95th Bomb Group

Group
The insignia of the 95th Bomb Group. media-395032.jpg FRE 5089 The insignia of the 95th Bomb Group. Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 5089 - The insignia of the 95th Bomb Group.

The 95th Bomb Group was the only Eighth Air Force Group to be awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations. The first, shared by all four Bomb Wing Groups, was for the bombing of an aircraft factory under intense enemy fire at Regensburg on 17 August 1943. The second was awarded for a raid on marshalling yards at Munster on 10 October 1943 and the third for bombing a suburb of Berlin, on 4 March 1944, the first time the German capital had been bombed by USAAF. After VE Day, the Group transported liberated prisoners and displaced persons from Austria to France and England.

Flew a total of 321 combat missions between 13 May 1943 to 20 April 1945
Dropped 19,769 tons of bombs and 456.5 tons of food
Completed 8,625 sorties
Lost 156 B17s in combat, 36 in other operations
1,362 planes battle damaged and 61 forced to land on the continent
Claimed 425 enemy aircraft destroyed, 117 probable, 231 damaged.
Lost 569 men KIA and 3 MIA (assumed KIA)
Lost 825 men as POWs, 61 internees, 61 evaders, 192 wounded in action; 63 killed in noncombat accidents
Total casualties: 1,774

Commanding Officers

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 412th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-14903
  • Highest Rank: General
  • Role/Job: Commanding Officer
Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson receives the Distinguished Flying Cross
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron Headquarters (95th Bomb Group)
  • Service Numbers: O-19258
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 412th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: On Board ; Observer
The insignia of the 95th Bomb Group.
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 92nd Combat Bomb Wing (II) 452nd Bomb Group 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-19436
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Commander, 95th , 452nd , Base Commander
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 93rd Combat Bomb Wing 95th Bomb Group Headquarters Squadron (95th Bomb Group)
  • Service Numbers: O-17954
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Wing Commander/Group Commander/Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Group Commander

Connections

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Unit stations

Station Location Date

Based

Alconbury 15 April 1943 - 1 June 1943

Based

Framlingham 12 May 1943 - 15 June 1943

Based

Horham 15 June 1943 - 3 August 1945

Encompassing

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
Abner Barfield
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 34666075
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron 335th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 12120017
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Black Diamond Express
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 92nd Bomb Group 95th Bomb Group 326th Bomb Squadron 359th Bomb Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 92nd Bomb Group fly in formation during a training exercise. Aircraft are, from left to right: B-17E (serial number 41-9022) nicknamed "Alabama Exterminator", B-17E (serial number 41-9023) nicknamed "Yankee Doodle", B-17E (UX-?, serial number 41-9017) nicknamed "Heidi Ho", B-17E (UX-V, serial number 41-9013), B-17E (UX-S, serial number 41-9154) nicknamed "The Bat out of Hell", B-17E (serial number 41-9132). Printed caption on reverse: 'B-26340 AC - Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortres
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 341st Bomb Squadron 94th Bomb Group 95th Bomb Group 482nd Bomb Group 327th Bomb Squadron 92nd Bomb Group
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron
An airman of the 95th Bomb Group with a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-102447) nicknamed "El's Belles". First handwritten caption on reverse: 'F/L on last of 365's bases in Belgium other side "Angels Sister" [name struck-out and annotated 'No'] 365 FG C Johnson/icm/75' Second handwritten caption on reverse: 'BG-A 95 BG.'
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: El's Belles
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Paisano
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 96th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron 336th Bomb Squadron

Mission

  • Date: 25 February 1945
  • Date: 19 February 1945

Revisions

Date
ContributorDustin.B.Smith
Changes
Sources

95th Bomb Group memorial page

Date
Contributoracbernstein1
Changes
Date
Contributoracbernstein1
Changes
Sources

AAM

Date
ContributorMark Erickson
Changes
Sources

I am the son of Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson and his Biographer

Date
ContributorMSP
Changes
Sources

MSP

Date
ContributorFullHouse
Changes
Sources

Add 412 Bomb Squadron and 95th Bomb Group patches

Date
Contributormdgtmstng
Changes
Sources

Motto, as taken from group patch insignia. Tail marking was the letter B on a square background (a white square with a black B on camouflaged aircraft, and a black square with a white B on unpainted/natural aluminum aircraft.

Date
Contributorsimaguire
Changes
Sources

B17s Over Berlin: Personal stories from the 95th bomb group
Edited by Ian L. Hawkins

Date
Contributorsimaguire
Changes
Sources

From: B-17s Over Berlin - Personal stories from the 95th bomb group.
Edited by Ian L. Hawkins

Date
Contributorsimaguire
Changes
Sources

From: B-17s Over Berlin - Personal stories from the 95th bomb group.
Edited by Ian L. Hawkins

Date
Contributorrossingtonj
Changes
Sources

Type added.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
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)

95th Bomb Group: Gallery (533 items)