IN MEMORIAM
OF THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE 385th. HEAVY
BOMBARDMENT GROUP, U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES WHO
GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE AIR BATTLES OVER
EUROPE 1943 - 1944. THIS PLAQUE IS PLACED
HERE BY THE COMRAIDS OF THOSE MEN, AS
AN EVERLASTING TRIBUTE TO THEIR HEROIC
SCARIFICE AND UNSELFISH DEVOTION TO DUTY.
MCMXLIV
Constituted as 385th. Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 25th. November 1942, the group was activated on 1st December 1942. The group formed at Geiger Field in Spokane, Washington in February 1943 and trained there for 2 months, then spread out to Great Falls AAF, Montana, Lewistown AAF, Montana, Cutbank AAF, Montana and Glasgow AAF, Montana,
In June 1943, it was assigned to USAAF Station 155 Great Ashfield, located 10 miles (16 km) east of Bury St. Edmunds and 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Great Ashfield village. The group were nicknamed 'Van's Valiants' after the first commanding officer, Colonel Elliott 'Pete' Vandevanter Jr. The 385th. Bomb Group's tail code was a 'Square-G' and its operational squadrons were,
548th. Bomb Squadron, coded GX, squadron colour blue
549th. Bomb Squadron, coded XA, squadron colour yellow
550th. Bomb Squadron, coded SG, squadron colour red
51st. Bomb Squadron, coded HR, squadron colour green
Operating primarily in the strategic bombardment role, the group struck such targets as industrial areas, air bases, oil refineries, and communications centres in Germany, France, Poland, Belgium, Holland, and Norway. On 17th. July 1943, the 385th. flew its first mission, an unsuccessful one to Amsterdam.
The group received a Distinguished Unit Citations for their attack on the Messerschmitt factory at Regensburg on 17th. August 1943 after a long hazardous flight over enemy territory. The group received their second DUC for leading the 4th. Bombardment Wing a great distance through heavy and damaging opposition to achieve a successful attack on an aircraft repair facility at Zwickau on 12th. May 1944. Other strategic targets included aircraft factories in Oschersleben and Marienburg, battery works in Stuttgart, airfields in Beauvais and Chartres, oil refineries in Ludwigshafen and Merseburg, and marshalling yards in Munich and Oranienburg.
At times the group supported ground forces and struck tactical targets such as coastline defences in June 1944 in preparation for the Normandy invasion, marshalling yards and choke points during the landings on D-Day, bombing enemy positions in support of ground forces at St. Lo in July 1944, and attacking German communications and fortifications during the Battle of the Bulge during December 1944 to January 1945. Between March and April 1945 the group bombed troop concentrations and communications centres in Germany and France to assist the final thrust into Germany.
The group flew it last combat mission on 20th. April 1945.
The group flew 296 missions and 8,265 sorties, dropping 18,494 tons of bombs on Europe. Over 1,950 men completed combat tours, while over 1,400 men were lost in combat and crashes. 129 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses were lost in combat while another 40 were lost in various crashes. One aircraft was lost for every 64 combat sorties flown. Records show the group claimed 287 enemy aircraft destroyed, with another 80 probable's and 90 damaged.
After V-E Day the group transported prisoners of war from Germany to Allied centre's and dropped 184.9 tons of food to the starving people of Holland.
The group returned to the US in August 1945. It was in the process of redeployment to the Far East when the war against Japan ended, resulting in the disbandment of the group at Sioux Falls AAF, South Dakota on 28th. August 1945.
The 385th's commanding officers were,
Col. Elliott 'Pete' Vandevanter Jr from February 1943 to August 1944
Col. George Y. Jumper from August 1944 to May 1945
Lt. Col. H.T. Witherspoon from May to June 1945
Col. William H. Hanson from June to July of 1945
This memorial is in All Saints churchyard at Great Ashfield, Suffolk.
