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RAF Thurleigh file photo [32783]

RAF Thurleigh

Type   276 Air Base
Historical Name of Location   Thurleigh, England, United Kingdom
Coordinates   52.229722000, -0.474722000

Contributor:

ww2dbaseBritain's Royal Air Force considered a flat plateau in the English countryside just north of the Bedfordshire village of Thurleigh as a favorable location for a bomber base. Work began in 1940 and the aerodrome was built with three intersecting runways, the longest running 6,000 feet. A few Royal Air Force ground units passed through the airfield but few aircraft were stationed there in the early days.

ww2dbaseOn 4 Jun 1942, RAF Thurleigh was listed for use by the United States Army's VIII Bomber Command and was the first base in England to be handed over completely to the United States Army Air Forces. Designated as Station AAF-111, the 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy) began landing their B-17 Fortress bombers at Thurleigh on 7 Sep 1942. The bomb group, known as the "Reich Wreckers," was comprised of four squadrons and flew their first combat mission on 9 Oct 1942 against the steel works at Lille, France. The group remained at Thurleigh throughout the war and flew a total of 341 bombing missions; missions that took them as far south as Montbartier in southern France for a raid on an oil facility and as far east as the port of Gdynia in Poland. They dropped nearly 23,000 tons of bombs and their total flying miles were enough for the group to fly around the globe eleven times. The 306th stayed longer at a single base than any other Eighth Air Force combat unit and longer in England than any other group.

ww2dbaseDuring the time the Americans were at Thurleigh, the base received many distinguished visitors. On 13 Nov 1942, King George VI of the United Kingdom toured the base, escorted by the commander of the USAAF First Bomber Wing, Brigadier General Newton Longfellow. Another early visitor was United States Secretary of War Henry Stimson. On 15 Jul 1943, Stimson presented the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Maynard Smith, a ball turret gunner on a B-17. The entire Bomb Group assembled in full dress uniform with the Secretary of War and other dignitaries in attendance – and Sergeant Smith nearly missed it. He had not been notified of the assembly and was on punitive kitchen duty at the time. Once he was located, he was hastily dresses and brought to the assembled formation to receive his medal. His medal was for single-handedly and simultaneously extinguishing a raging fire inside his damaged airplane, tending to wounded crewmates, and firing machine guns at attacking German fighters.

ww2dbasePerhaps the most distinguished visit to RAF Thurleigh has something of a back story. One of the B-17 bombers at Thurleigh flew with the name "Princess Elizabeth" painted on the nose, honoring Britain's elder Princess (and later Queen). The RAF had earlier named one of their bombers "George" and another "Elizabeth" after the reigning King and Queen, but both planes crashed. Separately, the Germans had tried to score some propaganda points using the names of crashed Allied airplanes. So, word filtered down from the Palace to remove royal names from combat aircraft; partly because it seemed to be bad luck in the case the two RAF bombers "George" and "Elizabeth" but also to deny the Germans possible propaganda opportunities. With that, the B-17 "Princess Elizabeth" at the 306th was renamed simply "The Princess." As the airplane's crew chief, Master Sergeant Edward Gregory, was repainting the name, the idea struck him to ask the actual Princess to re-christen the airplane with the new name. He sent a proposal through channels and the idea filtered upward until it landed in front of the King himself. The King approved the idea but wished the name would refer to the Princess less explicitly. Since the King had been the Duke of York when the Princess was born and, as a girl, Elizabeth had been known as the Rose of York, His Majesty himself proposed the name "Rose of York" for the airplane. On 6 Jul 1944, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth, a few royal courtiers, and USAAF Eighth Air Force Commander General Jimmy Doolittle made an official visit to RAF Thurleigh. Master Sergeant Gregory presented the Princess with a bouquet of 24 white roses and she was introduced to all of the plane's flight crew and ground crew. The Princess then christened the airplane "Rose of York" by breaking a bottle of English cider against the nose. The bomber went on to complete a total of 63 combat missions before it was lost on a raid to Berlin on 3 Feb 1945.

ww2dbaseWhen the war ended, the 306th Bomb Group moved out of Thurleigh. The air base then became home to a branch of the Royal Aircraft Establishment and became known as RAE Bedford. The Royal Aircraft Establishment was a descendant of the Royal Aircraft Factory and was the research arm of the British aeronautics industry. A new 10,000-foot runway was built as part of the development of the Bristol Brabazon trans-Atlantic airliner that never went into production. Air operations at RAE Bedford closed in 1994 but certain research activities continued until 2007. A portion of the land was converted into a business park while the runways remained serviceable as reserves. Some of the taxiways have been converted into car racing tracks and currently the runways are being used to store over 10,000 automobiles. At the northwest edge of the property sits the 306th Bombardment Group Museum.

