THE INTERNATIONAL B-24 MEMORIAL MUSEUM

 

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"Flying Eight Balls"

44th - Bombardment Group (Heavy)

15 Jan 1941
 

SQUADRONS

66BS, 67BS, & 68BS July 42 and 506BS Feb.43
506BS was formed at PAAB Nov 42 then attached to the 308 BG for B-24 Phase Training
404BS Originally in 44BG went to 28BG before 44BG got B-24 A/C.
WWII BASES OVERSEAS
SHIPDHAM ENGLAND Nov. 1942 (Station 115.)

TDY DETACHED - NORTH AFRICA June 1, (Benina) Benghazi, Libya.
For Ploesti low level mission. Flew Sicily invasion support from Benina Airfield.

RETURNED ENGLAND, SHIPDHAM, Sept 1. 1943.

TDY TO NORTH AFRICA, Sept. 16, (OUNDA) Tunis, Tunisia.

RETURNED ENGLAND Oct. 3, 1943.

 

CAMPAIGNS

Anti-sub, American Theater; Air Combat, EAME theater; Air Offensive, Europe; Sicily; Ploesti; Naples-Foggia; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.

 

*** AWARDS ***

Distinguished Unit Citation for Kiel raid, 14 May 1943 & Oak Leaf cluster Ploesti, 1 Aug. 1943.

US Medal of Honor awarded Commanding Officer Col. Leon Johnson. Ploesti 01 Aug 1943.