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801st Bomb Group

Group

  • de Havilland DH98 Mosquito of the

    de Havilland DH98 Mosquito of the "Carpetbaggers" 492nd-801st BG. Probably taken at their base AAF 179 Harrington, England. Equipped with special Joan - Eleanor radio receivers and used to collect transmissions from OSS agents in enemy territory on missions nicknamed "Red Stocking".

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  • Robert Campbell, 406th Bomb Squadron

    Robert Campbell, 406th Bomb Squadron

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  • Alfred Caswell Emert - 1943

    Alfred Caswell Emert - 1943

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  • Jessie Ray Ellis

    Jessie Ray Ellis

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  • B-17G-65-BO #43-37516

    B-17G-65-BO #43-37516 "Tondelayo" 492nd BG Photographed with members of the 472nd Sub Depot - 466th BG after making an emergency landing at Attlebridge. This a/c was painted all black for night "carpetbagger" operations with the 492nd/801st BG.

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  • Frederick M. Wood Crew 467th BG - 788th BS 492nd BG - 859th BS (Carpetbaggers) Standing, L-R: Lane R. Gebert - R.O. ASN 13176806 Raymond Croteau - Gunner ASN 11115089 Bernard Hochheiser - Gunner ASN 32014067 (Orphaned) Harvey L. Bruce - Gunner ASN 18074114 Jack L. Tate - Engineer ASN 15324318 (Orphaned) Kneeling, L-R: Frederick W. Wood - Pilot ASN 0736449 Benjamin H. Blackwell - Copilot ASN 0693837 Lyonel V. Campbell - Engineer ASN 19074131 Robert L. Seng - Navigator ASN 0691817 George C. Reall - Bombardier ASN 0733096 Hochheiser was transferred to the 466th BG/784th BS and became part of the Homer Y. Harris Crew. He was KIA.

    Frederick M. Wood Crew 467th BG - 788th BS 492nd BG - 859th BS (Carpetbaggers) Standing, L-R: Lane R. Gebert - R.O. ASN 13176806 Raymond Croteau - Gunner ASN 11115089 Bernard Hochheiser - Gunner ASN 32014067 (Orphaned) Harvey L. Bruce - Gunner ASN 18074114 Jack L. Tate - Engineer ASN 15324318 (Orphaned) Kneeling, L-R: Frederick W. Wood - Pilot ASN 0736449 Benjamin H. Blackwell - Copilot ASN 0693837 Lyonel V. Campbell - Engineer ASN 19074131 Robert L. Seng - Navigator ASN 0691817 George C. Reall - Bombardier ASN 0733096 Hochheiser was transferred to the 466th BG/784th BS and became part of the Homer Y. Harris Crew. He was KIA.

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  • Wilbert Weidenhof

    Wilbert Weidenhof

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  • 1st Lt Harold Ralph Van Zyl, 801BG

    1st Lt Harold Ralph Van Zyl, 801BG

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  • The John O. Broten crew, with Co-Pilot Edward Tappan, standing, second from left, Harrington, Spring 1944. (Official USAAF photo)

    The John O. Broten crew, with Co-Pilot Edward Tappan, standing, second from left, Harrington, Spring 1944. (Official USAAF photo)

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The 801st Bomb Group was established as part of the Eighth Air Force in late March 1944 to carry out 'Carpetbagger' missions. These were night missions over France and other parts of occupied Europes to support resistance forces by dropping in agents, supplies and leaflets. The B-24 Liberators flown by the Group were painted black to help the crews evade detection by enemy anti-aircraft postions. On 13 August 1944, the Group was redesignated as the 492nd Bomb Group.

Commanding officers

  • Clifford Heflin

    Military | Colonel | Commanding Officer, Pilot | 801st Bomb Group
    CMDR of the 'Carpetbaggers' the first AF Special Forces Unit Dist. Serv. Medal/Legion of Merit, DFC; Air Medal w/Oak Leaf Clusters

Structure

Part of
Encompassing
Previously was
Not yet known
Became
  • 492nd Bomb Group Carpetbaggers

    492nd Bomb Group Carpetbaggers

    Group
    The 492nd Bomb Group, after flying similar missions to other heavy bomb groups until the late summer of 1944, took up 'Carpetbagger' missions, transporting agents, supplies and propaganda leaflets to southern France. The Group was taking on the role of...

Missions

  • 8th Air Force CARPETBAGGER #1

    4 January 1944
    801BG/406BS conducts the first CARPETBAGGER operation with B-17s. Number despatched, bundles dropped and location(s) in France not in available. source data. During World War II, Operation Carpetbagger was a general term used for the aerial resupply of...

  • 8th Air Force CARPETBAGGER

    6 January 1944
    An unknown number of B-24s are despatched by 801BG/406BS on a night "CARPETBAGGER" operation to drop wepaons and supplies to French partisans.