ww2dbaseThe memory of RAF Thurleigh as a bomber base, however, lives on in the book, movie, and television series called "Twelve O'Clock High." The co-authors of the book, and also the movie screenplay, were both officers on the staff of General Ira Eaker and the Eighth Air Force. Their book is a fictionalized history of an Eighth Air Force Bomb Group based largely on the 306th at Thurleigh. In the book and movie, the 306th became the 918th and Thurleigh became Archbury, but many of the characters and incidents remain true to men of the Eighth Air Force and the 306th Bomb Group.

ww2dbaseSources:
United States Army Air Forces / United States Air Force
306th Bomb Group Historical Association
Vintage Wings of Canada
The American Air Museum in Britain (Imperial War Museum)
Time Magazine (5 Apr 1943, World Battlefronts)
The 306th Bombardment Group Museum
First Aero Squadron Foundation
This Day in Aviation
National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force
Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust
Bedfordshire-Live
Bedford Aerodrome
Bureau of Aircraft Accident Archives
The Wartime Memories Project (UK)
World War 2 History Short Stories
The Aviation Geek Club
Bedfordshire Archives
Home of Heroes
American War Memorials Overseas, Inc.
Military Times – Wall of Valor
Wikipedia

Last Major Update: Sep 2023



RAF Thurleigh Interactive Map

Photographs

Flight crew of B-17F Fortress “Man-O-War” of the 306th Bomb Group in full flight dress, RAF Thurleigh, Bedfordshire, England, Oct 1942.King George VI of the United Kingdom (center) on a tour of RAF Thurleigh in Bedfordshire, England, 13 Nov 1942. He is hearing from USAAF Lt Robert Riordan (left) about how his B-17 Fortress was damaged on a mission.
See all 35 photographs of RAF Thurleigh

Maps

Site plan for RAF Thurleigh, Bedfordshire, England, United Kingdom, 1944.

