THE 390th BOMB GROUP Activated 26 January 1943 at Geiger Field Washington. Formation did not begin until late February 1943. Training at Geiger until 6 June 1943 when the Group moved to Great Falls AAB, Montana. The aircraft went overseas on the 4th of July 1943 taking the northern ferry route from Iceland to Prestwick, where the first aircraft arrived on the 13th of July 1943. The ground unit left for Camp Shanks, NY on the 4th of July 1943 and sailed on the USS James Parker on the 17th of July 1943, and they arrived in Liverpool on the 27th of July 1943. 568 BS 569 BS 570 BS 571 BS

Squadrons of the 390th Bomb Group

568th Bombardment Squadron - Heavy
569th Bombardment Squadron - Heavy
570th Bombardment Squadron -Heavy
571st Bombardment Squadron - Heavy

Assigned 8th AAF: July 1943

Wing/Command Assignment

VIII BC, 4BW, 402 PCBW July 1943
VIII BC, 3 BD, 13 CBW 13 Sep 1943
3 BD, 13 CBW 8 Jan 1944
3 AD, 13 CBW 1 Jan 1945

Combat Aircraft

B-17F
B-17G

Stations

FRAMLINGHAM 14 July 1943 to 4 August 1945

Group COs

Col. Edgar M. Wittan 26 Jan 1943 to 15 May 1944

Col Frederick W. Ott 15 May 1944 to 6 Sep 1944

Col. Joseph A. Moller 6 Sep 1944 to 21 May 1945

Lt. Col George W. Von Arb 23 May 1945 to 26 Jun 1945

First Mission: 12 Aug 1943

Last Mission: 20 Apr 1945

Missions: 300

Total Sorties: 8,725

Total Bomb Tonnage: 19,059 Tons

Aircraft MIA: 144

Major Awards

Distinguished Unit Citations:

17 August 1943: Regensburg (all 4BW groups)

14 October 1943: Schweinfurt

Claims to Fame

Highest claims of enemy aircraft destroyed by bomb group on one mission on the date of 10 October 1943.

Hewitt Dunn of the 390th BG was the only man to fly 100 missions.

     Activated 26 January 1943 at Geiger Field Washington. Formation did not begin until late February 1943. Training at Geiger until 6 June 1943 when the Group moved to Great Falls AAB, Montana. The aircraft went overseas on the 4th of July 1943 taking the northern ferry route from Iceland to Prestwick, where the first aircraft arrived on the 13th of July 1943. The ground unit left for Camp Shanks, NY on the 4th of July 1943 and sailed on the USS James Parker on the 17th of July 1943, and they arrived in liverpool on the 27th of July 1943.

Subsequent History

     Redeployed States in June/August 1945. The aircraft left from Framlingham on the 25th and 26th of June 1945. The ground unit sailed from Greenock on the Queen Elizabeth on the 5th of August 1945 and arrived in New York on the 11th of August 1945. The group was established at Sioux Falls AAFd South Dakota and inactivated there on the 28th of August 1945. The unit was reactivated as a Titan missile wing in 1962 with its headquarters at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.

Read the Framlingham (Parham)- Sufflk- UK Air Field story here.

Visit the Framlingham Museum here

You can visit the 390th BG website here