1st Bomb Wing
Wing
The First Bomb Wing arrived in the UK in July 1942. The wing command became the 1st Bomb Division in August 1943, while the wing was retitled the 1st Combat Bomb Wing.
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Group
The 379th Bomb Group (H) (heavy), based at Kimbolton, flew more sorties than any other Bomb Group in the Eighth Air Force and dropped a greater bomb tonnage than any other Group. The B-17 Flying Fortress Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations, the first for operations across the period beginning 28 May 1943 to 31 July 1944. The second was awarded to the 1st Bomb Division as a whole for flying without fighter protection to bomb aircraft factories at Oschersleben on 11 January 1944.
The 379th was comprised of four (4) Bombardment Squadrons (All B-17's)
1) 524th - Squadron Marking: WA
2) 525th - Squadron Marking: FR
3) 526th - Squadron Marking: LF
4) 527th - Squadron Marking: FO
Wing
The First Bomb Wing arrived in the UK in July 1942. The wing command became the 1st Bomb Division in August 1943, while the wing was retitled the 1st Combat Bomb Wing.
Wing
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
The 853rd Air Engineering Squadron was Activated on 15 April 1945 per provisions of HQ 8th Air Force General Orders #52 dated 12 April 1945
Headquarters
Platoon
Activated 10 April 1944, assigned to 379th Bomb Grp
29 May 1943
Three primary targets are selected for this mission. The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are selected as the target for a force of 169 B-17s despatched from: 91BG (23); 92BG (22), 303BG (30); 305BG (25) 306BG (24); 351BG (21) and 379BG (24). This is...
11 June 1943
The harbour facilities, port areas and U-Boat pens at Wilhelmshaven and Cuxhaven, Germany are the primary targets for this mission. This is the largest number of heavy bombers yet despatched on a single mission - 252. This is the first mission flown...
22 June 1943
The German rubber industry (Chemische Werke Hüls AG) at Marl (district Hüls-Nord), Germany, is the primary objective of this mission and is assigned to the Bomb Groups with the most expericence. Also the industrial area of Antwerp, Belgium is assigned...
23 June 1943
A combined force of 172 B-17s is despatched from 91BG (13); 92BG (14); 303BG (22); 305BG (21); 306BG (22); 351BG (20); 379BG (20); 381BG (22); and 384BG (18). Also 8 YB-40 gunships from 92BG are interspersed in the formation. The intention was for 140...
25 June 1943
This mission was intended to be the first major attack on the industrial area of Hamburg, Germany but weather and contrails made fromation flying too difficult and dangerous. As a result, the main formation 197 B-17s from: 91BG (18); 92BG (23); 303BG ...
26 June 1943
The targets for today are all Luftwaffe installations: the Villacoublay air depot SW of Paris, France is the primary; the airfield at Poissy, France is attacked as the secondary because of cloud cover; the airfield at Tricqueville, France; and the...
28 June 1943
The primary specific target for this mission are the lock gates at St. Nazaire, France to be attacked by two separate formations and also another force is despatched to bomb the German airfield at Beaumon Le Roger, France. A formation of 120 B-17s of...
29 June 1943
1st Bomb Wing despatches two formations: one has the air depot at Villacoublay, France as their primary; and one has the Luftwaffe airfield at Tricqueville, France as their primary.
...
4 July 1943
The aircraft factories at Le Mans and Nantes, France and the lock gates and harbour facilities at La Pallice, France are the primary targets for this mission. The mission is comprised of three elements:
...
10 July 1943
German airfields at Caen, Abbeville, and Le Bourget at Paris, France are the primary targets for this mission. 112 B-17s form a combined force from 91BG; 92BG; 305BG; 306BG; 351BG and 381BG to bomb the German airfield (Carpiquet) at Caen, France. Cloud...
Station | Location | Date |
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Based | Kimbolton | 20 May 1943 – 12 June 1945 |
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ground crew | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. Ground crew for 'Swamp Fire' 100 missions no aborts. ETD
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | 379th Bomb Group
Military | Flight Officer | Co-Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant | Armorer | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 379BG, 8AF USAAF.
Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), GC, WWII Victory, EAME (2 x Battle Stars).
