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389th Bomber Group Memorial

<< Back to Hethel Church

Details:

On the east side of the entrance track, close to the main door of the church.


Marker

A free-standing gravestone in polished granite, inscribed in English in incised, white lettering. On the top of the stone are the depiction of the RAF Hethel plan and the 389th Bomber Group insignia. On the bottom is a depiction of a B-24 airplane. The inscription relates to squadrons, missions flown, those killed, and tonnage. 

 

The 389th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arriving from Lowry AAF, Colorado on 11 June 1943. The 389th was assigned to the 2nd Combat Bombardment Wing, and the group tail code was a "Circle-C".

 

Its operational squadrons were:

 

  • 564th Bombardment Squadron (YO)
  • 565th Bombardment Squadron (EE)
  • 566th Bombardment Squadron (RR)
  • 567th Bombardment Squadron (HP)

 

The group flew Consolidated B-24 Liberators as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign.

 

Upon its arrival at Hethel, almost immediately a detachment was sent to Libya, where it began operations on 9 July 1943. The detachment flew missions to Crete, Sicily, Italy, Austria, and Romania. The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for the detachment's participation in the famed low-level attack against oil refineries at Ploesti on 1 August 1943.

 

For his action during the same operation, Second Lieutenant Lloyd Herbert Hughes was awarded the Medal of Honor. Refusing to turn back although gasoline was streaming from his flak-damaged plane, Lt Hughes flew at low altitude over the blazing target area and bombed the objective. The plane crashed before Hughes could make the forced landing that he attempted after the bomb run.

 

The detachment returned to England in August and the group flew several missions against airfields in France and the Netherlands.

 

The unit deployed again temporarily to Tunisia during September and October 1943 with the group supporting Allied operations at Salerno and hit targets in Corsica, Italy, and Austria.

 

Resumed operations from England in October 1943 the group concentrated primarily on strategic objectives in France, the Low Countries, and Germany. Targets included shipbuilding yards at Vegesack, industrial areas of Berlin, oil facilities at Merseburg, factories at Münster, railroad yards at Sangerhausen, and V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais. The group participated in the intensive air campaign against the German aircraft industry during Big Week, 20 – 25 February 1944. Also flew support and interdictory missions on several occasions, bombing gun batteries and airfields in support of the Normandy invasion in June 1944, striking enemy positions to aid the breakthrough at Saint-Lô in July 1944, hitting storage depots and communications centers during the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944 − January 1945), and dropping food, ammunition, gasoline, and other supplies to troops participating in the airborne assault across the Rhine in March 1945.

 

The 389th Bomb Group flew its last combat mission late in April 1945. It returned to Charleston AAF, South Carolina on 30 May 1945 and was inactivated on 13 September 1945.

Source of information: www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk, en.wikipedia.org

Source of image: www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk

Monument Text:

389th BOMBARDMENT GROUP

564th 565th 566th & 567th SQUADRONS

AND ATTACHED UNITS OF

8th UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCE

STATION 114 HETHEL

 

June 16th 1943 - MAY 28th 1945

IN MEMORIAL TO THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR

LIFE FOR OTHERS FREEDOM

 

TOTAL MISSIONS:

321

AIRCRAFT MISSING IN ACTION:

116

PERSONNEL MISSING/KILLED IN ACTION:

588

OTHER OPERATIONAL LOSSES:

37

TOTAL BOMB TONNAGE:

17,548

DISTINGUISHED UNIT CITATION 1st AUGUST 1943

TEMPORARY BASES:

      BENGHAZI No 10, LIBYA, NORTH AFRICA

      MASSICAULT, TUNISIA, NORTH AFRICA

Commemorates:

Units:

389th Bomber Group (Heavy)

564th Bomber Squadron, 389th Bomber Group, Heavy

565th Bomber Squadron, 389th Bomb Group

566th Bomber Squadron, 389th Bomb Group, Heavy

567th Bomber Squadron, 389th Bomb Group, Heavy

8th Air Force

US Army Air Corps

Wars:

WWII