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490th Bombardment Group Roll of Honor

<< Back to Eye Town Hall

Details:

Inside the town hall.


Marker

A large wooden board with the insignias of the 490th BG and 8th Air Force in top corners, showing dedication and 4 columns of names in gold-colored, uppercase, painted lettering. The project was set up by seven local residents in an effort to raise funds for a permanent memorial in the town to the lost US airmen. The memorial was dedicated in August 2015.

 

The 490th Bombardment Group was activated at Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah on 1 October 1943, with four squadrons, the 848th, 849th, 850th, and 851st Bombardment Squadrons assigned. The 848th through 850th Squadrons were activated with the group at Salt Lake City, while the 851st, a former antisubmarine squadron that provided the group's cadre, was located at Mountain Home Army Air Field, Idaho.

 

In December, group headquarters and the three squadrons at Salt Lake City moved to Mountain Home, where they began training with Consolidated B-24 Liberators. The squadrons left their training base on 9 April 1944 for the European Theater of Operations. The group's ground echelon departed the port of embarkation at Camp Shanks, New York, sailing on the SS Nieuw Amsterdam on 11 April and arriving in the United Kingdom on 25 April. The air echelon flew its planes along the southern ferry route beginning on 12 April.

 

The group arrived at RAF Eye, its combat station, on 28 April. However, before the group could fly its first combat mission, the 850th Squadron was reassigned to VIII Air Force Composite Command to fly Operation Carpetbagger missions with the 801st Bombardment Group (Provisional). The remaining three squadrons of the group began combat operations on 31 May 1944. The group's initial missions were flown to prepare for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, as the squadron concentrated on targets in France. It supported the landings on D-Day and attacked coastal defenses, airfields, rail lines, and vehicles near the landings. It flew close air support missions to assist British forces near Caen in July and American forces near Brest in September. It was withdrawn from combat on 6 August 1944, to convert to the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress as the 93d Combat Bombardment Wing transitioned to make the 3d Bombardment Division an all B-17 unit. While the group was transitioning aircraft, the 492d Bombardment Group replaced the 801st Group in the Carpetbagger mission on 12 August. The 850th Squadron transferred its crews and B-24s to the 492d Group and returned to the 490th on paper to be included in the change to the group's new bomber.

 

Once the transition to the B-17 was completed on 24 August, the squadron concentrated on strategic bombing, attacking oil refineries, airfields, marshaling yards, and factories manufacturing aircraft and armored vehicles. It participated in raids against Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg, Hanover, Kassel, Merseburg, and Münster. The 490th flew its first mission with the B-17 on 27 August to Genshagen, Germany to attack the BMW engine factory although the mission was aborted due to weather. On occasion, the squadron was diverted from the strategic bombing campaign. It attacked enemy lines of communication during the Battle of the Bulge from December 1944 through January 1945. In the last month of the war in Europe, it carried out interdiction missions to support advancing ground forces. The squadron's last combat mission was flown on 20 April 1945.

Source of information: www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk, Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, en.wikipedia.org, www.edp24.co.uk

Monument Text:

490TH BOMBARDMENT

GROUP (H), EYE

 

(List of names, not by inscription order and number)

 

