Pooler in Chatham County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
379th Bombardment Group (H)
Photographed By Mike Stroud, May 19, 2007
1. 379th Bombardment Group (H) Marker
Inscription.
379th Bombardment Group (H). .
K379th Bombardment Group (H) Activated 26 November 1942 Boise, Idaho Assignment 1st Air Division 41st Combat Wing USAAF Station 117 Kimbolton, Huntingdonshire, England 20 May 1943 , 4 July 1945, Combat Record First Mission St. Nazaire, France 29 May 1943 Last Mission Pilsen, Czechoslovakia 23 April 1945 330 Missions1,473 Casualties France 513 KIA Germany 122 MIA Belgium 785 POW Poland 34 Evadees Netherlands 19 Internees Czechoslovakia 315 Enemy Aircraft Shot Down 149 B-17s Lost In Combat , , Led 8th AF In Bombing Accuracy Led 8th AF In Lowest Absortive Rate Led 8th AF In Number of Most Effective Bombing Sorties Two Distinguished Unit Citations Dropped 26,460 Tons Of Bombs 157 Combat Missions of B-17G Ol' Gappy Tops In 8th Air Force , , Commanders Col. Maurice A. Preston Col. Lewis E. Lyle Nov. 1942 , Oct. 1944 Oct. 1944 , May 1945 Deactivated 25 July 1945 Casablanca, Africa, Dedicated September 20, 1997 To Those Who Made The Supreme Sacrifice and To Everyone Who Served In The 379th Bomb Group . Reverse:
♦♦♦♦. Before each mission flight crew members said, "Thank God for those who keep us and our B-17s flying." After each mission ground support personnel said, "Thank God for those who made it back.", And the noise of war was silenced when all of us said a quiet prayer for those who were wounded, and for those who did not return.
♦♦♦♦. More than 6,000 personnel in 72 specialties made the 379th Bomb Group the best in the 8th Air Force
Ack-Ack Crews . Ambulance Crews . Bakers . Barbers Chaplains . Clerks . Cooks . Control Tower Crew . Dentists Doctors . Fire Fighters . Ground Defense Unit . Group Bombsight Group Operations . Headquarters Group and Squadron Historians . Kitchen Police . Legal . Link Trainers . Mail Room Marching Band . Medical Corpsmen . Military Police Motor Pool . Nurses . Orderlies . Propeller and Governor Shop PX Personnel . 379th Quartet . Service Group and Squadron Squadron Equipment Units . Squadron Operations Surgeons . Station Compliment Squadron . Sub Depot Toggliers Orchestra . Training Unit . Weathermen Chemical, Ordnance, Quartermaster,Signal and Transportation Companies Communications, Engineering, Equipment, Finance, Group Photo, Intelligence and Parachute Sections , 524th 525th 526th and 527th Bombardment SquadronsFlight Crews Ground Crews Pilots . Co-Pilots . Navigators Crew Chiefs Bombardiers . Toggliers Armorers Group and Squadron Lead Crews Chemical Crews Radar Navigation Bombardiers Electricians Radio Operators-Gunners Mechanics Top Turret Gunners-Engineers Metalsmiths Ball Turret Gunners Ordnance Crews Waist Gunners . Tail Gunners .
K 379th Bombardment Group (H)
Activated 26 November 1942 Boise, Idaho Assignment
1st Air Division 41st Combat Wing USAAF Station 117
Kimbolton, Huntingdonshire, England
20 May 1943 — 4 July 1945
Combat Record
First Mission St. Nazaire, France 29 May 1943
Last Mission Pilsen, Czechoslovakia 23 April 1945 330 Missions1,473 Casualties
France 513 KIA
Germany 122 MIA
Belgium 785 POW
Poland 34 Evadees
Netherlands 19 Internees
Czechoslovakia
315 Enemy Aircraft Shot Down 149 B-17s Lost In Combat
——
Led 8th AF In Bombing Accuracy
Led 8th AF In Lowest Absortive Rate
Led 8th AF In Number of Most Effective Bombing Sorties
Two Distinguished Unit Citations
Dropped 26,460 Tons Of Bombs
157 Combat Missions of B-17G Ol' Gappy Tops In 8th Air Force
—— Commanders
Col. Maurice A. Preston Col. Lewis E. Lyle
Nov. 1942 — Oct. 1944 Oct. 1944 — May 1945
Deactivated
Click or scan to see this page online
25 July 1945 Casablanca, Africa
Dedicated September 20, 1997
To Those Who Made The Supreme Sacrifice &
To Everyone Who Served In The 379th Bomb Group
Reverse:
♦♦♦♦
Before each mission flight crew members said,
"Thank God for those who keep us and our B-17s flying."
