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453rd
| The Scrapbook Archives - Old Buckenham, Norfolk
453rd Bomb Group
The focus of this scrapbbook is the 453rd Bombardment Group, stationed at Old Buckenham, Norfolk
The 453rd Bomb Group was activated on June 1, 1943 at Wendover Field in Utah. The group was established at Pocatello Air Field in Idaho in late July, 1943 and spent two months in training at that base. From there, the 453rd was moved to March Field, near Riverside, California for the rest of its training, leaving in December 1943 for England and arriving a few days before Christmas. The ground crew travelled on the Queen Elizabeth, while the air crew flew their ships via the southern ferry route.
The 453rd flew its first mission on February 5, 1944 against the airfield at Tours, France. From that time, until their last mission on April 12, 1945, they flew 259 missions, completing 6,655 sorties and losing 58 aircraft in combat.
James "Jimmy" Stewart, the acclaimed film star, served as Group Executive Officer of the 453rd from March 1944 through the end of the group's time in England. The 453rd Bomb Group's other claim to fame is that the 733BS flew 82 consecutive missions without losing an aircraft.
The 453rd was removed from operations on April 12, 1945 in preparation for its return to the United States for redeployment in the Pacific Theatre. The 453rd was inactivated in September 1945.
Crew photo, including Charley V. Neely, George R. Locke, Arthur G. Hamilton, Earl Abke, A. Conway, Wallace E. Habenicht, Ralph L. Miller, Ray M. Ashba, Frank Hanzalik, and Darrell A. Boucher. From the collection of Frank Hanzalik (MC 376/287 816x1), Norfolk Record Office.
Photograph August, 1945. Crew include John Kassab, Lt. Robertson, Eugene Heck, Leo Mooney, Durwood Johnson, Herbert Roscoe, Clarence Breczinski, Oliver Voss, Joseph Thuring, and Michael Pastehak. From the collection of Joseph Thuring (MC376/151 800x8), Norfolk Record Office.
Men from the 733BS Armament Shop, including Bill Talbot, Walt Sowa, ? Keeney, John Eagleton, Bob Hoeft, ? Dicamillo, and Walt Edgeworth. From MC371/365 720x6, a collection from an anonymous donor, Norfolk Record Office.
There are several good histories of the 453rd Bomb Group available for use in the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library, in addition to the standard histories of the 2nd Air Division and the 8th Air Force. Among those histories are:
Benarcik, Michael D.: In Search of Peace: A review of Events and Emotional Experiences endured by the 8th Air Force Bombardment Groups during World War II.
Low, Andy, comp.: The Liberator Men of "Old Buc".
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Created 13 July 2007
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