2nd Combat Bomb Wing
Wing
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Group
As well as strategic bombardment missions, the 453rd Bomb Group also ferried cargo on two occasions. They hauled petrol, blankets, and rations to France in September 1944 and dropped ammunition, food and medical supplies near Wesel during the airborne assault across the Rhine in March 1945. The 733rd Bomb Squadron completed a record 82 consecutive missions without loss. Actor James Stewart was Group Executive Officer from March 1944.
Browse 453rd Bomb Group photographs and other documents in the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library digital archive here: www.2ndair.org.uk/digitalarchive/Dashboard/Index/43
Wing
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Headquarters
5 February 1944
German airfield in France are the targets for this mission. All three Bomb Divisions despatch aircraft. The combined bomber gunner's claims of all three Bomb Divisions were 5-0-5 (displayed with Chateauroux element of 1BD). Summary as follows:
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6 February 1944
German airfields and V-Weapon sites in France are the primary targets of this mission. A combined force total of 642 heavy bombers are depatched from 8th Air Force 1st, 2nd and 3rd Bomb Divisions. The primary targets of 1st Bomb Division were the...
6 February 1944
German airfields and V-Weapon sites in France are the primary targets of this mission. A combined force total of 642 heavy bombers are depatched from 8th Air Force 1st, 2nd and 3rd Bomb Divisions. The primary targets of 1st Bomb Division were the...
10 February 1944
This mission is a despatch of two separate formations. One formation is a combined force of 169 B-17Fs from 3rd Bomb Division: 94BG; 95BG; 96BG; 100BG; 385BG; 388BG; 390BG; 447BG; and 482BG despatched to bomb the industrial areas of Brunswick, Germany....
11 February 1944
This mission is composed of two separate elements. 3rd Bomb Division stands down having sustained massive losses of 29 aircraft on the previous day.
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13 February 1944
17 V-Wepons sites in France are the primary targets for this mission. The mission is divided into two separate forces: one force of B-24s from 2nd Bomb Division and one force of B-17s from 3rd Bomb Division. Mission summary follows:
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15 February 1944
A combined force of 54 B-24s from 2nd Bomb Division: 93BG; 389BG; 445BG; 453BG are despatched to bomb the V-Weapon site at St. Pol/Siracourt, France. 52 aircraft are effective on the target. There are no losses or claims in this force but 29 aircraft...
20 February 1944
This mission is the opening salvo of the Allied Combined Bomber Offensive known officially as "Operation Argument" but remembered in 8th Air Force History as "BIG WEEK". The immediate strategic objective of this six-day operation is the degradation of...
21 February 1944
Day 2 of BIG WEEK is another maximum effort by 8th Air Force to bomb 6 airfields in Germany as primary targets: Diepholz, Gütersloh, Lippstadt, Werl, Achmer and Handorf. In addition the industrial areas of Brunswick city are included as a primary...
22 February 1944
The German aircraft industry is again targeted in Day 3 of BIG WEEK. A combined total od 789 bombers (maximum effort) are despathed from 1st 2nd and 3rd Air Divisions. Fighter opposition is heavy and bomber losses in 1st Air Division are massive - 39...
Station | Location | Date |
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Based | Old Buckenham | 22 December 1943 – 9 May 1945 |
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 453rd Bomb Group
Marvin Aaker served as a flight engineer and top turret gunner with the 735th Bomb Squadron of the 453rd Bomb Group, flying missions out of Old Buckenham, England.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight Engineer | 453rd Bomb Group
Robert Aaker served as a flight engineer with the 734th Bomb Squadron of the 453rd Bomb Group, flying missions out of Old Buckenham, England.
Military | Lieutenant | Navigator | 453rd Bomb Group
Military | Lieutenant | Bombardier | 453rd Bomb Group
Military | Private First Class | Ordnance | 453rd Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Right Waist Gunner | 453rd Bomb Group
Military | Lieutenant | Bombardier | 453rd Bomb Group
Military | Sergeant | Gunner | 453rd Bomb Group
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 453rd Bomb Group
Shot down 8 May 1944 in B-24 #42-52169 'Lucky Penny'. Killed in Action (KIA).
PH
Military | Lieutenant | Bombardier | 453rd Bomb Group
B-24 Liberator
Assigned to 735BS, 453BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Berlin attacked by E/A setting two engines alight, crashed at Mangelsdorf, crew baled out 21-Jun-44. 10 x POW. MACR 5933.
B-24 Liberator
Assigned to 733BS, 453BG, 8AF USAAF. Shot down by fighters and exploded upon striking the water near Steenbergen, Holland on a mission to Gotha 22-Feb-44 in B-24 41-28615 'Ginnie'. 10 x Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 2895.
B-24 Liberator
Assigned 732BS, 453BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Juvincourt. Shot down by a Marine Flak battery from Vlissingen, caught fire and exploded soon after. The main part of the plane crashed in Souburg, other pieces spread over a large...
B-24 Liberator
Assigned to 733BS, 453BG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 734, 453BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) mission 13-Apr-44. Last seen 12 miles past IP heading across lake near Friedrickshafen in direction of Switzerland. Oil leak on #4 engine and oxygen...
B-24 Liberator
Assigned to 732BS, 453BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) practice mission, A/C became lost shortly after take off, failing to form up with section. Landed in Czechoslovakia with badly wounded crew members [Sgt Nissen and Sgt Tollefsen]. 2 x WIA, 10...
B-24 Liberator
Assigned to 733BS, 453BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Friedrichshafen, hit by flak causing loss of fuel and mechanical failures, A/C abandoned over Amiens, 1 x EVD, 10 x POW. MACR 3552.
B-24 Liberator
Assigned to 732BS, 453BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Brunswick, A/C left formation short of IP due to attack by Bf109 in which pilot was killed by 20mm cannon shell. A/C abandoned by crew 8-Apr-44. 1 x KIA, 11 x POW. MACR 3929.
B-24 Liberator
Assigned to 486BG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 733BS, 453BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Brunswick. Shot down flak went down 2km west of Salzdahlum, four chutes seen, one on fire 8-May-44. 3 x POW, 7 x KIA. MACR 4590.
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
None
Date | Contributor | Update |
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06 May 2019 20:27:03 | jjskhodges | Changes to media associations |
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Photos owned by Jan Hodges |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
09 March 2018 15:27:59 | 2nd Air Division Memorial Library | Changes to description |
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2nd Air Division Memorial Library |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
13 March 2015 15:20:05 | rossingtonj | Changes to type and mission associations |
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Type added. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:42:45 | AAM | AAM ingest |
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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) |