381st Bomb Group
GroupIWM, Roger Freeman Collection
The 381st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Ridgewell, Essex between June 1943 and April 1945. The Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations, the first for bombing shipyards at Bremen, whilst under heavy attack, on 8 October 1943 and the second was awarded to the 1st Bomb Division as a whole for flying without fighter protection to bomb aircraft factories at Oschersleben on 11 January 1944.
Commanding Officers
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group Headquarters (381st Bomb Group)
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Commanding Officer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group Headquarters (381st Bomb Group)
- Service Numbers: O-21388
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Commanding Officer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group Headquarters (381st Bomb Group)
- Highest Rank: General
- Role/Job: Commanding Officer
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Unit stations
Station | Location | Date |
---|---|---|
Based |
Ridgewell | 1 July 1943 - 24 June 1945 |
Encompassing
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 7th Station Complement Squadron
- Service Numbers: 34440356
- Role/Job: Motor Pool
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-2070179
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 534th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-731698
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 330th Service Squadron
- Service Numbers: 33288960
- Role/Job: Welder, combination
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Battlin Bombsprayer
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 534th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Sad Sack
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Hell's Angel
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 534th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Gloria Ann aka Iris aka Uncle Sammy
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 96th Bomb Group 338th Bomb Squadron 533rd Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Linda Mary
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group
Mission
- Date: 4 October 1943
- Date: 2 October 1943
- Date: 26 September 1943
- Date: 23 September 1943
Related media
- Media Type: Document
- Collection Name: William L Beigel Collection
- Object Number: Document 15700
- Description: Extract from Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) for Technical Sergeant Chester M Slomczenski of the 381st Bomb Group researched by historian...
- Media Type: Document
- Collection Name: William L Beigel Collection
- Object Number: Document 15703
- Description: Extract from Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) for First Lieutenant Lee W Smith of the 381st Bomb Group researched by historian Bill Beigel...
- Media Type: Document
- Collection Name: William L Beigel Collection
- Object Number: Document 15722
- Description: Extract from Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) for Staff Sergeant Andrew F Manning of the 381st Bomb Group researched by historian Bill Beigel...
- Media Type: Document
- Collection Name: William L Beigel Collection
- Object Number: Document 15792
- Description: Extract from Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) for 2nd Lieutenant Walter K Higgins of the 381st Bomb Group researched by historian Bill Beigel...
- Media Type: Document
- Collection Name: William L Beigel Collection
- Object Number: Document 15802
- Description: Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) for Staff Sergeant Anthony F Fox of the 381st Bomb Group researched by historian Bill Beigel. The file...
- Media Type: Document
- Collection Name: William L Beigel Collection
- Object Number: Document 15830
- Description: Extract from Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) for Staff Sergeant James B Scollon of the 381st Bomb Group researched by historian Bill Beigel...
- Media Type: Document
- Collection Name: William L Beigel Collection
- Object Number: Document 15840
- Description: Extract from Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) for Technical Sergeant John W Zappala of the 381st Bomb Group researched by historian Bill...
- Media Type: Document
- Collection Name: William L Beigel Collection
- Object Number: Document 15872
- Description: Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) for Technical Sergeant Vito J Geroulo of the 381st Bomb Group researched by historian Bill Beigel. The file...
- Media Type: Document
- Collection Name: William L Beigel Collection
- Object Number: Document 15923
- Description: Extract from Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) for Sergeant Reginald C Solway of the 381st Bomb Group researched by historian Bill Beigel...
- Media Type: Document
- Collection Name: William L Beigel Collection
- Object Number: Document 15942
- Description: Extract from Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) for Second Lieutenant Leonard P Meier of the 381st Bomb Group researched by historian Bill...
- Media Type: Document
- Object Number: Document 22051
- Media Type: Document
- Object Number: Document 22052
- Media Type: Document
- Collection Name: Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Object Number: Document 30688
- Description: General Orders #42, 1st Air Division, 4 February 1944 (Partial)
- Media Type: Document
- Collection Name: Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Object Number: Document 30697
- Description: General Orders #41, 1st Air Division, 3 February 1944
Revisions
From the history of the 381st Bomb Group website: http://www.381st.org/
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)