447th Bomber Group

8th Air Force 447th BG

Squadrons of the 447th BG

708th Bombardment Squadron - Heavy
709th Bombardment Squadron - Heavy
710th Bombardment Squadron -Heavy
711th Bombardment Squadron - Heavy

Assigned 8th AAF: November 1943

Wing/Command Assignment

VII BC, 3 BC, 3 BD, 4 CBW: Nov 1943
3 BD, 4 CBW 8 Jan 1944
3 AD, 4 CBW 1 Jan 1945

Combat Aircraft:

B-17G

Stations

RATTLESDEN 30 Nov 1943 to 2 Aug 1945

Group COs

Col. Hunter Harris Jr. 23 May 1943 to 24 Sep 1944
Col. William J. Wrigglesworth 25 Sep 1944 to 31 Mar 1945
Lt. Col. Louis G. Thorup 31 Mar 1945 to 30 Jun 1945
Lt. Col. Wilfred Beaver 1 Jul 1945 to Aug 1945

First Mission: 24 Dec 1943
Last Mission: 21 Apr 1945
Missions: 257
Total Sorties: 7,605
Total Bomb Tonnage: 17,103 Tons
Aircraft MIA: 97
Loses: 43

Major Awards:

Medal of Honor 2LT Robert E. Femoyer on 2 November 1944

Claims to Fame

"Milk Wagon" set record for 3AD B-17 with 129 missions and no turn-backs

Early History:

Activated 1 May 1943 at Ephrata AAB Wash. After initial training moved to Rapid City AAB, SD on 13 June 1943, and on 31 Jul 1943 to Harvard AAB Neb. Completed training at this base with ground units leaving for port of embarkation on the 11th November 1943. The unit sailed on the Queen Elizabeth on the 23rd of November 1943 and arrived Clyde on the 29th of November 1943. The Air ecelon moved overseas via southern ferry route in early November 1943.

Subsequent History:

Redeployed to the US June/August 1945. The air echelon departed the United Kingdom on 29/30 June 1945. Ground echelon sailed part on USAT Joseph T. Robinson and part on USAT Benjamin R. Milam from Liverpool on 1st and 3rd of August 1945 respectively. Ships arrived Boston on the 12th and 15th of August 1945. Personnel had 30 days R&R. Group established Drew Field in August of 1945, but apparently did not man the field, and inactivated on the 7th of November 1945.