Lieutenant jack havener of the 344th bomb group in the cockpit of a b26 marauder serial number 4295896 nicknamed johnny come lately. The group was inactivated in the us on november 1945. The martin b26 marauder is an american twinengined medium bomber that saw extensive service during world war ii. This comprehensively researched and definitive account of one of americas premier army air force bombardment units follows the 22nd bomb group from its prewar stateside formation and training, through its deployment to northern australia during the earliest days of wwii, to the end of the conflict on the island of okinawa. The b26 also featured a dorsal turret, waist and tail guns, and. B 26s were shipped to great britain for evaluation and were designated marauder is. Group, 9 af 1877 barfly 1943 boxted fs33070 fs36173.
Image by jack k havener, 344th bomb group associated caption. Rededication, this 23rd day of september 1988 isolating the battlefield. A limited number of highly modified united states air force aircraft served in southeast asia until 1969. Many senior pilots of the 22nd bomb group in australia, the outfit that pioneered the marauder, recalled the b26 as the best damn airplane the air force ever had. See more ideas about wwii aircraft, ww2 aircraft, nose art. The 38th bomb group s first station was in langley, va. Edwards asn 17016481 was a radio operator and gunner on the martin b26 marauder unbearable ii. The nose art of a b26 marauder nicknamed maxwell house of the 344th bomb group. Built by douglas aircraft company during world war ii, the invader also saw service during several major cold war conflicts. The 38th bomb group was assigned primarily b25 aircraft, but also flew b26, a20, and b18 medium bombers. They were the first eighth air force group to fly a medium level. The 387th bombardment group consisted of about 2000 men organized into a headquarters company, a service company and four bombardment squadrons.
One b26, model 41773, dubbed flak bait by her crew, survived a total of 207 operational missions over europe, a record for any american combat plane of the war. First used in the pacific theater of world war ii in early 1942, it was also used in the mediterranean theater and in western europe. The 19th squadron b26 martin marauders taxied down duckworth street from garbutt airfield to their new home at the northern side of the stock route airfield on 28 march 1942 on 5 april 1942 the 22nd bomb group successfully bombed rabaul. Martin company rolled the b26b marauder that would soon be dubbed flakbait off the baltimore production line on april 26, 1943. B26 marauder on display at the us air force museum, dayton, ohio, usa. They were used as tactical aircraft and 52 marauder is were shipped directly to the middle east for use by the rafs no. Douglas started the a26 in 1941 to follow the a20db7 havoc bomber. B26 344th bomb group 494th, 495th, 496th, and 497th bomb squadrons, catskill, new york. B26 marauder of the 323rd bomb group, 453rd bs b26 marauder in flight b26 marauder pre war photo 1941 b26 texas peacemaker nose art 322nd bomb group martin b26c25mo marauder, 17 bomb group 34th bs 1943 45177 martin b26 marauder had a somewhat chequered career. The douglas a 26 b 26 bomber was the only american bomber to fly missions in three wars.
Please join me in preserving the legacy of the b26. Group, 9 af 296165 june 1944 rivenhall fs17178 fs33070. Bombardment groups were distinct units, each with their own history. They also feature, alongside many others, in iwms new book somewhere in. David doyle created the b 26 walk around book for squadron signal a few years ago. Even today the martin b26 marauder continues to look sleek and streamlined. Marauder men collection consists of material used to compile the book b26. Earl with 558th bomb squadron 387th reunion, oct 2001. Each bomb group usually was composed of a headquarters squadron and three bombardment squadrons. World war ii medium bomber on april 17, 1945, flakbaits 200th mission was leading the entire 322nd bombardment group on a mission to bomb magdeburg, germany.
