Upham was Commanding Officer of the 492nd Bomb Group from December 17, 1944 until taking command of the 306th which remained in Europe after the war ended for duty on the “Casey Jones” Project to map Europe using aerial photos. His command of the 306th ended in May 1946.

His final duties was with the European Air Transport Service Headquarters at Weisbaden during the U,S, Military Occupation of Germany after the war ended.

On November 1, 1946, Col Upham was piloting B-17 43-39338 that took off from Capodichino Air Base in Naples, Italy at 2 a.m. on a transport mission to Bovingdon, England. Despite the severe threat of thunderstorms along their flight path, Upham decided to fly anyway. Only one routine radio message was received shortly after takeoff. The aircraft had crashed into the mountainside of the Aiguille-des-Glaciers, killing all aboard.

He is buried at Arrington National Cemetery.

Personnel moved to Wendover Army Air Field, Utah and began flying training, where it trained for bombardment operations using 40 B-17E aircraft. Group left Wendover on August 1 to begin movement to the United Kingdom.

The Ground Unit first moved to Richmond Army air Base, Virginia and remained a week before leaving for Fort Dix, New Jersey on August 13. The Group’s personnel sailed on the RMS Queen Elizabeth on August 30 and arrived on September 5 at Greenock, Scotland.

The aircraft flew from Wendover to Westover Field, Massachusetts on August 2. The remainder of the Group departed for the United Kingdom on September 1 via Gander-Prestwick ferry route.

The mission of the 306th Bomb Group Historical Association is to Remember, Honor, and Educate: to remember the air war over Europe – to honor the men who fought it – to education younger generations.

We do a good job of the first two, but the third one is very challenging as World War II fads in people’s memories; especially younger generations who are occupied by the their cell phones, video games, and social media,

This short 3 minute 50 second animated video entitled “US B-17 Bomber Crewman World War II” is a great way to introduce the air war over Europe to children and grand children. It does an excellent job of explaining what flying combat missions entailed and does so in an entertaining way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oYj1H2UY5A

Overacker was the 306th Bomb Group’s first Commanding Officer and led the Group’s first bombing mission on October 9 to metalworks factories at Lille, France. He also led the Group to hit the U-boar submarine bases at Brest, France on November 7 and at St. Nazaire, France on November 9.

Overacker was relieved as commanding officer on January 3, 1943 and replaced by Frank Armstrong upon which the book and movie Twelve O’Clock High was based. In characters in the movie, Keith Davenport and Frank Savage (played by Gergory Peck, represented Overacker and Armstrong. The fictitious 918 Bomb Group in the story was derived by multiplying the 306th by 3.

After being relieved of command, Overacker was re-assigned to the 8th Air Force Headquarters on January 4,1943 and retired on June 30, 1956.

You now have an opportunity to visit those sites on a tour arranged by Laura A. Edge. This historical site visit will begin on May 5, 2024, in Frankfurt, Germany.

Laura Edge is the daughter of Lawrence Witt, who served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. He was a flight engineer in the 96th Bomb Group.

On May 12, 1944, he was shot down over Nazi, Germany and held as a prisoner of war for the next eleven months, primarily at Stalag Luft IV prison camp located in what is now eastern Poland.

Intrigued by her father’s story, Laura conducted extensive research on her father’s and other’s war experiences through correspondence, oral history interviews, military documents, and other sources.

Ms. Edge holds a Masters of Social Studies Education degree from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. After ten years of researching her father’s World War II Prisoner of War story, Laura published On the Wings of Dawn: American Airmen as Germany’s Prisoners. She interviewed many Eighth Air Force bomber boys who flew from England during World War II. Her research papers are now archived at the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan, and her oral history interviews are part of the Veterans History Project collection at the Library of Congress.

The research collection can be accessed through the university’s website (https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/106588).

Anyone interested in participating is encouraged to contact Laura at lawe@umich.edu.

Highlights Include:

• Visit a B-17 crash site and a former Luftwaffe Fighter Base
• Visit Dulag Luft (both Frankfurt and Wetzlar sites) with historian Susanne Meinl
• Travel to Stalag Luft IV where dignitaries and historians are waiting to receive us. View the
  train station, the ruins of the camp, the sculptures at the memorial, and recreate the walk/run
  from the train station to Luft IV
• Visit the site of Stalag Luft III, a POW camp for Allied Air Force Officers and site of The Great
  Escape
• Follow the path of the Black March through Świnoujście to Fallingbostle where we will meet
  with historians and see the remains of Stalag XIB and Stalag 357
• Continue the path to Gudow where many Stalag Luft IV POWs were liberated on May 2, 1945.
• Celebrate freedom with local VIPs and dignitaries
  Email Laura Edge (lawe@umich.edu) to arrange a phone call for more information.

(all travel expenses are to be paid by the participants)

The 306th Bomb Group was activated at Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho and began training. On April 6, the Group moved to Wendover Field, Utah for further training and then assigned to the 8th Air Force in September 1942 and Station 111 Thurleigh, England.

In December of 1940, Adjutant General Adams of the U.S. Army informed Boise Mayor James Straight that construction of the Boise Air Base had been authorized. Boise was chosen for an Air Force training center because of it’s climate and physical conditions.

On Jan. 21, 1941, equipment was moved to the desolate sagebrush-covered site and the task of clearing the ground for construction was started. The first Commanding Officer of the new base was Col. Robin A. Day who took command on March 12, 1941. On Easter Sunday, April 15, 1941, the first original cadre of 20 Soldiers arrived from Salt Lake City to form the 39th Air Base group.