After each mission ground support personnel said,
"Thank God for those who made it back."
And the noise of war was silenced when all of us said a quiet prayer
for those who were wounded, and for those who did not return.
♦♦♦♦
More than 6,000 personnel in 72 specialties
made the 379th Bomb Group the best in the 8th Air Force
Ack-Ack Crews • Ambulance Crews • Bakers • Barbers
Chaplains • Clerks • Cooks • Control Tower Crew • Dentists
Doctors • Fire Fighters • Ground Defense Unit • Group Bombsight
Group Operations • Headquarters Group & Squadron
Historians • Kitchen Police • Legal • Link Trainers • Mail Room
Marching Band • Medical Corpsmen • Military Police
Motor Pool • Nurses • Orderlies • Propeller & Governor Shop
PX Personnel • 379th Quartet • Service Group & Squadron
Squadron Equipment Units • Squadron Operations
Surgeons • Station Compliment Squadron • Sub Depot
Toggliers
Photographed By Mike Stroud, February 28, 2013
2. 379th Bombardment Group (H) Marker reverse
Orchestra • Training Unit • Weathermen
Chemical, Ordnance, Quartermaster,Signal & Transportation Companies
Communications, Engineering, Equipment, Finance, Group Photo,
Intelligence & Parachute Sections
524th 525th 526th & 527th Bombardment Squadrons Flight Crews Ground Crews
Pilots • Co-Pilots • Navigators Crew Chiefs
Bombardiers • Toggliers Armorers
Group & Squadron Lead Crews Chemical Crews
Radar Navigation Bombardiers Electricians
Radio Operators-Gunners Mechanics
Top Turret Gunners-Engineers Metalsmiths
Ball Turret Gunners Ordnance Crews
Waist Gunners • Tail Gunners
Topics. This memorial is listed in this topic list: War, World II. A significant historical date for this entry is April 23, 1945.
Location. 32° 6.944′ N, 81° 14.216′ W. Marker is in Pooler, Georgia, in Chatham County. Memorial is on Bourne Avenue. Located Near Georgia exit 102, I-95 North,follow signs to the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler GA 31322, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of
Photographed By Mike Stroud, November 27, 2011
3. 379th Bombardment Group (H) Marker, located at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum
Also see . . . 379th Bombardment Group Association. Early History:
Activated 26 November 1942 at Gowen Field, Idaho. The Group assembled at Wendover Field, Utah on 2 December
1942. They trained there until 2 March 1943 then moved to Sioux City AAF, Iowa on 3 February 1943 until their
departure 9 April 1943. The ground unit moved for final processing at Camp Douglas, Wisconsin and then to Camp Shanks, New York. They sailed on the Aquitania on 10 May 1943 and arrived at Clyde on 18 May 1943. The Aircraft left Sioux City, Iowa on 9 April 1943 and flew to Bangor, Maine via Kearney, Nebraska and Selfridge, Michigan. They commenced overseas movement on 15 April 1943 by the North Atlantic ferry route. (Submitted on January 23, 2013, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)
Photographed By Mike Stroud, February 28, 2013
4. 379th Bombardment Group
Thanks!
To the Ground Crews of the 379th Bomb Group
who, during World War Two,
Through their hard work and persistence,
Made it possible for the flight crews
to be number one in the 8th Air Force
in the number of sorties flown
and also in the amount of bombs dropped!
Henry Pearce, Navigator 524 SQ
With Honor and Thanks
to the brave combat crews
and dedicated support personnel
who made our enviable record possible
Lew Lyle
303rd Bomb Group 379th Bomb Group
Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2013
6. 379th Bombardment Group two Commanding Officers and two Chaplains
Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2013
7. 379th Bombardment Group Commander Lewis Elton Lyle
Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2013
8. 379th Bombardment Group - 525th Squadron -"Tenny Belle"
Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2013
9. 379th Bombardment Group - 526th Squadron - "White Lightnin"
Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2013
10. 379th Bombardment Group - 526th Squadron -"Wish Bone"
27. 379th Bombardment Group Stained Glass (Door) at the nearby Chapel of the Fallen Eagles
Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2013
28. 379th Bombardment Group Banner
Credits. This page was last revised on December 30, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 22, 2013, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,610 times since then and 88 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on January 22, 2013, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 2. submitted on March 2, 2013, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 3. submitted on January 22, 2013, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 4, 5. submitted on March 2, 2013, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. submitted on March 5, 2013, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 23, 24, 25, 26. submitted on March 7, 2013, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 27. submitted on April 28, 2013, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 28. submitted on June 19, 2013, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.