2 Lt.

Harold Adelman

FO

Warren J Allen

S/Sgt

Stephen J Andrews

Sgt

C Anderson

2Lt

Raymond S Ankeny

2Lt

R Ambrose

1Lt

William I Audette

S/Sgt

Alfred J Aulicino

t/Sgt

Kenneth T Bagnell

T/Sgt

Helmer O Baland

1 Lt

Herman L Ballard

2Lt

William E Barnard

S/Sgt

Lawrence D Barnett

S/Sgt

John C Barry

1 Lt

John D Beach

S/Sgt

Joseph T Beaudoin Jnr

FO

Nicholas W Beletzky

T/Sgt

Harold S Bennett

Cpl

Henry J Bennett

S/Sgt

Daniel C Bereck

1Lt

Frederick L Black

Cpl

Lawrence L Boekeloo

2Lt

Leo L Borden

S/Sgt

Paul Bowling

S/Sgt

Bruce O Boxburger

FO

Leo A Braddell

1Lt

Clarence E Bridwell

2Lt

Arthur R Bright

T/Sgt

James L Bruce

S/Sgt

George K Bryant

1Lt

Arthur A Bubendorf

Sgt

James R Butterfield

2Lt

Richard C Buttler

2Lt

Ronald A Cargill

S/Sgt

Walter H Case

Sgt

Roy E Caver

S/Sgt

Ted R Chapin

2Lt

Wiley G Comer

S/Sgt

Wendel E Cole

S/Sgt

Alfred W Cole Jnr

2Lt

Dick W Colyer

S/Sgt

Raymond S Conroy

2Lt

James A Cook

S/Sgt

Dallas G Couchman

Sgt

Teofilo III Crixell

2Lt

Charles D Crofts

Lt

Philip H Davis

2Lt

Jenner J De Santis

Lt

Edmund W De Wahl

1Lt

Louis J Deputy

Sgt

George V Devlin

T/Sgt

Robert L Dittmer

Sgt

Lyle E Dole

S/Sgt

Earle L Dorr Jnr

Mjr

Francis H Dresser

Pvt

Virgil E Dupler

1Lt

Marshall C Dunn

2Lt

Charles S Elder

S/Sgt

Joseph T Elie

T/Sgt

Shirley F Elliott

S/Sgt

John L Emmons

2Lt

Joseph M Farkas

Sgt

Willard E Fay

1Lt

Richahrd W Fellows

1Lt

Charlie JFowlkes Jnr

S/Sgt

Ralph W Franke

2Lt

Charles S Frey

Sgt

Dardo Garbiero

Sgt

Donald R Garry.

S/Sgt

Dale W Golden

2Lt

George I Gorham

S/Sgt

Thomas H Gossett

1Lt

Donald C Grant

Cap

Ralph E Gregory

Sgt

Roy W Gripne

T/Sgt

Roy E Griswould

2Lt

Lawrence E Grubisich

S/Sgt

Floyd G Hall

Sgt

John K Hamilton

 

T/Sgt

Elmer R Hammond

S/Sgt

Paul O Hartkof

Maj

Lamont D Hass.

Sgt

Jimmie R Heathman

2Lt

Frank R Hedeen

2Lt

Richard J Hermann

T/Sgt

Marvin Hild

1Lt

Charles U Hillweg

2Lt

George W Hixson

2Lt

Donald J Hoeffler

Sgt

Edward C Holdren.

Cpl

Huddy James J

S/Sgt

Fred H Horton

S/Sgt

Lloyd M Hudson

T/Sgt

Sidney E Iglitzen

Sgt

James E Ireland

1Lt

Robert L Jackson

T/Sgt

Albert E Jenkins

Sgt

Oscar Jensen

JS/Sgt

Robert A Johnson

S/Sgt

Carl B Johnson Jnr

S/Sgt

Robert E Joyce

Sgt

Herman J Kautz

T/Sgt

Claude E Keele

T/Sgt

Francis W Kemp

Sgt

Lloyd Kennedy E

1Lt

david P Kilpatrick.

1Lt

Charles R Kline

2Lt

Jack F Knox

S/Sgt

Harold Kornely Jr.

S/Sgt

Bernard W Koutz

2Lt

George R Kumm

Cpl

Donovan L Kunz.

1Lt

George J Kurtz.

T/Sgt

Clifford A Kwasigroh

FO

Gordon P Lake

Cpl

George B Langley

S/Sgt

Glenn N Larson.

S/Sgt

Richard L Lemanski

Cpl

Edward A Lennon

Sgt

Charles G Lennon

2Lt

Gary L Leonard.

S/Sgt

Wilbur L Lesh

Sgt

Robert N Lincoln.