I probably could add a few more but it would be an estimation and that is not my game. After world war ii, it served as a firstline bomber during the korean war and during the vietnam war. The b26 also served with 39th, 326th, 327th and 454th squadrons of the raf. The 344th bombardment group was made up of four bomb squadrons 494th, 495th, 496th, 497th the following is a list of planes thanks to mark styling it was cross checked with a list derived from an original list created by carl m christ for the 344 th bg association, from the university of akron b26 archives courtesy of paul clouting. This web site by carl carrozza is meant to provide information for those. Light and medium bombers of wwii discussion groups, research information, etc. While the plane met or exceeded all performance requirements, with a wing. The conditions encountered by the crews of the 22nd bomb group were primitive in the extreme by comparison with those of the 9th army air force aaf crews later in the war. The douglas a 26 invader designated b 26 between 1948 and 1965 is an american twinengined light bomber and ground attack aircraft. B26 marauder rosie obrady of 344th bomb group imodeler.
The martin b26 marauder page contains all related products, articles, books, walkarounds and plastic scale modeling projects dedicated to this aircraft. Later he was shipped to the china burma india theater and flew with squadron b in the 33 aafbu flying c46 missions. B26 marauder units of the mto is a historical must for the collector of refernces on ww ii air war in the med. Hit in engine and crashlanded near euskirchen on march 30,1945. The marauder its men their victories world war ii this memorial completed through the generosity of individuals from all b26 marauder units. Martins medium bomber in world war ii legends of warfare.
The douglas a26b26 bomber was the only american bomber to fly missions in three wars. The martin b26 marauder page contains all related products, articles, books, walkarounds and plastic scale modeling projects dedicated to this aircraft this topic is categorised under. The martin b26 10 facts about americas forgotten medium. Personnel of the 322nd bomb group ride a bomb trolley past b26 maraduers. B26 marauder historical society bills b26 marauder page fantasy of flight museum b26 page information about the only airworthy b26. This image seems to illustrate not only the b26, the first bomber used by the 22nd bomb group, but also, the flight crews as well. He was hidden by the aurolet family of the french underground for 5 weeks. Fifth air force light and medium bomber operations during 1942. American airmen in britain during the second world war imperial. The 38th bomb group was awarded four distinguished unit citations, and one philippine presidential citation.
The book is a most complete description and narration of the use of the marauder in a variety of combat situations where a heavy bomb load and speed got the job done. Check out our b26 marauder historical society group page for pictures and videos from our attendees. Between november 1940 and march 1945, a total of 5,266 b26s were built. Martin b26 marauder martin b26b30ma marauder us army air forces 19411947 544 bomb sqn.
A group of tiger tail b26 marauders of the 387th bomb group encounter a fierce attack by messerschmitt bf 109g14s over their intended target a railroad bridge at mayen, germany during the battle of the bulge on dec. It was the first medium bomber used by the united states in the pacific war at the beginning of 1942. The 323rd bombardment group operated with b26 marauders, american medium bombers. Flying the martin b26 marauder medium bomber, the group stayed until 11th. Flying and fighting in the b26 marauder defense media network. Initially stationed in north africa, the unit late moved to sardina, corsica, and finally to.
B26 materials include photographs, diaries, squadron and group records, personal narratives. Bombardment group bg readied their martin b 26 marauders in the early morning. Com 2018 guest book dedicated to martin b26 marauder men. The b 26 also served with 39th, 326th, 327th and 454th squadrons of the raf. B26 marauder 320th bg 443rd bs north africa 1943 world war. Airmen of the 322nd bomb group shake hands beneath their b26 marauder after completing 50 missions. B26 marauder 320th bomb group 443rd bomb squadron north africa 1943.
If you look at the photos of war time marauders, you would see how rugged they usually looked, with chipped and discolored paint see colour photos in r. An airman of the 322nd bomb group with his b26 marauder serial number 41824 nicknamed petes avenger. Two hours later cqs roused the squadron operations officers who began waking up. Responding to the us army air corps need for a high speed medium bomber, the martin company submitted an unusual design. B26 marauder bomber crash, 391st bomb group 9th air force 2 british b26 marauder mk ia of 14 sqn raf fk375 1942 323rd bomb group crew in damaged b26c6mo marauder miss emily. The nose art from this aircraft is now on display at the australian war memorial. List of units using the b26 marauder during world war ii.
