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"Crew of the Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'Hell's Angel' pose beside their plane at a base in England, 16 June 1944. 401st Bomb Group."
Rear L-R: 1Lt Francis W. Hoad, 1Lt Harvey G Tomlinson, 1Lt George F Bingham, 1Lt Eugene F Lott.
Front L-R: Unk, T/Sgt Duane G Brandt, Unk, Unk, T/Sgt Johnny K Dunn, S/Sgt Carl W Johns.
Unknowns - S/Sgt Emanuel Pinilis, S/Sgt Lawson Yeatts, S/Sgt Harold Magruger
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Page 134 of the 401st Bomb Group unit history.
Many of the 8th Air Force Groups produced an unofficial unit history in the months after the war ended in Europe but before they were redeployed out of the ETO (European Theater of Operations).
Resembling a college yearbook, unit histories were an unofficial – and often tongue-in-cheek – record of the unit’s time based in the UK. They include photo montages showing different aspects of base life. Often the servicemen in the photos are unnamed. The American Air Museum hopes that by adding unit histories to the website as individual pages, the men in the photos will be identified and associated to their person entries. Many included lists of personnel and a mailing address, providing a means for servicemen to keep in contact with each other after the war. These lists are now incredibly useful records of where US airmen in England in 1945 called their home.
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 33 x combat mission. ETD
"Lt George Bingham nursed "Hells Angels" back to England after the Oscherleben mission with the rudder handling useless, ordered 8 of the crew to bail out and then he and his co-pilot, Francis W Hoad landed with the plane on automatic pilot through a dense fog."
Awards: DFC (OLC), AM (3OLC), BM, WWII Victory, EAME.
Post war: Remained in USAF, fatal A/C crash with 1st Weather Group.
Service
People
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator / Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 56 x combat missions. Gaston Fox crew. Failed to Return (FTR) Evere A/D in B-17 42-31511 'Fool's Luck III'; Shot down, ditched in Channel, 3 miles W of Calais 10-Apr-44. Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 3939
...
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer /Top Turret | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 34 x combat missions, ETD.
Awards: WWII Victory. EAME.
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Military | Major | Co-Pilot | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 56 x combat missions. Assisted pilot Lt Bingham in getting severely battle damaged B-17 42-39993 "Hells Angels" back to England after the Oscherleben mission, rest of crew baled out RTD
...
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 33 x comabt missions. ETD
Awards: DFC, AM (2OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
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Military | Major | Bombardier | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 34 x combat missions. ETD
Awards: AM, PH, WWII Victory, EAME, UN and Korean medals.
Post war: Remained in USAF, serving in Korean conflict.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 33 x combat missions, ETD.
Awards: WWII Victory. EAME.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 33 x combat missions, ETD.
Awards: WWII Victory. EAME.
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Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 33 x combat mission. ETD .
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. Lt Bingham crew. 33 x combat missions. ETD
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
Show more
Units served with
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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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Group
The 401st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Deenethorpe, Northamptonshire, from November 1943 to June 1945. Starting their missions at that time meant the focus was very much on the coming invasion attempt of France planned for the following...
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Aircraft
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 3/2/44; Grenier 27/2/44; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-M] Deenethorpe 23/3/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 7/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 13/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 28/11/45...
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Dallas 8/9/43; to Gt Falls with Phil Sweet but force landed Pueblo, CO 10/9/43; Scott 20/10/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-G] Deenethorpe 8/11/43; Missing in Action Cologne 28/5/44 with George West, Waist gunner: Hugh Russell, Tail gunner: Mike...
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Long Beach 26/10/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-C] Deenethorpe 1/1/44; 118m landing accident at base with Jim Nolan 7/5/45; sal 2 SAD Watton, Nfk 8/5/45. HELL’S ANGELS OUT OF CHUTE 13 aka GROSSLY INADEQUATE.
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Associated Place
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Military site : airfield
Deenethorpe was a base purpose-built for American heavy bombers, with the Class A regulation 2,000 and 1,400-yard runways. All the buildings on site,such as the accommodation and administrative blocks, were temporary. In December 1943, several local...
Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Born |
NH, USA |
1 December 1920 |
Son of Harold C and Lucile F Bingham.
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Enlisted |
Manchester, NH |
16 April 1942 |
Based |
Deenethorpe |
1943 – 1944 |
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF.
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Discharged USAAC |
|
21 April 1943 |
Enlisted |
|
22 April 1943 |
Re-enlisted as 2nd Lieutenant.
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Died |
Offutt AFB, NE |
1 December 1952 |
Died on active service in crash in US.
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Buried |
Graceland Cemetery Rowan, IA |
January 1953 |
Graceland Cemetery
Rowan,
Wright County, IA
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