The change of name was made under General Order No. 8, on July 29, 1941 and Boise Air Base officially became Gowen Field. This was in honor of Paul Gowen, a West Point graduate and pilot from Caldwell, Idaho, who was killed in a plane crash in 1938.

Gowen Field remained as an active Army Air Corps Base during WWII, serving as a medium bomber training base. Gowen Field was first home to six B-18 Bolo bombers. However, these aircraft were soon replaced by the faster B-26 Marauders.

The bombing of Pearl Harbor sent Gowen Field into high alert. As with the rest of the nation, activities ramped up. In a short period of time, Gowen Field saw other types of aircraft circulate through its facilities and runways. In January of 1942 Gowen Field received the latest and greatest B-17 Flying Fortress. Soon after, Gowen Field became a combat crew training school for the B-24 Liberator. This would continue throughout the duration of the war.

After the war the part of the field used by the Army Air Forces was returned to the city and became the Boise Airport. The Idaho Air National Guard began leasing the airfield after the war and continues to do so at the present time.

Today, the 124th Fighter Wing includes two flying squadrons and 12 support units based at Gowen Field. The Idaho Army National Guard is also very active at Gowen Field, and consists of armor, helicopter, and other training units. 

Although the Apple TV+ series is about the 100th Bomb Group, the book itself is about all the bomb groups (about 40) in the 8th Air Force during World War II.

In fact, the book cover photo is of a 306th Bomb Group crew and B-17. The pilot was John J. Stolz, and his 367th Bomb Squadron crew had just returned from a bombing mission to Frankfurt, Germany on February 4 in Aircraft #42-31428.

Waist gunner Floyd Shade is the front most person and identified by his daughter, Carol. Dan Giusti confirmed his grand uncle, bombardier Steve Tanella is second from right. Dan was able to verify this information from Tanella’s diary and photo album.

Below is the 306th Bomb Group Interrogation Report following the crew’s return to Thurleigh.

Stolz completed 22 missions from November 1943 to April 1944, but was shot down in B-17 #42-31758 on his 23rd mission on April 24, 1944 and landed in Switzerland. 

On February 22, the plane, flown by Carey Olivier’s crew, was shot down by German fighters, broke up and crashed near Daaden, Germany on the return from a mission to Bernburg, Germany. Only waist gunner William L Huddleston survived and was a POW. Missing Air Crew Report 2655

Putnam was the 306th Group Operations Officer from January 18, 1943 before taking command of the 306th. On March 26, 1943, he was a recipient of the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry in action against the enemy.

He was transferred to the 1st Combat Wing on June 20, 1943, and then to Commanding Officer of the 91st Bomb Group from December 12, 1943 to May 16, 1944.

The photo below shows Col Claude Putnam with Her Royal Highness The Princess Elizabeth, when the 306th’s B-17 Aircraft #42-102547 was christened Rose of York in her honor on July 6, 1944.

A 1942 study determined that relatively low velocity projectiles such as deflected flak fragments or shattered pieces of aircraft structure caused 70% of bomber crew wounds.  At the time, aircrews only wore fabric flight helmets and with the increasing number of head wounds, it became obvious that more protection was needed.

Early bomber crews wore standard M1 infantry steel helmets directly over their flight helmets but found them uncomfortable since their earphones fit poorly under the steel helmet.  Although relatively effective as protection against metal fragments, bumps, or flying debris, this was not an adequate solution to the problem. Furthermore, it was too bulky for crew positions in gun turrets.

In January 1943, combat crews in the 306^th Bomb Group based at Thurleigh modified the M1 helmets by hammering out the sides and cutting the liner to enable them to be worn over their flying helmets and earphones. The modification gained acceptance by other bomb groups and was formerly adopted as standard issue in early 1944 and designated the M3.

The US Ordnance Department produced the M-3 Anti Flak Helmet by omitting the fiberboard liner and riveting the suspension band directly to the steel outer shell. Designed to fit properly over a flying helmet and its communication equipment the sides were cut out and felt-lined, hinged ear flaps were fitted, plus a long leather chin strap with a quick release buckle. To prevent freeze-burns, a risk when touching bare metal at temperatures well below zero encountered at high altitudes, the helmet was painted with a flocked olive-green finish (sawdust or similar material mixed with the paint).

The U.S. Army Air Forces activated the Eighth at Savannah, Georgia with three major subordinate units: the VIII Bomber Command (BC), the VIII Fighter Command (FC), and the VIII Ground Air Services Command (GASC).

During World War II, under the leadership of such generals as Ira Eaker and Jimmy Doolittle, the VIII BC (then Eighth Air Force) formed the greatest air armada in history. By mid-1944, the unit had a total strength of more than 200,000 people, and it could send more than 2,000 four-engine bombers and 1,000 fighters on a single mission against enemy targets in Europe. For this reason, Eighth Air Force is commonly known as the “Mighty Eighth.”

From May 1942 to July 1945, the Eighth planned and precisely executed America’s daylight strategic bombing campaign against Nazi-occupied Europe, and in doing so the organization compiled an impressive war record. That record, however, carried a high price. For instance, the Eighth suffered about half of the U.S. Army Air Force’s casualties (47,483 out of 115,332), including more than 26,000 dead.