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Assigned 8th AAF: 6 Sep 1942
GO-B 'Little Lee' flown by Lt. Frank Kilcheski of the 328th BS, 93rd BG
"Hell's a Droppin II"
Unit: 328th BS, 93rd BG, 8th AF, USAAF
Serial: B/N (41-23599 ?)
"Jerk's Natural"
Unit: 328th BS, 93rd BG, 8th AF, USAAF
Serial: B (41-23711)
Wing/Command Assignment
VIII BC, 1 BW: 6 Sep 1942
VIII BC, 2 BW 6 Dec 1942
VIII BC, 2 BW, 201 PCBW 25 Mar 1943
VIII BC, 2 BW, 20 CBW 13 Sep 1943
2 BD, 20 CBW 8 Jan 1944
2 AD, 20 CBW 1 Jan 1945
Combat Aircraft:
B-24D
B-24H
B-24J
B-24L
B-24M
Stations
ALCONBURY 6 Sep 1942 to 6 Dec 1942
HARDWICK 6 Dec 1942 to 12 Jun 1945
** OTHER TEMPORARY BASES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST **
Group COs
Col. Edward J. T imberl ake Jr. 26 Mar 1942 to 17 May 1943
Lt. Col Addison E. Baker 17 May 1943 to 1 Aug 1943 KIA
Col. Leland G. Fiegel 9 Aug 1943 to 27 Sep 1944
Lt. Col Harvey P. Barnard Jr. 27 Sep 1944 to 27 Nov 1944
Col. William R. Robertson Jr. 5 Dec 1944 to 6 Apr 1945
Lt. Col Therman D. Brown 6 Apr 1945 to Jun 1945
First Mission: 9 Oct 1942
Last Mission: 25 Apr 1945
Missions: 396
Total Sorties: 8,169
Total Bomb Tonnage: 19,004 Tons
Aircraft MIA: 100
Enemy aircraft Claims: 40
Major Awards:
Two Distinguished Unit Citations: 17 Dec 1942 to 20 Feb 1943: Operations in North Africa and on 1 Aug 1943: Ploesti
Medal of Honor: Lt Col Addison E. Baker 1 Aug 1943
Major John L. Jerstad 1 Aug 1943
Claims to Fame
Oldest B-24 Group in 8th AF.
Flew more missions than any other 8AF bomb group
Most travelled group assigned to the 8 AF
Aircraft Bomerang was the first 8AF B-24 to fly 50 missions
Early History:
Activated1 March1942 at Barkesdale Field FL. Moved to Ft. Myers Fl., on 15 May 1942, and continued training while flying anti-sub patrols over the Gulf of Mexico. Claimed destruction of 3 U-Boats departed Ft. Myers on August 2 1942 to Ft. Dix NJ, and arrived on August 15. The ground echelon embarked on the Queen Elizabeth on the 31st Aug 1942, and the air echelon moved to Grenier Fd, NH and was refitted with B-24D.
Subsequent History:
Redeployed US on May of 1945. The first aircraft left England on 24 May 1945. The ground units sailed on the Queen Mary on 15 Jun 1945, and arrived in New York on the 20th of Jun. 1945. Personnel went to Camp Shanks on 20 Jun 1945 for 30 days Rest. Group re-established as a B-29 unit in July 1945. Converted to B-50s in 1949. Later B-47s and in 1955 with B-52s as the 93rd Bomb Wing. This unit is the only wartime organization in the USAF that has not been inactivated since original formation.
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