VIII Bomber Command
Command
Group
The 390th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Framlingham, Suffolk, between July 1943 and the end of the war in Europe. The Group was engaged in strategic missions until the invasion of Europe when its role became more of a tactical one. This tactical role was more attuned to the needs of ground forces. For instance, the Group bombed the coast near Caen fifteen minutes before the landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944. The Group also carried out humanitarian missions, dropping food supplies for the Dutch in the final weeks of the war. The only man to fly 100 missions, Hewitt "Buck" Dunn, did so with the 390th Bomb Group.
Command
Wing
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Headquarters
12 August 1943
This mission is separated
into two elements. The first element is a combined force of 183 B-17s
from 1st Bomb Division: 91BG (22); 92BG (19); 303BG (20); 305BG (20);
306BG (20); 351BG (21); 379BG (21); 381BG (20); and 384BG (20) are
despatched to bomb...
15 August 1943
German airfields in
Holland and France are the targets for this mission. All of the attacks
were made late in the afternoon just prior to sunset. The mission is
composed of two elements. The first element is a combined force of 180
B-17s from: 91BG (20...
17 August 1943
The mission flown on
17-Aug-43, the 1st anniversary of the 1st mission flown by the 8th Air
Force, is probably the most written about mission of the war. This is
the famous Schweinfurt/Regensburg mission on which 60 B-17s are lost. It
has been dubbed ...
19 August 1943
The German airfields at
Gilze-Rijen, Holland and Woensdrecht, Holland are the targets for this
mission. The attacks will be made by two elements. The first element is a
combined force of 125 B-17s from: 91BG (8); 92BG (19); 303BG (20);
305BG (19);...
24 August 1943
The 8th Air Force is
intent on dishing out some "pay back" to the Luftwaffe for the toll it
took on bombers of the 17-Aug-43 mission to Schweinfurt/Regensburg. So,
This mission has three attack elements and a diversion element. The
attack elements are...
24 August 1943
The 8th Air Force is
intent on dishing out some "pay back" to the Luftwaffe for the toll it
took on bombers of the 17-Aug-43 mission to Schweinfurt/Regensburg. So,
This mission has three attack elements and a diversion element. The
attack elements are...
27 August 1943
This mission is the first
attack by the USAAF on suspected V-Weapon sites. The German development
of pilotless winged aircraft was first divulged to the British just
shortly after the beginning of World War II in two letters sent to the
British embassy...
31 August 1943
This mission is composed
of two elements. The first element is composed of 170 B-17s from: 91BG
(16); 92BG (19); 303BG (20); 305BG (18); 306BG (18); 351BG (21); 379BG
(21); 381BG (19); and 384BG (18). The primary target for this element is
German...
2 September 1943
This mission was
composed of five elements. The first element was combined force 55 B-17s
despatched from: 92BG; 305BG, and 306BG to bomb German airfields in NW
France. The mission is recalled due to weather and the bombers return
without dropping...
3 September 1943
German airfields in
France and the Caudron-Renault works at Paris are the targets for this
mission. The mission is composed of three elements. The first element is
a combined force of 168 B-17s from: 91BG (14); 351BG (19); 381BG (22);
92BG (19); 305BG ...
Station | Location | Date |
---|---|---|
Based | Framlingham | 14 July 1943 – 4 August 1945 |
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 390th Bomb Group
Shot down 28 May 1944 in B-17 #4232089. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | 390th Bomb Group
Crew Number 64
Military | Ground Echelon | 390th Bomb Group
Crew Number 64
Military | 390th Bomb Group
Crew Number 61
Military | 390th Bomb Group
Crew Number 71
Military | 390th Bomb Group
Crew Number 3
Military | Ground Echelon | 390th Bomb Group
Crew Number 3
Military | Ground Echelon | 390th Bomb Group
Crew Number 3
Military | Ground Echelon | 390th Bomb Group
Crew Number 3
Military | Ground Echelon | 390th Bomb Group
Crew Number 3
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 401BS/91BG [LL-C] Bangor 31/8/42;
Bassingbourn 1/10/42; on return from Cognac 43+m 31/12/43, diverted
through weather to Gt Dunmow, Andrews Field, then Hunsdon Afd, with
Hilary Evers, Co-pilot: Paul McDuffee, Navigator: Frank Keneley,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 414BS/97BG 3/42 THE BIG BITCH; with Lt.
