Lester Maitland
Military | Brigadier General | Pilot/Commanding Officer
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Group
The 386th Bomb Group flew B-26 Marauders for the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces. Whilst with the Eighth, the Group developed the formation release procedure for the B-26 on missions that targeted aerodromes, marshalling yards and V-weapon sites along the coast of France in the winter of 1943-1944. In October 1944 the Group moved from Great Dunmow, England, to Beaumont-sur-Oise, north of Paris, and on to St. Trond, Belgium in support of the push eastward by ground forces.
Military | Brigadier General | Pilot/Commanding Officer
Command
Wing
One of four original bombardment wings of the Eighth Air Force, the 3rd Bomb Wing comprised four groups of B-26 Marauder medium bombers by September 1943, as part of VIII Air Support Command.
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Squadron
Eighteen crews were selected from the instructor crews at Barksdale Army Airfield to conduct ETO combat trials of the A-26 Invader. The crews were attached to, but not assigned to the 553rd BS of the 386th BG. While the host units provided logistical...
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Headquarters
30 July 1943
This mission is comprised of two elements and was officially designated as missions 10A and 10B. The first element was 24 B-26s from 386BG to attack the German airfield at Woensdrecht, Holland. 1 B-26 Failed to Return (FTR)-6KIA 1POW and another...
31 July 1943
This is element 11C. 21 B-26s from 386BG are despatched to bomb the Abbeville/Drucat airfield in France. All 21 are effective on the target. Ther are no losses, claims or damage.
9 August 1943
This mission of VIII Air Support Command was conducted with two elements and designated as mission 11A and 11B both of which had the German airfield of Ft. Rouge at St. Omer, France as the target. The "A" element is a formation of 36 B-26s despatched...
15 August 1943
The German airfield at Woensdrecht, Holland is the target for 36 B-26s despatched from 386th Bomb Group. The formation turns back at the Dutch coast (no reason documented in Freeman). There are no losses or claims.
17 August 1943
This mission was planned as a diversion in support of the in-bound Schweinfurt element B-17s. 36 B-26s from 386BG were despatched to attack the German airfield at Bryas (Sud), France, which they did at 1051hrs that morning. Roger A. Freeman's "The...
18 August 1943
36 B-25s from 386BG are despatched to bomb the German airfield at Woensdrecht, Holland. 32 aircraft are effective on the target. There are no losses or claims, but 8 aircraft are damaged by anti-aircraft fire.
22 August 1943
36 B-26s from 386BG are despatched to bomb the German airfield of Beaumont Le Roger, France. 35 are effective on the target. 1 B-26 Failed to Return - 2KIA 2POW 2EVD. The bomber gunners claim 3-0-0 of German fighters.
23 August 1943
VIII ASC 31A 21 B-26s from 322BG are despatched to bomb the power station at Gosnay, France. Cloud cover completely obscured the target and the mission was recalled. No losses or claims.
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27 August 1943
36 B-26s from 386BG are despatched to bomb the German airfield at Pois/Nord, France. 35 are effective on the target. There are no losses or claims.
31 August 1943
76 B-26s from: 322BG (36) and 386BG (36) are despatched to bomb military installations at Hesdin, France. The mission is recalled when the target is foound to be obscured by clouds. There are no losses or claims.
Station | Location | Date |
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Based | Snetterton Heath | 3 June 1943 – 10 June 1943 |
Based | Boxted | 10 June 1943 – 24 September 1943 |
Based | Great Dunmow | 24 September 1943 – 2 October 1944 |
Based | Beaumont Sur Oise | 2 October 1944 – 9 April 1945 |
Based | St Trond | 9 April 1945 – 3 May 1945 |
Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 386th Bomb Group
Hubert Altvater was a Co-Pilot in the 386th Bomb Group. He was on B-26 # 42-96184 on his 64th mission on 6 August 1944 when it was hit by Flak and crashed into the sea off Trouville-sur-Mer, France. Gunner Franklin Swanson was killed and the five...
Military | Master Sergeant | Gunner | 386th Bomb Group
12 June 1943 involved in an accident on landing at Prestwick, Scotland ferrying a/c B26 41-31581 piloted by R. G. Saltsman.
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 386th Bomb Group
Oct 2, 1943 B-26C-16MO 41-34948 'Miss Murial' had retracted gear at takeoff. Crew returned to action. 386th BG was part of the 8th BG from July-October 1943.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator/aerial gunner | 386th Bomb Group
Oct 2, 1943 B-26C-16MO 41-34948 'Miss Murial' had retracted gear at takeoff. Crew returned to action. 386th BG was part of the 8th BG from July-October 1943.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 386th Bomb Group
Flew 10 missions with 8th AF then 65 with the 9th.
DFC/ AM w/ 6 Oak Leaf Cluster/ GC
Military | Major | 386th Bomb Group
James A Baxter Sr. served in the US Army for 22 years and retired. He flew 65 missions.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist gunner | 386th Bomb Group
Robert Becker served as a waist gunner with the 555th Bomb Squadron of the 386th Bomb Group. On 13 December 1943, he was flying in B-26 41-31625 'Hell's Fury' when it was shot down near Schiphol, Holland. He is buried in a shared grave in Arlington...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer / Gunner | 386th Bomb Group
Assigned to 451BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) 10-Feb-44 in B-26 41-34947 'Lady Luck' when flak shell hit fuel tank of starboard wing, wing detached at nacelle and A/C tumbled on fire. France. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2082
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 386th Bomb Group
His aircraft was lost over the English Channel on 25 March 1944, 6 miles from the North Coast of France. All six members of the crew managed to escape the aircraft, but only the pilot and co-pilot were rescued three days later.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Airplane Armorer Gunner 612 | 386th Bomb Group
B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
"On 18 November 1944 American 386 BG 555thBS, flying two-engined Marauders and stationed at Beaumont-sur-Oise, had orders to attack a storage dump near St. Wendel. Difficulties began already when they had to deal with heavy flak fire while crossing the...
B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
Shot down 13 December 1943 near Schiphol, Holland.
For an account of this mission see: http://www.b26.com/historian/chester_klier/055.htm
B-26 Marauder
Assigned to 555BS, 386BG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) St Omer, France 8-Sep-43 last seen with engine feathered dropping out of formation escorted by several Spitfires.
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B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
Two of my Uncles served in the US Army Air Force in WWII. Sgt Angelo M. Staffo served with the 9th AF, 386th BG, 554th BS, as a B-26 Tail gunner. He was a member of the crew of Lt. Donald B. Wren in the B-26 “CLOUD HOPPER II” aircraft number 4131763...
None
Date | Contributor | Update |
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03 June 2020 16:52:37 | will44 | Changes to aircraft types |
Sources | ||
Obvious recognition error. Many references available. This aircraft appears to be a A-26C.....note the bombadier nose. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
22 February 2017 11:01:02 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to stations |
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Stations added with details from: |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
22 January 2015 22:38:25 | Tanks | Changes to type, aircraft types, commanding officers associations and mission associations |
Sources | ||
AAM Photo |
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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) |