Frank Hunter
Military | Colonel | Command Pilot | 398th Bomb Group
Commander, 398th Bomb Group from 1 March 1943 to 23 January 1945.
Killed in Action at Heerdt in B-17 #44-8224.
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Group
The 398th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Nuthampstead, Hertfordshire on strategic bombing raids over Germany. The Group switched focus in the days before D-Day, when they targeted enemy positions on the Cherbourg peninsula. When the Allies had secured a foothold on the continent, missions became more tactical - supporting ground forces by weakening the enemy's ability to resupply their lines. After the war's end, the Group transported POWs from Germany to France.
Military | Colonel | Command Pilot | 398th Bomb Group
Commander, 398th Bomb Group from 1 March 1943 to 23 January 1945.
Killed in Action at Heerdt in B-17 #44-8224.
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Bomb Wing Air Commander and B-17 Pilot | 398th Bomb Group
Commanding Officer, 398th Bomb Group, 25th January to 17th April 1945.
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Wing
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Headquarters
Platoon
Activated 1, July 1943 per AAF GO #62, dated 28 June 1943 at Bradley Field, CT.
6 March 1944
The industrial areas of Berlin and Genshagen, Germany are the primary targets for this mission. A combined force of 730 heavy bombers are despatched from 1st, 2nd and 3rd Air Divisions. The despatch from 3rd Air Division bombs Targets of Opportunity in...
16 March 1944
The two primary targets for this mission are: the industrial areas of Augsburg, Germany and Friedrichshafen, Germany. A combined force of 720 heavy bombers are despatched from 1st, 2nd and 3rd Air Divisions. The bomber gunners of the combined despatch...
13 June 1944
20 July 1944
A rough one. Bombed an oil refinery near Leipzeig. Flak put several holes in the plane; ine in number 3 gas tank. Came back on 3 engines.
15 August 1944
Airfields in NW Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium are the primary targets for this mission. 8th Air Force despatches a total of 932 aircraft. The raid is coordinated with 1,000 Royal Air Force (RAF) heavy bombers and Mosquitos attacking 9 airfields...
26 November 1944
Station | Location | Date |
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Based | Nuthampstead | 22 April 1944 – 22 June 1945 |
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Flight Engineer - Top Turret Gunner | 398th Bomb Group
Missing in Action (MIA) 13 April 1945 Neugmunster, Germany.
Bombs from one of our planes in the formation exploded in mid-air after release and damaged this aircraft.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 398th Bomb Group
Assigned to 601BS, 398BG, 8AF USAAF. 35 x combat missions. ETD
Awards: AM (5OLC), AFCM, WWII Victory, EAME (3 x Battle Stars).
Military | Staff Sergeant | Togglier/ Bombardier | 398th Bomb Group
He had been a waist gunner in training to take over the Bombardier role and was in the nose. A German 88 anti aircraft shell had exploded in his lap, killing him instantly. The plane with its nose blown off and up into the windshield made it back to...
Military | Staff Sergeant | 398th Bomb Group
35 missions
Military | Flight Officer | Navigator | 398th Bomb Group
Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 398th Bomb Group
Oak Leaf Cluster
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 398th Bomb Group
Military | Sergeant | 398th Bomb Group
Military | Captain | Squadron Navigator | 398th Bomb Group
oak leaf cluster
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 398th Bomb Group
Flew 32 missions in 77 days
Distinguished Flying Cross (July 1944)
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 352BS/301BG Westover 12/7/42; Chelveston 9/8/42; flew group's first mission 5/9/42; Tafaraoui 26/11/42; as MICKEY FINN 11m; transferred 32BS and renamed SPECIAL DELIVERY II total 79m; Returned to the USA Rapid City 398BG (training) 10/11/43;...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 27/2/44; Gt Falls 2/3/44; Hunter 15/3/44; Grenier 9/4/44; Assigned 601BS/398BG [3O-B] Nuthampstead 26/4/44; (18m) Missing in Action Hamburg 18/6/44 with Willard Hadjes, Co-pilot: Homer Kuck, Navigator: Dick Howell, Bombardier: John...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 4/3/44; Kearney 22/3/44; Dow Fd 5/4/44; Assigned 601BS/398BG [3O-R] Nuthampstead 26/4/44; (23m) Missing in Action Noball V-1 sites 8/7/44 with George Wilson (KIA – went down with ship); Tail gunner: Reg Ferguson (evaded capture); Co...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 5/3/44; Kearney 5/4/44; Dow Fd 19/4/44; Assigned 601BS/398BG [3O-Z] Nuthampstead 28/4/44; transferred 602BS [K8-Z]; (17m) Missing in Action Toulouse 25/6/44 with John Godwin, Co-pilot: Bill Freeman, Bombardier: Ed Seward, Flight...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 5/3/44; Gr Island 27/3/44; Grenier 7/4/44; Assigned 600BS/398BG [N8-J] Nuthampstead 27/4/44; on training mission 4/5/44 with Lt E. Ford in mid-air collision with 42-107191, damaged left wing but returned safely; Missing in Action...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 7/3/44; Kearney 5/4/44; Dow Fd 14/4/44; Assigned 603BS/398BG [N7-B] Nuthampstead 28/4/44; (18m) Missing in Action Munich 16/7/44 with Ray Gallagher, Co-pilot: Harry Castleman, Navigator: Bill Berry, Bombardier: Wendell Davis, Flight...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 9/3/44; Gr Island 29/3/44; Grenier 20/4/44; Assigned 600BS/398BG [N8-W] Nuthampstead 5/5/44; (7m) Missing in Action Dessau, Ger 30/5/44 with Tom Thompson, Ball turret gunner: Ernie Pennell, Waist gunner: Vic Frisbie (3 Killed in...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 9/3/44; MacDill 28/3/44; Grenier 20/4/44; Assigned 602BS/398BG [K8-L] Nuthampstead 8/4/44; force landed continent 15/10/44 with Van Opdorp but ret. 20/11/44; Missing in Action Plauen, Ger 23/2/45 with Womeldurf, one crewman badly inj...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 9/3/44; Gr Island 29/3/44; Grenier 6/4/44; Assigned 603BS/398BG [N7-J] Nuthampstead 24/4/44; (17m) Missing in Action Leipzig 7/7/44 with Boyd Nisewonger, Co-pilot: Max Becker, Navigator: Bill MacFerran, Bombardier: Lloyd Ebert,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 10/3/44; Gr Island 27/3/44; Dow Fd 6/4/44; Assigned 602BS/398BG [K8-P] Nuthampstead 27/4/44; (24m) Missing in Action Lechfeld 19/7/44 with Dallas Hawkins, Co-pilot: Earl Hart, Navigator: Joe Doglio, Bombardier: John Loomis, Flight...
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Date | Contributor | Update |
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23 November 2020 03:53:32 | Von_L | Changes to description, commanding officers associations and stations |
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398BG data updated by Von_L |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
10 April 2015 08:07:42 | EMBLEMHUNTER | Changes to mission associations and media associations |
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my photo |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
13 March 2015 15:18:19 | rossingtonj | Changes to type and mission associations |
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Type added. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
01 October 2014 12:32:33 | President398th | Changes to motto, aircraft types, commanding officers associations and mission associations |
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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) |