Claire M. Smartt on 1st AF mission 17/8/42; tran 390BG Framlingham
27/6/42 and 95BG HANGAR QUEEN; 327BS/92BG Bovingdon 24/8/42; Navigator:
John Segrest (wia), Bob Smith (wia); Waist gunner: Hubert...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 3/3/44; MacDill 20/3/43;
Kearney 22/3/44; Dow Fd 4/4/44; Assigned 568BS/390BG [BI-K] Framlingham
5/4/44; Missing in Action Magdeburg (12m) 28/5/44 with Walt Weigle,
Co-pilot: Chas RichardsonWounded in Action, Navigator: Herman...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 11/3/44; Kearney 29/3/44; Dow
Fd 4/4/44; Assigned 96BG Snetterton 8/4/44; transferred 571BS/390BG
[FC-N] Framlingham 9/4/44; Missing in Action {4m} Freidrichahafen
29/4/44 with Bob Rayburn, Co-pilot: Henry Crowley, Navigator: Murray...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 11/3/44; Kearney 31/3/44; Dow
Fd 8/4/44; Assigned 570BS/390BG [DI-O] Framlingham 11/4/44; Missing in
Action Berlin 19/5/44 with Dick Tannehill, Navigator: Bob Horst,
Bombardier: Elmer Leggett, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Larry...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 11/3/44; Gr Island 29/3/44; Dow
Fd 7/4/44; Assigned 568BS/390BG [BI-F] Framlingham 8/4/44; Missing in
Action Munich 13/7/44 with George Spann, Co-pilot: Theo Becker,
Navigator: Prospero Demarco, Bombardier: Jim Webb, Flight engineer...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 12/3/44; Kearney 30/3/44; Dow
Fd 7/4/44; Assigned 569BS/390BG [CC-L] Framlingham 8/4/44; Missing in
Action Merseburg 29/7/44 with Harry Stewart, Co-pilot: Norman Quest,
Navigator: Marris Todd, Bombardier: Dan Clark, Flight engineer...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 17/3/44; Kearney 5/4/44;
Grenier 14/4/44; Assigned 570BS/390BG [DI-F] Framlingham 20/4/44;
Missing in Action Dusseldorf 9/9/44 with Bob Gallagher, Co-pilot:
Merrill Redda, Ball turret gunner: Joe Costa,Tail gunner: Len Gilkey
(4...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 25/3/44; Hunter 16/4/44; Dow Fd
2/5/44; Assigned 571BS/390BG [FC-B] Framlingham 4/5/44 PREFERRED RISK;
Missing in Action Derben, Ger 14/1/45 with Joe Lewis, John Ruane, Earl
Morrison, John Koralwski, John Porcher (5 Killed in Action)...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 25/3/44; Billings 3/5/44;
Kearney 12/5/44; Grenier 26/5/44; Assigned 568BS/390BG [BI-R]
Framlingham 27/5/44 MISSISSIPPI MISSION; Missing in Action Derben, Ger
14/1/45 with Gerald Johnson, Bill Parks, Dayton Kelly, Joe Redpath
spot...
None
Date | Contributor | Update |
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14 May 2015 22:27:29 | nieceBarb | Changes to mission associations |
Sources | ||
Niece Barb |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
10 April 2015 07:39:38 | EMBLEMHUNTER | Changes to mission associations and media associations |
Sources | ||
my photo |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
09 February 2015 20:24:16 | Tim Brett | Changes to type, nicknames, motto and mission associations |
Sources | ||
Tim Brett |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:42:45 | 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) |
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