Flying and fighting in the b26 marauder defense media. Gpr732421feb44congradulations 50 missions handwritten caption on reverse. The men who flew the b26 marauders and the men who kept them flying were organized into bombardment groups. Lieutenant edwin wright of the 404th fighter group shows off the damage to his. These rare color photographs of a martin marauder b26 on an actual combat mission were taken by crewmember john meyers of the 386th bomb group martin marauder b26 in combat, photo archive main page. Jan 30, 2019 the high speed of the b26it had a top speed of 315 miles per hourgave the marauder an advantage lacked by the much slower b17s.
The last bombing mission by a martin b26 marauder group was that flown on may 1, 1945 by the 17th bomb group 1st tactical air force. More than 291 martin b26 marauders flew more than 100 missions. The first usaaf tenants at the airfield were the 319th. The guy lighting up reminds me of my father who did not start smoking until he went to war. These rare color photographs of a martin marauder b26 on an actual combat mission were taken by crewmember john meyers of the 386th bomb group martin marauder b26 in combat, photo archive. Dec 22, 2020 in fact, the first bomber in the second world war to complete 50 missions was a b26b sn 117858 named coughin coffin from the 34 th bomb squadron, 17 th bomb group.
B26 marauder archives, washington area marauder men collection. The douglas a26 invader designated b26 between 1948 and 1965 is an american twinengined light bomber and ground attack aircraft. The treacherous journey was accomplished by island hopping over long stretches of the pacific ocean. Many senior pilots of the 22nd bomb group in australia, the outfit that pioneered the marauder, recalled the b 26 as the best damn airplane the air force ever had. The b26 marauder historical society needs your support. Buy b26 marauder in action book online at low prices in india b. B26 344th bomb group 494th, 495th, 496th, and 497th bomb. Feb 22, 2017 the martin b26 marauder was an american twinengine bomber of world war ii produced by the glenn l. There also were 26 pursuit, 9 observation, and 6 transport groups. Nov, 2014 the tipe my model presents was the b26 b50 of 344th bomb group, 9th air force, that became operational on 6th of march 1944 at stansted air base in uk.
November when the group reassigned to twelfth air force as part of the north african campaign at saintleu airfield, algeria. As an alternative, the kindle ebook is available now and can be read on any. He flew an incredible 71 missions in two tours of duty with the 454th bombardment squadron, 323rd bomb group, 9th air force. B26s were shipped to great britain for evaluation and were designated marauder is. The b26 began to equip the 22nd bombardment group at langley field. Douglas started the a 26 in 1941 to follow the a20db7 havoc bomber. The unit flew tactical bombing missions in support of allied land forces.
Air force combat units of world war ii department of defense. This book covers the group s formation and training in the states as a b26 marauder unit in the hurried buildup of american air power just before world war ii, up until its poorly organized deployment to the pacific that included action during the battle of midway. They published the guidebook, b26 marauder memorial guide, during an ongoing. This book covers the groups formation and training in the states as a b26 marauder unit in the hurried buildup of american air power just before world war ii. The high speed of the b26it had a top speed of 315 miles per hourgave the marauder an advantage lacked by the much slower b17s. See more ideas about wwii aircraft, nose art, ww2 aircraft. Two hours later cqs roused the squadron operations officers who began waking up crews that were scheduled to fly today. Farrell managed to bring flakbait back for a textbook landing in england.
Holdings include the international archive of the martin b26 marauder, the 22nd bomb squadron of the 341st bomb group, 40th bomb group, 315th bomb wing, 330th bomb wing, 376th heavy bombardment group, 406th fighter group, and 446th bomb group. And please remember we need your support to continue these amazing reunions. This plane was assigned to the 37th bomb squadron, 17th bomb group. This plane was assigned to the 37th bomb squadron, 17th bomb group, 12th air force. To preserve the legacy of the b26 martin marauder, the nearly 300,000 service personnel who were associated with the aircraft during world war ii, and their joint contributions to the greatest military. The martin b 26 marauder is an american twinengined medium bomber that saw extensive. Martin company rolled the b26b marauder that would.
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