  • 8th Air Force CARPETBAGGER

    7 January 1944
    An unknown number of B-24s are despatched on a night "CARPETBAGGER" operation to drop weapons and supplies to French partisans.

  • 8th Air Force CARPETBAGGER

    5 February 1944
    An unknown number of B-24s from 801BG/406BS are despatched on a night "CARPETBAGGER" operation to drop weapons and supplies to French partisans.

  • 8th Air Force CARPETBAGGER

    7 February 1944
    An unknown number of B-24s are despatched on a night "CARPETBAGGER" operation to drop weapons and supplies to French partisans.

  • 8th Air Force CARPETBAGGER

    8 February 1944
    An unknown number of B-24s are despatched from 801BG/406BS on a night "CARPETBAGGER" operation to drop weapons and supplies to French partisans.

  • 8th Air Force CARPETBAGGER

    10 February 1944
    An unknown number of B-24s from 801BG/406BS are despatched on a night "CARPETBAGGER" operation to drop weapons and supplies to French parisans. There are no losses or claims.

  • 8th Air Force CARPETBAGGER

    29 February 1944
    12 B-24s from 801BG/406BS are depatched on a night "CARPETBAGGER" operation to drop supplies to partisans in France. There are no losses, casualties or claims.

  • 8th Air Force RAF SUPPORT

    2 March 1944
    A single B-24 attached to 100th Group RAF was despatched to provided Radar Counter Measures to an RAF night operation. The aircraft was shot down and Failed to Return (FTR) - 1KIA 7POW.

  • 8th Air Force CARPETBAGGER

    2 March 1944
    A CARPETBAGGER mission is flown by B-24s from 801BG/406BS. Number despatched not included in source data. 1 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) - 6KIA 6POW.

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Stations

Station Location Date
Based Harrington 25 March 1944
Re-designated 492nd Bomb Group Harrington 13 August 1944

Connections

People

  • Arthur Abate

    Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Tail Gunner | 490th Bomb Group
    Killed in Action (KIA). Member of Kline crew in B-24H Carpetbagger, #42-50386, which was shot down by ME 110 south of Paris at 0200hrs. T/O from Harrington, site of crash Les Trois Mares, Oise. MACR 6991.

  • Earle Aber

    Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot/Squadron Commander | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
    Flew B-17 #42-37516. Dropped leaflets at night over enemy occupied territory. Col Aber's remains were found in May 2002 in the river Stour at Harwick. He was buried on 5/10/02 at Cambridge American Cemetery. The airplane was the Tondelayo. The 406th...

  • Carl Adams

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Pilot | 490th Bomb Group
    Carl R Adams was killed on a training mission. His aircraft crashed near Eaton Socon in England. All 3 crewmen were killed.

  • Donald Adamson

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 467th Bomb Group
    Returned from operations and crash landed on a Carpetbagger mission in A/C 42-50584 on August 6/7, 1944.

  • Nicholas Agneta

    Military | Tail Gunner | 492nd Bomb Group (Heavy)

  • Edward Albers

    Military | Engineer | 492nd Bomb Group (Heavy)

  • Robert Albrecht

    Military | Radio Operator | 492nd Bomb Group (Heavy)

  • James Albright

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 492nd Bomb Group (Heavy)
    Assigned to 492BG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 406BS, 801BG, 8AF USAAF. Survived crash landing at RAF Oulton in B-24 42-94775 18-Nov-44 Returned to Duty (RTD). Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.

  • William Alford

    Military | Pilot | 492nd Bomb Group (Heavy)

  • Robert Allan

    Military | Bombardier | 490th Bomb Group

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Aircraft

  • 42-39845 Hulcher's Vultures

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Long Beach 18/9/43; Assigned 563BS/388BG Knettishall 7/10/43; Missing in Action Dessau 28/5/44 with Marquis Fjelsted, Co-pilot: Bill Hudson, Navigator: Herb Honlihan, Bombardier: Chester Tracewaki, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: John...

  • 42-40478

    B-24 Liberator

  • 42-40500

    B-24 Liberator

  • 42-40530

    B-24 Liberator

  • 42-40550

    B-24 Liberator

  • 42-40997 Screamin' Mimi

    B-24 Liberator

  • 42-50386

    B-24 Liberator

  • 42-50584

    B-24 Liberator
    Returned from operations and crash landed on Carpetbaggers mission on August 6/7, 1944.

  • 42-51124

    B-24 Liberator
    Shot down at Pressoir, France on 19 June 1944. All eight crewmen were Killed in Action (KIA).

  • 42-51187

    B-24 Liberator
    Crashed in a mid-air collision with Halifax V LL364 on 18 July 1944 near Marigny-l'Eglise. Both crews were killed in action.

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Citations

None

Air Force
8th
Type
Combat
Type category
Bombardment
Nicknames
Not yet known
Motto
Not yet known
Insignia
Not yet known

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
13 March 2015 15:29:44 rossingtonj Changes to type and mission associations
Sources

Type added.
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:42:46 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)

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