RAF Thurleigh Timeline

24 Jul 1941 The airfield at Thurleigh in Bedfordshire, England was first opened.
4 Jun 1942 The Royal Air Force aerodrome at Thurleigh was formally assigned for use by the United States Army Air Forces. The USAAF designated the base as Station AAF-111.
7 Sep 1942 The USAAF 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy) began landing their B-17 Fortress bombers at RAF Thurleigh as their new base in Britain.
9 Oct 1942 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group launched their first bombing mission from RAF Thurleigh. The group sent 24 B-17 Fortresses to join other B-17s and B-24s to form the first US 100-plane raid of the war. The target was Lille, France. The 306th lost no planes.
7 Nov 1942 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the German submarine facilities at Brest, France.
8 Nov 1942 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the locomotive factories at Lille, France.
9 Nov 1942 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the German submarine facilities at Saint Nazaire, France.
13 Nov 1942 King George VI of the United Kingdom visited the 306th Bomb Group at RAF Thurleigh.
14 Nov 1942 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the German submarine facilities at Saint Nazaire, France.
17 Nov 1942 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the German submarine facilities at Saint Nazaire, France.
18 Nov 1942 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the German submarine facilities at La Pallice, France.
22 Nov 1942 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the German submarine facilities at Lorient, France.
23 Nov 1942 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the German submarine facilities at Saint Nazaire, France.
12 Dec 1942 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the railroad yards at Rouen, France.
20 Dec 1942 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the aircraft depot at Romilly, France.
30 Dec 1942 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the German submarine facilities at Lorient, France.
3 Jan 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the German submarine facilities at Saint Nazaire, France. The Bomb Group had a change of command, and therefore the air base at Thurleigh, with Colonel Frank Armstrong relieving Colonel Charles Overacker.
13 Jan 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the railroad production facilities at Lille, France.
23 Jan 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the German submarine facilities at Lorient, France.
27 Jan 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched the first US bombing raid against a target in Germany by bombing the submarine construction facilities at Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
4 Feb 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the dock facilities at Emden, Germany.
8 Feb 1943 Colonel Frank Armstrong, commander of the 306th Bomb Group and the base at RAF Thurleigh, was promoted to Brigadier General.
16 Feb 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the German submarine facilities at Saint Nazaire, France.
17 Feb 1943 The 306th Bomb Group and the air base at RAF Thurleigh had a change of command with Lieutenant Colonel Claude Putnam relieving General Frank Armstrong.
26 Feb 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the naval base at Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
27 Feb 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the German submarine facilities at Brest, France.
6 Mar 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the port facilities at Lorient, France.
8 Mar 1943 US bombers, including the 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh, escorted by RAF Spitfires attacked the U-Boat supply centre of Rennes and Rouen in France. The accompanying Spitfire fighters claimed the destruction of 25 enemy fighters.n
12 Mar 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the railroad yards at Rouen, France.
13 Mar 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the railroad yards at Amiens, France.
17 Mar 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the German submarine facilities at Lorient, France.
18 Mar 1943 USAAF aircraft, including the 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh, bombed the Vegesack district of Bremen, Germany. Most of the bombs missed the Bremer Vulkan shipyard, striking civilian facilities instead. 108 were killed and over 100 were wounded.
22 Mar 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the submarine yards at Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
28 Mar 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the railroad yards at Rouen, France.
31 Mar 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the docks at Schiedam, Holland but turned back on arrival over the target without dropping any bombs due to solid clouds over the area.
4 Apr 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the Renault armament factories southeast of Paris, France.
5 Apr 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the docks at Antwerp, Belgium.
16 Apr 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the power station at Lorient, France.
17 Apr 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid that was the largest bombing raid to date by the 8th Air Force with a total of 106 bombers against the Focke-Wulff factory at Bremen, Germany.
1 May 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the German submarine facilities at Saint Nazaire, France. It was on this mission that ball turret gunner SSgt Maynard Smith performed the acts of gallantry that resulted in his award of the Medal of Honor.
13 May 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the aircraft factory at Méaulte, France.
14 May 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the submarine yards at Kiel, Germany.
15 May 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
19 May 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the shipbuilding yards at Kiel, Germany.
21 May 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the submarine facilities at Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
29 May 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the German submarine facilities at Saint Nazaire, France.
11 Jun 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Bremen, Germany but diverted to the secondary target of Wilhelmshaven, Germany due to clouds over Bremen.
13 Jun 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the submarine facilities at Bremen, Germany.
20 Jun 1943 The 306th Bomb Group and the air base at RAF Thurleigh had a change of command with Lieutenant Colonel George Robinson relieving Colonel Claude Putnam.
22 Jun 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the synthetic rubber plant at Hüls, Germany in one of the biggest daylight bombing raids on the Ruhr Valley to date.
25 Jun 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Hamburg, Germany but diverted to targets of opportunity due to thick clouds over the target area.
26 Jun 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the airfield at Triqueville, France.
28 Jun 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the German submarine facilities at Saint Nazaire, France.
