VIII Air Support Command
Command
Group
The 387th Bomb Group flew just under thirty missions with the Eighth Air Force before being transferred to the Ninth Air Force in October 1943. The Group remained at Chipping Ongar, Essex after being reassigned and continued to hit targets in France. Subsequent to the Allied invasion of the continent, the 387th moved to Stony Cross in July 1944 and on to a series of bases in France. The crews flew from Clastres, north-eastern France, for the mission that resulted in a Distinguished Unit Citation for the Group, awarded for hitting transportation and communication targets at Mayen and Prum, Germany during the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 to January 1945.
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
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Headquarters
31 July 1943
This is VIII ASC mission 11E. 24 B-26s from 387BG are despatched to fly a diversion for the other B-26s attacking airfields in VIII ASC mission 11. No losses or claims.
15 August 1943
The German airfield of Ft. Rouge and St. Omer, France is the target for 36 B-26s desparched from 387th BG. This is the first bobmbing mission for 387th Bomb Group. 31 of the aircraft are effective on the target. There are no losses or claims although...
16 August 1943
The German airfield of Bernay St. Martin, France is the primary target for 36 B-26s despatched from 387BG. 31 aircraft are effective on the target. There are no claims or losses, although 2 aircraft sustain damage from anti-aircraft fire.
17 August 1943
This mission was planned as a diversion for the out-bound B-17s attacking at Schweinfurt. 36 B-26s from the 323BG were despatched to attack the German airfield at Poix (Nord), France, which they did at 1552hrs. 35 of these aircraft were effective on...
19 August 1943
36 B-26s from 387BG are despatched to bomb the German airfield at Poix/Nord, France. 35 are effective on the target. There are no losses or claims, but 1 is damaged.
24 August 1943
An unknown number of B-26s are despatched to fly a diversion for the B-17s attacking the German airfield of Bordeaux/Merignac, France. No information in source data concerning exactly what Bomb Groups participated of the number sent.
25 August 1943
21 B-26s from 387BG are despatched to bomb the power station at Rouen, France. All 21 are effective on the target late in the afternoon - 1832 hrs. 2 are damaged by anti-aircraft fire. There are no losses or claims
31 August 1943
VIII ASC 39B - 36 B-26s from 387BG are despatched to bomb the German airfield at Lille/Vendeville, France. All 36 are effective on the target, but one aircraft Fails to Return (FTR)-5KIA 1POW. There are no bomber gunner claims against enemy aircraft.
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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.
2 September 1943
This mission is composed of two elements. The first element is a formation of 36-B-26s from 386BG despatched to bomb the power station at Rouen, France. The target is obscured by clouds, so the formation diverts to bomb the secondary target of the...
Station | Location | Date |
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Based | Chipping Ongar | 25 June 1943 – 18 July 1944 |
Based | Stony Cross | 18 July 1944 – 22 August 1944 |
Based | Maupertus | 22 August 1944 – 18 September 1944 |
Based | Chateaudun | 18 September 1944 – 30 October 1944 |
Based | Clastres | 30 October 1944 – 29 April 1945 |
Based | Maastricht | 29 April 1945 |
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Engineer/Gunner | 387th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) 31-Aug-43 in B-26B 41-31653 "King Bee" [KX:M] while serving Engineer/Gunner. The aircraft was struck by anti-aircraft fire and crashed while bombing the German airfield at Lille/Vendeville, France. Loss documented on MACR 471 but...
Military | 387th Bomb Group
Military | Pilot | 387th Bomb Group
Rich Ainsworth told me that he had graduated from all fighter pilot schools, number three in his class. One day soon after graduation the CO called a formation. The CO called out names starting with "A", Ainsworth was called and sent to fly B26s as a...
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 387th Bomb Group
B-26 #41-31911 crashed on return from mission to Boulogne, FR. due to flak damage. The 322nd was moved to the 9th AF Oct. 1943.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator Gunner | 387th Bomb Group
Crashed upon landing in Essex 26 June 1943 in B-26 #41-31680. Suffered minor injuries.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-pilot | 387th Bomb Group
24 October 1943 Crash landed in #41-31641 at Gosfield, Essex. Returned to duty.
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 387th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) 31-Aug-43 in B-26B 41-31653 "King Bee" [KX:M] while serving as pilot. The aircraft was struck by anti-aircraft fire and crashed while bombing the German airfield at Lille/Vendeville, France.
PH
Military | Technical Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 387th Bomb Group
On 21-Sep-43 while serving as Tail Gunner in B-26B 41-31721 'Cactus Jack' 387BG/559BS his aircraft was despatched with 36 other B-26s to bomb the German airfield of Beauvais/Tillie, France. The aircraft sustained major damage from AA fire over the...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator, Gunner | 387th Bomb Group
Killed in action when his aircraft was shot down on 32nd mission.
Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 387th Bomb Group
1st Lt Neil G. Bartholome was the co-pilot of the B-26 Marauder #42-96199 when it took off from station 162 Chipping Ongar, Essex UK on a mission to bomb Chartres’ airfield. Around 1755, just as the plane, part of the first bombing group, was starting...
B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
B-26B-15-MA 41-31653 "King Bee" [KX:M]was assigned to the 353BG/558BS at Chipping Onger, UK. The aircraft was despatched on 31-Aug-43 along with 35 others to bomb the German airfield at Lille/Vendeville, France. The aircraft was struck by anti-aircaft...
B-26 Marauder
Assigned to 559BS, 387BG, 9AF USAAF. 149 x combat mission. Failed to Return (FTR) bombing mission to Bastogne. Shot down by Me109's, pilot 2Lt Vernon O Staub hit in face by 20mm cannon shell and killed instantly, went down with A/C. Crew baled out. 6 x...
B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
None
Date | Contributor | Update |
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13 March 2017 01:18:06 | Mike Smith | Changes to media associations |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
22 February 2017 11:11:27 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to stations |
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Stations added with details from: |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
13 March 2015 15:35:54 | rossingtonj | Changes to type and mission associations |
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Type added. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:42:45 | AAM | AAM ingest |
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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) |