493rd Bomb Group | American Air Museum in Britain

The insignia of the 493rd Bomb Group.

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Personnel of the 493rd Bomb Group queue alongside a B-17 (serial number 43-38216) nicknamed "Tempest Turner" that was named after the Hollywood actress Lana Turner, for the world premiere of her latest film: 'Marriage is a Private Affair', This photograph was taken outside Hangar #1 at Debach Airfield, home of the 493rd BG, on Sunday October 15th 1944 The film had its world premier at the 493rd BG thanks to S/Sgt Milton Elder, Ball gunner on the John Lewis crew. S/Sgt Elder, of the 862nd BS, had been a cameraman at MGM studios prior to being inducted for training as a heavy bomber gunner. His last film featured Miss Turner. After contacting the studios to ask if Miss Turner would visit his base, SSgt Elder was told this was not possible due to her busy schedule, but that she had asked that her latest film be shown to the men of the 493rd BG before it was released to the public. Included with the original release was a filmed personal message to all of the men of the 493rd BG from Miss Turner. 43-38216 "Tempest Turner" transferred to the 34th BG in late January 1945, after being left on the continent following damage sustained on the combat mission to Giessen, Germany, with the 493rd BG on 11th December 1944. Image stamped with SHAEF press censor and London News Agency copyright. Handwritten caption on reverse: '16/10/44.' '303 EXTRA.' '34 BG.' ' 4596.'

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A B-24 Liberator (serial number 44-40437) nicknamed "Hairless Joe" of the 493rd Bomb Group (at the time of this image) is escorted by P-51 Mustangs of the 357th Fighter Group, including a P-51 Mustang (B6-F) flown by Captain Don Bochkay.

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A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 43-38276) of the 493rd Bomb Group releases bombs over the target. Image via Ed O' Neill. (493 BG 861 BS, Photo IC Aug 75) Handwritten caption on reverse: C 338276 (has no name).'

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A B-17 Flying Fortress of the 493rd Bomb Group. Image via Ed O'Neill (493rd BG, Photo ICM A75).

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A formation of B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 493rd Bomb Group. Image via Stewart P Evans. Handwritten caption on reverse: '493/ A Formation 9/4/45 27,900 Ft Schleissmen. Taken fron A/C 448448.'

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A bomber crew, led by Ed O'Neill, of the 493rd Bomb Group and their B-17 Flying Fortress. Image via Ed O'Neill. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Ed O'Neill & Crew ICM A75.'

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Ground personnel of the 493rd Bomb Group load food supplies into a B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Bomb Bay Blues". Printed caption on reverse: 'A-52449 AC- Personnel of the 493rd Bomb Group loading food supplies into the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Bomb Bay Blues", preparatory to "Food Mission" flight. England 7 April 1945. US Air Force Photo.'

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A bomber crew of the 493rd Bomb Group with their B-24 Liberator (serial number 44-40321) nicknamed "Old Sack". Image via HS Pete Hay T. Handwritten caption on reverse: '493rd group (debach) Photo taken spring 1944. Lincoln [illegible], just prior for this across Goose Bay- Iceland, Prestwick, Debach. PS. I'm standing back row, far right. On my right is Raymond Boxlierger Russell Kansas, Pilot. I was his co pilot, great guy.'

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The nose art of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 44-40398) nicknamed "The Shack" of the 493rd Bomb Group.

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The 493rd Bomb Group was the last Eighth Air Force Group to become operational, flying their first combat mission from Debach, Suffolk, on D-Day, 6 June 1944. The Group was known as "the Fighting 493rd", named by their Commanding Officer Colonel Elbert Helton, who held the post for over a year. The Group flew 157 bombing missions, their targets a range of strategic ones in Germany and tactical ones in northern France, Holland and along the Rhine. In additional the crews flew six food missions in May 1945, dropping over 400 tonnes of food into newly-liberated parts of Europe.

Commanding officers

Elbert Helton

Military | Colonel | Group Commanding Officer | 493rd Bomb Group
He led the 493rd BG to the target at Coblenz on 11 Nov. 44 493rd Group known as "The Fighting 493rd"
Robert Landry

Military | Major General | Fighter Pilot 1055 single engine/Group Commander | 493rd Bomb Group
CO 56th FG )ct 1943 - Jan 1944 CO 493rd BG ...
Shepler Fitzgerald

Military | Colonel | Air Executive | 493rd Bomb Group
AM

Structure

Part of

13th Combat Bomb Wing

Wing
93rd Combat Bomb Wing

Wing
Although equipped with B-24 aircraft, I believe that association with 2nd BD/AD is in error. Moreover, the Group had converted to B-17 before the designation of the 2nd Air Division. The Group carried 3rd Bomb Division markings throughout its combat...