29 Jun 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the airfield at Villacoublay, France but aborted due to thick clouds over the target area.
4 Jul 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the aircraft assembly plant at Nantes, France.
10 Jul 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against targets southwest of Paris but diverted to a secondary target at the Caen-Carpiquet airfield at Caen, France due to a thick cloud cover over their primary target.
14 Jul 1943 USAAF Eighth Bomber Command, including the 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh, attacked three targets in France, with 111 B-17 bombers and 5 YB-40 bombers launched against aircraft factories at Villacoublay (3 B-17 bombers lost), 64 B-17 bombers launched against Glisy Airfield at Amiens (1 B-17 bomber lost), and 84 B-17 bombers launched against LeBourget Airfield at Paris (4 B-17 bombers lost).n
15 Jul 1943 Secretary of War, Henry Stimson, Lt. General Jacob Devers, commander of US Army Air Forces in Europe, Maj. General Ira Eaker, commander of the Eighth Air Force, and several Brigadier generals visited RAF Thurleigh. Secretary Stimson personally present the Congressional Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Maynard “Snuffy” Smith for his heroic actions on 1 May 1943.
17 Jul 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched an incendiary bombing raid against Hanover, Germany but the group was recalled prior to reaching the target.
24 Jul 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the magnesium works at Herøya, Norway.
26 Jul 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Hanover, Germany with the group experiencing heavy losses.
29 Jul 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the submarine yards at Kiel, Germany.
12 Aug 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the synthetic oil plant at Gelsenkirchen, Germany in the Ruhr Valley but diverted to an unspecified target of opportunity due to extremely heavy fighter resistance over the target.
15 Aug 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against airfields near Brussels, Belgium but weather forced a diversion to the secondary target at Flushing (now Vlissingen), Airfield in Holland.
16 Aug 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the Le Bourget airfield northeast of Paris, France.
17 Aug 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the ball-bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. This was an infamous raid where the American forces suffered heavy losses. The 306th Bomb Group lost 17 of the 30 bombers sent on this mission.
19 Aug 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Flushing (now Vlissingen), Airfield in Holland.
24 Aug 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the aircraft works at Villacoublay, France.
27 Aug 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the German V-2 rocket-launching site construction at Watten, France.
31 Aug 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the airfield at Glisny, France but dropped no bombs due to another bomber group flying directly beneath them during the bomb run.
2 Sep 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the German airfields in France but turned back over the English Channel due to bad weather.
3 Sep 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the aircraft facilities at Romilly, France.
6 Sep 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against industrial targets in Stuttgart, Germany but weather forced taking a target of opportunity at Achern, Germany.
7 Sep 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Brussels, Belgium.
9 Sep 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Lille, France.
15 Sep 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the aircraft facilities at Romilly, France.
16 Sep 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the port facilities at Nantes, France.
23 Sep 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the port facilities at Nantes, France.
27 Sep 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the port facilities at Emden, Germany.
2 Oct 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against industrial areas at Emden, Germany.
4 Oct 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Frankfurt, Germany.
8 Oct 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the port facilities at Bremen, Germany.
9 Oct 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the port facilities at Gdynia, Poland. This would not only be the longest mission of the war for the 306th at over 1,600 miles round trip but would also be the group's farthest strike east.
10 Oct 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the rail facilities at Coesfeld, Germany.
14 Oct 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the ball-bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. This was the second US raid to Schweinfurt with heavy losses.
20 Oct 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Duren, Germany but aborted half way to the target due to bad weather.
3 Nov 1943 Overnight, 400 US bombers, including the 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh, escorted by 600 fighters, bombed Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Later in the same night, the RAF bombed Düsseldorf, Germany.
5 Nov 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the rail yards and oil facilities at Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
13 Nov 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the port facilities at Bremen, Germany but only one out of 21 bombers launched actually dropped bombs due to weather.
16 Nov 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the molybdenum mines at Knaben, Norway.
26 Nov 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the port facilities at Bremen, Germany using a combination of high explosive and incendiary bombs.
1 Dec 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Leverkusen, Germany in the Ruhr Valley but an equipment malfunction in the pathfinder aircraft prompted a diversion to the secondary target at nearby Solingen, Germany.
5 Dec 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against La Rochelle, France but aborted over the French coast due to weather.
11 Dec 1943 The USAAF, including the 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh, bombed Emden, Germany, while 18 RAF Mosquito aircraft attacked Duisburg, Germany.
13 Dec 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the submarine facilities at Kiel, Germany.
16 Dec 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against port facilities at Bremen, Germany.
20 Dec 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched an incendiary bombing raid against port facilities at Bremen, Germany. "Window" foil chaff is used by the bombers for the first time.
22 Dec 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Osnabruck, Germany.
24 Dec 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched 26 bombers as part of a 670-bomber raid, the largest 8th Air Force bombing raid to date. Targets were rocket launching sites along the French coast.
30 Dec 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the chemical plant at Ludwigshafen, Germany.
31 Dec 1943 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against industrial facilities at Cognac, France.
