8th Air Force
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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42-29914
B-17 Flying Fortress
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42-29914 BK-H, 384th Bombardment Group, 546th Bombardment Squadron
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Two airmen of the 95th Bomb Group with a B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Raider", a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-29914) is visible in the background.
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384th Bombardment Group KEEP THE SHOW ON THE ROAD
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546th Bombardment Squadron Patch
Delivered Cheyenne 8/3/43; Smoky Hill 26/3/43; Baer Fd 10/4/43; Smoky Hill 13/4/43; Dow Fd 18/4/43; Assigned 339BS/96BG Grafton Underwood 24/4/43 MISCHIEF MAKER; Andrews Field 13/5/43; Snetterton 12/6/43; transferred 546BS/384BG [BK-H] Grafton Underwood 14/8/43; Missing in Action Andre-de-Leuve, Fr. 3/9/43 with Justin Ralph Jones, Co-pilot: Edward Joseph McManus, Navigator: Harold Dan Peters, Bombardier: Charles John Wolfrom, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Aloysius Bruno Shemanski, Radio Operator: John Vincent Reilly, Ball turret gunner: Ernest Earl Kuhl, Waist gunner: Linsfield Burks Smith, Waist gunner: Franklin Carl Hitzeroth,Tail gunner: Francis Leith (10 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft, ditched Channel, 10 miles off Le Havre, Fr. Missing Air Crew Report 743.
Service
Units
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384th Bomb Group
Group
The 384th Bomb Group flew B-17s from Grafton Underwood, Northamptonshire, between May 1943 and June 1945. They were engaged in daylight bombing missions over Germany as part of the Allies' efforts to destroy the effectiveness of the Luftwaffe by... -
96th Bomb Group
Group
The 96th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses to targets across occupied Europe from May 1943 to April 1945. ... -
339th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
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546th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
People
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Frederick Anderson
Military | General | Commanding General | 95th Bomb Group
Formerly senior pilot and CG of 4th Bomb Wing at Marks Hall from May 1943. Then appointed CG VIII BC 1 July 1943 to January 1944. ... -
Franklin Hitzeroth
Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down 3 September 1943 in B-17 #42-29914. Prisoner of War (POW). Missing Air Crew Report #743 -
Vern Iverson
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | pilot | 96th Bomb Group
Story of "Mischief Maker" participation on 27 Aug 1943 Regensburg mission in Snetterton Falcons, pg 44. -
Justin Jones
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down 3 September 1943 in B-17 #42 29914. Prisoner of War (POW) Missing Air Crew Report #743 -
Ernest Kuhl
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down 3 September 1943 in B-17 #42-29914. Prisoner of War (POW). Missing Air Crew Report #773. -
Francis Leith
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down 3 September 1943 in B-17 #4229914. Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Edward Manus
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 384th Bomb Group
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Archibald Old
Military | Lieutenant General | Commanding General | 96th Bomb Group
Chowhound Mission, May 1, 1945, Food Drop: Planes were loaded with the 10-in-one rations. Even so they carried the full complement of gunners and loaded guns because they were still not sure how sincere the Germans were in their promises not to shoot ... -
Harold Peters
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down 3 September 1943 in B-17 #4229914. Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
John Reilly
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down 3 September 1943 in B-17 #4229914. Prisoner of War (POW). POW
Missions
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VIII Bomber Command 61
29 May 1943
Three primary targets are selected for this mission. The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are selected as the target for a force of 169 B-17s despatched from: 91BG (23); 92BG (22), 303BG (30); 305BG (25) 306BG (24); 351BG (21) and 379BG (24). This is... -
VIII Bomber Command 62
11 June 1943
The harbour facilities, port areas and U-Boat pens at Wilhelmshaven and Cuxhaven, Germany are the primary targets for this mission. This is the largest number of heavy bombers yet despatched on a single mission - 252. This is the first mission flown... -
VIII Bomber Command 90
3 September 1943
German airfields in France and the Caudron-Renault works at Paris are the targets for this mission. The mission is composed of three elements. The first element is a combined force of 168 B-17s from: 91BG (14); 351BG (19); 381BG (22); 92BG (19); 305BG ...
Places
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Grafton Underwood
Military site : airfield
Grafton Underwood was built in 1941 by George Wimpey and Co. Ltd. It was the first airfield in England to receive an Eighth Air Force flying unit, when in May 1942 personnel of the 15th Bomb Squadron took up residence. As a satellite airfield for... -
Snetterton Heath
Military site : airfield
Intended to be an RAF bomber base, construction of Snetterton Heath started in Autumn 1942 but continued until mid-1943, because it was extended after allocation as an Eighth Air Force bomber base. It had eventually three concrete runways, 50...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Failed to Return (FTR) Over Water (OW) | English Channel | 3 September 1943 |
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 30 May 2020 00:00:21 | kstrykerAK | Changes to mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Snetterton Falcons II: The 96th Bomb Group in World War II by Robert E Doherty & Geoffrey D Ward. Second Edition with Errata and Supplemental Information. Taylor Publishing. 1996. page 26, 293 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 29 May 2020 23:52:46 | kstrykerAK | Changes to nicknames, markings, unit associations, person associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Snetterton Falcons II: The 96th Bomb Group in World War II by Robert E Doherty & Geoffrey D Ward. Second Edition with Errata and Supplemental Information. Taylor Publishing. 1996. pages 23, 293 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 01 February 2017 08:55:50 | bombercommand | Changes to description, place associations, mission associations and media associations |
| Sources | ||
http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/One384thAircraft.php?AircraftK... |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:24 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 743 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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