died 12 October 1993 in Illinois.
Awards: AM (4OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (1 x Battle Star).
Military | Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 491st Bomb Group
Assigned to 854BS, 491BG, 8AF USAAF. 1 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Hanover in B-24 42-110107 "Wham Bam Thank You Ma'm" 24-Aug-44; bailed out of A/C, captured and held overnight at Munster A/D.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Flight Engineer/Gunner | 492nd Bomb Group (Heavy)
B-24 flight engineer for 492nd Bomb Group, 856th Bomb Squadron and 8th air force.
Shot down 4 August 1944 in A/C #42-50770. Interned in Sweden.
He was predeceased by his 12 siblings and wife, Inga-Lisa, who he met whilst in Sweden.
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 467th Bomb Group
Transferred 467th BG
Military | Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 491st Bomb Group
Shot down near Soest in B-24 #44-10500, Killed in Action (KIA).
Military | Pilot | 491st Bomb Group
Haynes Baumgardner served as a B-24 pilot in the 491st Bomb Group. He flew a supply mission on Sept. 18, 1944 in support of Operation Market Garden. After dropping a load of supplies from tree top level to troops on the ground, his group headed home....
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
On its first mission as an 856th BS plane, it was lent to the 857th BS and was shot down by flak.
23 Jun 44: Lost with Monroe Crew R-01, shot down by flak over Brussels, Belgium.
8 KIA, 2 POW, MACR 6242
B-24 Liberator
The deputy lead ship of the 453rd BG was shot up by the Luftwaffe. Assumption is that the pilots were immediately killed, since the plane began flying aimlessly by itself. It veered into the path of the 492nd. Either Lt Cary of Bold Venture didn't see...
B-24 Liberator
Assigned to 854BS, 491BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Hanover mission; downed by flak over Russelheim, Germany, on 24-Aug-44. 3 x POW, 6 x KIA. MACR 8296
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B-24 Liberator
This aircraft was shot up over Germany by GAF. Immediately 2 gunners were KIA and another WIA. The crew helped the wounded man bail out. As the fire aboard spread out of control, the order to abandon ship was given. Only 3 more made it out before the...
B-24 Liberator
The 856th BS lost all of their planes while en route to their target. How many of them made an attempt to reach Sweden is unknown. Although Sweden was a mere 20 minutes from the air battle, only two of the shot-up Liberators made it there. Some of the...
B-24 Liberator
Shot up over Germany, dropped out of formation and was never seen again.
10 KIA, MACR 5240
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Long Beach 5/5/43; Denver 11/5/43; Dow Fd 31/5/43; Assigned 326BS/92BG [JW-N] Alconbury 6/6/43 RUTHIE; transferred 365BS/305BG [XK-N] Chelveston HELL-CAT 10/6/43; then 422BS [JJ-Z/N]; 858BS/8AFCC Cheddington 26/6/44; battle damaged Romilly 15...
B-24 Liberator
Assigned to 701BS, 445BG, 8th AF. Transfered to the 859BS, 492BG and modified for use in Carpetbagger missions. After August 1944 the 492nd Bomb Group was used as a cover for special operations missions in Europe, such as supply drops to Underground...
B-24 Liberator
Date | Contributor | Update |
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25 August 2016 15:26:00 | White Knight | Changes to known as, usaaf from date, usaaf to date, construction date and closure date |
Sources | ||
The 492nd and 491st Bomb Groups in Norfolk Peter Bodle, Liberator Publishing. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
01 April 2016 02:22:08 | Cebby | Changes to media associations |
Sources | ||
Harold W. Burdekin Records |
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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) Roger Freeman, Mighty Eighth War Manual (2nd edn, London, 2001) Michael Bowyer, Action Stations 1: Wartime Military Airfields of East Anglia 1939-1945 (Cambridge, 1979) Owen Thetford, Aircraft of the Royal Air Force since 1918 (London, 1979) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_North_Pickenham http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/north-pickenham |