S/Sgt

James E Lindeman

T/Sgt

Daniel B Lockstead

T/Sgt

Edward R Longer

Sgt

Lawrence C Lynn

Cpl

Drayton Mannies

T/Sgt

Peter Malires

1Lt

Henry J Martinson

S/Sgt

Frank A Mateyka

T/Sgt

Clement T Mayer

S/Sgt

Donald R Mayhew

1Lt

William McAllister

1Lt

Paul E McGee

S/Sgt

Roy E McGhee

1Lt

Walter A McGrath

T/Sgt

Clarence H McKinney

1Lt

Martin F Meadows

Sgt

Hymie Mehlman

S/Sgt

Walter A Meyer Jnr

S/Sgt

Stanley N Milholen

T/Sgt

C. M. Morris.

S/Sgt

Robert M Moyer

S/sgt

Edward J Mulvihill

T/Sgt

Robert A Neuenschwander.

Sgt

Robert S Newsome

FO

Clifton W Nippert

T/Sgt

Charles R Noblin

2Lt

Floyd R Norman

S/Sgt

Irving Norsoph

2Lt

Frederocl B Ostler

Lt.

Owen Jack R.

2 Lt

Philley Jack O.

Sgt

Phillips Richard B

T/Sgt

Pickens Lilbert D, Jr

T/Sgt

Pines Harry.

T/Sgt

Plein William J B.

 

S/Sgt

Plotner Charles M

2 Lt

Pokrifcsak Peter G.

T/Sgt

Pooler Carlton F.

S/Sgt

Porterfield John H

S/Sgt

Price James C

S/Sgt

Price Thomas W.

1 Lt

Primus Michael H.

S/Sgt

Pritchett Oral S.

2 Lt

Provolt Jack J.

S/Sgt

Pugh Gordon W.

1 Lt

Pulli Dominic A.

Sgt

Pulver Calvin C.

2 Lt

Ransom Richard L.

1 Lt

Ratliff Clifford A

T/Sgt

Rayberg Milton

2 Lt

Redman Forest M.

S/Sgt

Richter Lawrence I.

T/Sgt

Ripple Joe W.

S/Sgt

Rivers James C.

Sgt

Rooney Lawrence J.

1 Lt.

Roufs Darril F.

Sgt

Russell Donald L.

2 lt.

Russell Robert E.

S/Sgt

Sarazewski Edward A

2Lt

Willard Sawyer H Jnr.

2Lt

Arthur A Saye

Sgt

Edward C Schanhaar

1Lt

John J Schultz

Sgt

Merle S Schutt

2Lt

Robert $ Schwabe

T/Sgt

William M Shiflett Jnr.

S/Sgt

Edward J Shively

FO

Lowell Shuman

S/Sgt

Martin Silver

2Lt

Robert C Simmons

T/Sgt

Harvey C Smetzer

S/Sgt

Dean R Smith

2Lt

Lorenzo G Smith Jr.

2Lt

John J Smith

2Lt

Paul A Snyder

S/Sgt

Gelo E Stagges

Sgt

Wayne W Stauffer

2Lt

Ross E Stewart

Sgt

Carl E Sten

1Lt

Arthur Stern

S/Sgt

Harry Stoever

S/Sgt

Edward T Sumrell

Sgt

John H Suttle

2Lt

Billy B Swearengin

2Lt

John O Terlecky Jnr.

S/Sgt

Patsy L Terling

Sgt

John B Terry Jnr.

Sgt

Edward T Tijan.

Sgt

John Till

Sgt

Charles L Todt

T/Sgt

Santi J Trimarchi

2Lt

Joseph A Trojanowski

Cpl

Donald N Tuttle Jnr.

2Lt

Charles Upshaw

S/Sgt

Amerigo Virgili

S/Sgt

James S Vogt

T/Sgt

John F Volin Jr.

T/Sgt

Walter M Walters

Cpl

Virgil W. Walton

Sgt

Wayne E Watson

Cpl

William D Weales

T/Sgt

Crawford D. Weaver

S/Sgt

Richard V Weber

2Lt

Richard D Wilcox

T/Sgt

Louis A Wiley

FO

William Wilson

1Lt

Ellington W Wiltshire

2Lt

Donald L Wood

1Lt

William F Wood

S/Sgt

Lawrence F Woods

Sgt

William G Zuendel Jr.