3 Jan 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against port facilities at Bremen, Germany.
4 Jan 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the submarine facilities at Kiel, Germany.
5 Jan 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the submarine facilities at Kiel, Germany.
7 Jan 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the chemical plant at Ludwigshafen, Germany.
11 Jan 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Halberstadt, Germany.
14 Jan 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a raid against rocket launching sites in the Pas-de-Calais region of France.
21 Jan 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a raid against rocket launching sites in the Pas-de-Calais region of France but could drop no bombs due to weather.
30 Jan 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Hanover, Germany.
3 Feb 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the submarine facilities at Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
4 Feb 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Frankfurt, Germany.
5 Feb 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the airfield at Châteaudun, France
8 Feb 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Frankfurt, Germany.
11 Feb 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Frankfurt, Germany but diverted due to weather and bombed Saarbrücken, Germany.
20 Feb 1944 USAAF launched the "Big Week", sending 970 bombers against Braunschweig, Hamburg, and Leipzig in Germany. The RAF followed through by hitting Stuttgart.
21 Feb 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Lippstadt, Germany.
22 Feb 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Bernburg, Germany.
24 Feb 1944 USAAF (day) and RAF (night) bombings were conducted on the ball bearing plants at Schweinfurt, Germany.
25 Feb 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the Messerschmitt factory at Augsburg, Germany.
28 Feb 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rocket launching facilities near Trouville, France.
2 Mar 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against dock facilities at Frankfurt, Germany.
3 Mar 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Erkner, Germany but aborted due to weather.
4 Mar 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Erkner, Germany but aborted due to weather.
6 Mar 1944 The US 8th Army Air Force journeyed all the way to Berlin, Germany for the first time. In all 474 bombers, including those with 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh, and their Mustang escort fighters flew to the German capital, facing a barrage of heavy flak and many Luftwaffe fighters. A total of 53 B-17 bombers and 16 fighters were lost.
8 Mar 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Erkner, Germany southeast of Berlin.
9 Mar 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Berlin, Germany.
16 Mar 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Gessertshausen, Germany.
18 Mar 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the airfield at Lechfeld, Germany.
20 Mar 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against dock facilities at Frankfurt, Germany but turned back because of weather.
22 Mar 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Berlin, Germany.
23 Mar 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched an incendiary bombing raid against Hamm, Germany.
24 Mar 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Schweinfurt, Germany but divert due to weather and bombed secondary target of Frankfurt, Germany.
26 Mar 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a raid against rocket launching sites in the Pas-de-Calais region of France.
27 Mar 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against La Rochelle, France.
28 Mar 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Dijon, France.
29 Mar 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Brunswick, Germany.
10 Apr 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Brussels, Belgium.
11 Apr 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Stettin, Germany (now Szczecin, Poland).
18 Apr 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Germendorf, Germany.
19 Apr 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Kassel, Germany.
20 Apr 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a raid against rocket launching sites in the Pas-de-Calais region of France.
22 Apr 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Hamm, Germany.
24 Apr 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against aircraft facilities at Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.
25 Apr 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against aircraft facilities at Nancy, France but could not drop their bombs because a lower flying squadron flew under them at the drop zone.
26 Apr 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Brunswick, Germany.
27 Apr 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh bombed targets in northwest France.
28 Apr 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the airfield at Avord, France.
29 Apr 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Berlin, Germany.
30 Apr 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the airfield at Lyon, France.
1 May 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a raid against rocket launching sites in the Pas-de-Calais region of France but turned back due to the weather.
4 May 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Berlin, Germany but were recalled due to bad weather.
7 May 1944 1,500 bombers of the US 8th Air Force, including the 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh, attacked Berlin, Germany.n
8 May 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Berlin, Germany.
9 May 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the airfield at Thionville, France.
11 May 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Saarbrücken, Germany.
12 May 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against aircraft facilities at Merseburg, Germany but could not drop their bombs because a lower flying squadron flew under them at the drop zone.
13 May 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Stettin, Germany (now Szczecin, Poland).
19 May 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Berlin, Germany.
20 May 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against aircraft facilities at Orly, France.
22 May 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against dock facilities at Kiel, Germany.
23 May 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Metz, France.
24 May 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Berlin, Germany.
25 May 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Thionville, France.
27 May 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against shore batteries at Fécamp, France.
28 May 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against industrial targets in the Ruhr Valley, Germany.
31 May 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against aircraft facilities at Liège, Belgium.
2 Jun 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Massy, France.
3 Jun 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against shore batteries at Boulogne-sur-Mer, France.
