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Military
A bomber crew of the 379th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Ol' Gappy". Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Old Gappy crew - see file.' Co-Pilot (far right facing) is Albert H. Downs
Albert H Downs served as a co-pilot with the 524th Bomb Squadron of the 379th Bomb Group, flying missions out of Kimbolton, England.
'Association records for Albert H Downs show he flew 38 missions as co-pilot with the 524th Squadron from December 30, 1943 to June 18, 1944. Our records show mission numbers 53, 55, 56, 59, 64, 74, 83, 84, 86, 87, 88, 90, 93, 94, 95, 97, 98, 101, 102, 104, 108, 111, 115, 116, 117, 119, 124, 125, 127, 128, 129, 130, 133, 134, 135, 136, 144, and 145. Lt Downs may have flown additional missions, but these are the ones we have in our records.'
See: http://www.379thbga.org/Looking4_1450-1441.htm
Group
The 379th Bomb Group (H) (heavy), based at Kimbolton, flew more sorties than any other Bomb Group in the Eighth Air Force and dropped a greater bomb tonnage than any other Group. The B-17 Flying Fortress Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit...
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Long Beach 1/11/43; Denver 27/11/43; Presque Is 11/12/43;
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Military site : airfield
Planned for RAF use, Kimbolton airfield was built by W and C French Ltd. in 1941. The airfield was increased in size to accommodate a full US heavy Bomb Group, and the first such unit to us it was the 91st Bomb Group, who arrived in September 1942....
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 15 May 2017 08:54:19 | Lucy May | Changes to service number, highest rank, biography, place associations, aircraft associations and media associations |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:03:06 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
379th Bombardment Group (H) Anthology, 1942-45; p. 160. / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia |
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