Military | Staff Sergeant | 379th Bomb Group
24 missions
AM
Military | Technical Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 527BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. Shot down on 30-Jan-44 in B-17 42-31535, Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 2876
Awards: AM, POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 527BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. Erwin Halvorson crew. ETD
Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Master Sergeant | 379th Bomb Group
B-17 Flying Fortress
As 414BS/97BG Polebrook 11/4/42; flew first 8AF bombing mission with Lt. Thomas H. Borders, the Ball turret gunner: Kent West, credited with destruction of 1st German aircraft destroyed, on 17-August 1942; transferred 92BG Bovingdon 24/8/42; CCRC 1/43;...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 19/3/44; Kearney 14/4/44; Grenier 28/4/44; Assigned 526BS/379BG [LF-P] Kimbolton 13/5/44; Missing in Action Hamburg 18/6/44 with Steve King, Navigator: Don Casey, Bombardier: Chas Henry, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Ray Wheeler...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 25/3/44; Kearney 13/4/44; Grenier 27/4/44; Assigned 525BS/379BG [FR-O] Kimbolton 19/5/44; Missing in Action Merseburg 11/9/44 with Bill Smithdeal, Co-pilot: Henry Bengis, Navigator: Don Huhta, Bombardier: Chas Vevier*, Flight...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 22/4/44; Kearney 7/5/44; Dow Fd 6/6/44; Assigned 526BS/379BG [LF-T] Kimbolton 28/6/44; Missing in Action French Noball site 17/7/44 with Steve Barish, Co-pilot: Wainwright Twing, Navigator: Art Connors, Bombardier: Joaquin Ponce,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 26/1/44; Kearney 15/2/44; Assigned 527BS/379BG [FO-K] Kimbolton 30/3/44; Missing in Action Zeitz 30/11/44 with Bob Puckett, Don Childes, Chas Ingraham, George Reedy, Bob Salley, Roman Yriarte, Alvin Hirschi, Jarvis Williams, Attilio...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 7/2/44; Rapid City 1/3/44; Dow Fd 21/4/44; Assigned 398BG Nuthampstead 25/4/44; no ops, transferred 525BS/379BG [FR-A] Kimbolton 9/5/44; Missing in Action Trier 11/5/44 with Asa Romberger, Navigator: Harry Loflin, Bombardier: George...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 10/2/44; Gr Island 15/2/44; Grenier 5/3/44; Assigned 525BS/379BG [WA-O] Kimbolton 11/4/44; Missing in Action Toulouse 25/6/44 with Tom Butcher, Co-pilot: Joe Wells, Navigator: Franklin Vita, Bombardier: Dick Daniels, Flight engineer/top...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 15/2/44; Presque Is 26/3/44; Assigned 526BS/379BG [LF-N] Kimbolton 23/3/44; Missing in Action Stettin 13/5/44 with Bob Dunn, Co-pilot: Bill Churchill, Navigator: George Krassmer, Bombardier: Harry Jensen, Flight engineer/top turret...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 6/3/44; Gr Island 12/3/44; Dow Fd 14/4/44; Assigned 527BS/379BG [FO-G] Kimbolton 11/4/44; Missing in Action Gelsenkirchen 26/8/44 with Edwin Spencer, Co-pilot: Mervyn Richards, Navigator: Gerard Gallagher, Bombardier: Warren Boone,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 14/3/44; Gr Island 23/3/44; Dow Fd 2/4/44; Assigned 525BS/379BG [FR-Z] Kimbolton 11/4/44; 526BS; on mission to Merseburg 12/5/44 with Ed Burke, Navigator: Leonard Tew (Killed in Action);
...
None
Date | Contributor | Update |
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12 May 2019 12:02:06 | fremaux3 | Changes to media associations |
Sources | ||
photo |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
26 March 2018 16:31:04 | TennyBelle | Changes to description |
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8th AF database |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 December 2017 20:07:57 | TennyBelle | Changes to motto |
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unit patch |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
29 November 2015 12:07:47 | cody1947 | Changes to nicknames and mission associations |
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379th BG History |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
26 November 2015 15:26:31 | cody1947 | Changes to mission associations |
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None |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
26 November 2015 15:25:38 | cody1947 | Changes to nicknames and mission associations |
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379th BG records |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
26 November 2015 00:08:01 | cody1947 | Changes to nicknames and mission associations |
Sources | ||
379th BG records and this aircraft's record card. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
26 November 2015 00:06:58 | cody1947 | Changes to nicknames and mission associations |
Sources | ||
Placed data on wrong aircraft |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
26 November 2015 00:04:43 | cody1947 | Changes to nicknames and mission associations |
Sources | ||
The records of the 379th BG and this aircraft's record card. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
29 August 2015 03:34:29 | 466thHistorian | Changes to nicknames and mission associations |
Sources | ||
466th BG Historian |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
19 July 2015 14:16:43 | cody1947 | Changes to nicknames and mission associations |
Sources | ||
Aircraft Record Card & some data from the 379th BG Anthology. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 January 2015 03:51:28 | bombercommand | Changes to type, motto, aircraft types and mission associations |
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American Air Museum Data Base |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:42:45 | AAM | AAM ingest |
Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / The Mighty Eighth. A History of the Units, Men and Machines of the US 8th Air Force.' by Roger A. Freeman (1989). 'Air Force Combat Units of World War II' compiled by the Department of the US Air Force, edited by Maurice Maurer (1983). / Units in the UK from ETOUSA Station List, as transcribed by Lt. Col. Philip Grinton (US Army, Retired) and extracted by IWM; air division data from L.D. Underwood, based on the 8th Air Force Strength Report of 6th August 1944, as published in 'The 8th Air Force Yearbook' by Lt. Col. John H Woolnough (1980) |