Encompassing

18th Weather Squadron

Squadron
Browse 18th Weather Squadron photographs and other documents in the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library digital archive here: www.2ndair.org.uk/digitalarchive/Dashboard/Index/60
860th Bomb Squadron

Squadron
861st Bomb Squadron

Squadron
862nd Bomb Squadron

Squadron
863rd Bomb Squadron

Squadron
Headquarters (493rd Bomb Group)

Headquarters
2117th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon

Platoon

Previously was

Not yet known

Became

Not yet known

Missions

412

14 June 1944
Mission #10. Bombed an airfield south of Brussels. Bob Martin flew in place of Hussong.
426

20 June 1944
8th Air Force 554

15 August 1944
Airfields in NW Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium are the primary targets for this mission. 8th Air Force despatches a total of 932 aircraft. The raid is coordinated with 1,000 Royal Air Force (RAF) heavy bombers and Mosquitos attacking 9 airfields...
8th Air Force 556

16 August 1944
Aircraft factories and oil refineries are the primary targets for this mission. A total of 1090 heavy bombers are despatched. See Mission Details for particulars. ...
8th Air Force 556

16 August 1944
Aircraft factories and oil refineries are the primary targets for this mission. A total of 1090 heavy bombers are despatched. See Mission Details for particulars. ...
626

12 September 1944
8th Air Force 760

24 December 1944
1. Decision. ...

Stations

Station	Location	Date
Based	Debach	April 1944 – 6 August 1945

Connections

People

Louis Abbamonte

Military | Sergeant | Radio Operator | 493rd Bomb Group
Brian Abbott

Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 493rd Bomb Group
John Abbott

Military | Corporal | Clerk-Typist | 493rd Bomb Group
Edward Abdulla

Military | Sergeant | Radio Operator | 493rd Bomb Group
Jessie Abell

Military | Captain | Pilot | 493rd Bomb Group
Norman Abercrombie

Military | Lieutenant | Navigator | 493rd Bomb Group
Leroy Abeyti

Military | Sergeant | Duty Non-Commissioned Officer | 493rd Bomb Group
Dale Abraham

Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Assistant Top Secret control Officer | 493rd Bomb Group
Stanley Abraham

Military | Captain | Pilot | 493rd Bomb Group
Marvin Ackerman

Military | Lieutenant | Squadron Engineering Officer | 493rd Bomb Group

Aircraft

41-29473 Bolicat

B-24 Liberator
Originally assigned to 490th Bomb Group, 851st Bomb Sqdn
42-32087 Old Glory/Ain't Misbehavin'

B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 23/1/44; Gr Island 17/2/44; Presque Is 12/3/44; Assigned 728BS/452BG [9Z-M] Deopham Green 13/3/44; Missing in Action Gdynia 6/8/44 with Louis Graber, Co-pilot: Morris Freed, Navigator: Fran Maloney, Bombardier: Nick Milcic, Flight...
42-39846 Widdle Twinkle

B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Long Beach 18/9/43; Scott 27/10/43; Assigned 614BS/401BG [IW-M] Deenethorpe 3/11/43; transferred 487BG Lavenham 15/7/44; then to 860BS/493BG Debach, on local flight 16/8/44 with Capt Wesley Love, Co-pilot: Charles Boyce, Navigator: Fred...
42-50442

B-24 Liberator
Crashed on Mission 554 of 15 August 1944. Target : Florennes / Jusaine airfield, Belgium
42-52750

B-24 Liberator
Shot down by Flak on the 14 June 1944 mission to Laon, France. Crashed near Steene (Nord Department), France. Pilot : Orville H. Brewer Jr; Co-Pilot Lothrop Caldwell; Navigator Wilfred N. Hansen; Bombardier Coleman C. Duncan; Radio Operator/Gunner...
42-52759

B-24 Liberator
42-94745

B-24 Liberator
42-94789

B-24 Liberator
42-94812 'Little Warrior'

B-24 Liberator
Assigned to 850BS, 490BG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 862BS, 493BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Fallersleben; flak hit holed fuel tanks/lines causing conflagration, flames from cockpit to rear of bomb bay. Crew Lt's J.H. Hansen, S.A...
42-94927

B-24 Liberator

Citations

None

Date	Contributor	Update
04 February 2020 01:01:55	phil marchese	Changes to description
Sources
Typo,
Date	Contributor	Update
05 April 2019 10:03:12	Darren Jelley	Changes to description
Sources
493rd BG Archives
Date	Contributor	Update
15 April 2018 11:58:35	Darren Jelley	Changes to nicknames, aircraft types and commanding officers associations
Sources
493rd BG Museum archives www.493bgdebach.co.uk
Date	Contributor	Update
31 July 2016 22:45:45	Darren Jelley	Changes to description
Sources
The 493rd BG was never called Helton's Hellcats. the Official name was "the Fighting 493rd" the Hellcats were the American Football team made up from 493rd BG personnel. the Group flew 161 combat missions, and not 152 as listed. D Jelley 493rd BG Archives
Date	Contributor	Update
29 May 2015 06:54:23	Robin	Changes to mission associations and media associations
Sources
Robin Deutsch
Date	Contributor	Update
13 March 2015 15:28:14	rossingtonj	Changes to type and mission associations
Sources
Type added.
Date	Contributor	Update
27 September 2014 18:42:46	AAM	AAM ingest
Sources
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)