Following recent government announcements the museum is currently closed, there is plenty to explore in our online archive.
The American Air Museum is a charity - Find out how you can support us
Military
Colonel Thetus C Odom, Group commander of the 452nd Bomb Group christens a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 43-37817) nicknamed "Mollita". Image via Walt Cochrek. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Ground commander Col TC Odom christens his "Ship".
Col. Odom was CO 452nd BG at DEOPHAM GREEN 3 March 44 – 24 July 44.
He was acting Group Leader 11 April 1944 towards Rostock when A/C #42-39995 ‘COW TOWN BOOGIE’ had to make a forced landing in Sweden.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 452nd Bomb Group
Placido was one of 5 sons of Placido and Diluvina Andrade, a 5-Blue Star Family from Los Angeles, CA. Placido and his brothers, Albert-USA, Leonard-USA, Alfred-USA, and Danny-USN, all served during World War II. Placido was an original crew member of ...
Eighth Air Force Headquarters became USSTAF in February 1944 and oversaw all Strategic Air Force activities in the European, African and Middle Eastern Theatre of Operations, particularly the operations of the Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces.
Group
The 452nd Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Deopham Green, Norfolk, from January 1944. The air crews hit strategic sites in Germany but also supported the movement of ground forces across Europe after D-Day. On 6 June 1944 itself, the Group...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Long Beach 29/10/43; Gr lsland 13/11/43; Assigned 731BS/452BG [7D- ] Deopham Green 9/12/43; Missing in Action Rostock 11/4/44 with Bob Schimmel, Co-pilot: Fred Newton, Navigator: Chas McKeag, Bombardier: Ralph Libby, Flight engineer/top...
Military site : airfield
Deopham Green was another air base constructed after America's entry into the war to Class A standards for use by the B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber. When the 452nd Bomb Group arrived in January 1943 they found a main runway of 2,000 yards, two...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 21 March 2021 18:49:35 | jmoore43 | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
Added punctuation to the "Summary biography" to aid clarity. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 11 September 2018 10:17:14 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to unit associations |
| Sources | ||
WWII European Theatre Army Records, Roster of Key Officers, January 1945 via Fold 3 |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 02 April 2015 12:31:48 | Emily | Created entry with surname, middlename, firstname, nationality, highest rank, role, biography, unit associations, aircraft associations and media associations |
| Sources | ||
Information provided by Lennart Westergård |
||