4 Jun 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against shore batteries at Boulogne-sur-Mer, France.
6 Jun 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against tactical shore targets near the Normandy landing beaches in France.
8 Jun 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against aircraft facilities at Rennes–Saint-Jacques, France.
11 Jun 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against targets in northern France but turned back due to bad weather.
12 Jun 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Lille, France.
14 Jun 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the airfield at Brétigny-sur-Orge, France.
15 Jun 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid on bridges behind German lines at Normandy, France.
17 Jun 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid on bridges in Noyen-sur-Sarthe, France.
18 Jun 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Hamburg, Germany but diverted to targets of opportunity due to thick clouds over the target area.
19 Jun 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a raid against rocket launching sites in the Pas-de-Calais region of France but returned without bombing due to weather.
20 Jun 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities in Hamburg, Germany.
21 Jun 1944 More than 1,300 US 8th Air Force bombers, including the 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh, took off from airfields in Britain to attack Berlin, Lüne-Merseburg, and the hydrogenation plant at Ruhland in the Gau of Mark Brandenburg. The 163 that attacked Ruhland went on to Ukraine instead of returning to Britain, and this was noticed by the German Luftwaffe, which had plans to counter such an attempt for a shuttle bombing operation. He 111 bombers from various units of KG 4 (pathfinders), KG 53, and KG 55 took off for Poltava and Mirgorod (Myrhorod) Airfields in Ukraine.
22 Jun 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities in Ghent, Belgium.
24 Jun 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Bremen, Germany.
25 Jun 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the railway bridge at Joigny, France.
28 Jun 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the airfield at Laon-Athies, France.
2 Jul 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a raid against rocket launching sites in the Pas-de-Calais region of France.
6 Jul 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a raid against rocket launching sites in the Pas-de-Calais region of France but returned without bombing due to inability to positively identify the target. This was also the day that RAF Thurleigh received a visit from British royalty. HM King George VI, HM Queen Elizabeth, HRH Princess Elizabeth, and courtiers arrived accompanied by Eighth Air Force Commander General Jimmy Doolittle. This was Princess Elizabeth’s first visit to an American air base in Britain and she christened bomber ‘Rose of York’ named in her honor.
7 Jul 1944 A large raid to attack targets in the Leipzig, Germany area by the US 8th Air Force with 1,129 B-17 Flying Fortress, including those from the 306th Bomb Group from RAF Thurleigh, and B-24 Liberator bombers and more than 700 escorts was met by a Gefechtsverband, led by Major Walther Dahl. Among the total of about ninety Luftwaffe fighters committed was the newly raised IV (Sturm)/JG3, an elite unit of volunteer pilots flying Fw 190A-8 aircraft armed with 30mm cannon, firing high explosive shells, and with additional armour protection to enable them to get within close range of their target. The Fw 190 fighters would attack the rear of the bomber bomber stream while two Bf 109 Gruppen kept the American fighters at bay. The tactic proved successful with eleven B-24 bombers of the low squadron destroyed within a minute and, by the end of the day, the 2nd Air Division had suffered 28 Liberators lost at a cost of nine IV/JG3 fighters shot down and three damaged.
8 Jul 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against a railroad bridge near Amiens, France but returned without bombing due to weather.
9 Jul 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against railroad bridges south of Angers, France and east of Chalonnes-sur-Loire, France.
11 Jul 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against railroad yards in Munich, Germany.
12 Jul 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against railroad yards in Munich, Germany.
13 Jul 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against railroad yards in Munich, Germany.
16 Jul 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against railroad yards in Munich, Germany.
17 Jul 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against railroad bridges over the River Sommes east of Amiens, France.
18 Jul 1944 US Eighth Air Force, including the 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh, attacked Peenemünde Army Research Center in Germany to counter suspected hydrogen peroxide production.
19 Jul 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the Messerschmitt factory at Augsburg, Germany.
20 Jul 1944 Bombers of US 8th Air Force in Britain and US 15th Air Force in Italy attacked Dessau, Kothen, Leipzig, Nordhuasen, Rudolstadt, Merseburg, Bad Nauheim, Koblenz, and many other targets across Germany.
20 Jul 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the Junkers aircraft engine factory at Köthen, Germany but factors required striking a target of opportunity instead, a railway bridge at Rudolstadt, Germany.
21 Jul 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the ball-bearing works at Ebelsbach, Germany.
22 Jul 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a leaflet dropping mission (nickels) to the cities of Bremen, Kiel, and Hamburg, Germany.
24 Jul 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against targets around Saint-Lô, France.
25 Jul 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against targets around Saint-Lô, France.
28 Jul 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against I.G. Farben synthetic oil facilities at Merseburg, Germany.
31 Jul 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against railroad yards in Munich, Germany.
3 Aug 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Merkwiller, France.
4 Aug 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Anklam, Germany.
5 Aug 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Dollbergen, Germany.
6 Aug 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the airfield at Brandenburg, Germany.
7 Aug 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against oil facilities at Montbartier in the south of France. This would be the farthest south any mission of the war would take the 306th.
8 Aug 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against troop concentrations south of Caen, France.
9 Aug 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Ulm, Germany.
12 Aug 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the airfield at Chamant, France.
13 Aug 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against roads in the area of Rouen, France.
14 Aug 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Stuttgart, Germany but could not bomb due to weather. Instead, they struck a target of opportunity at the airfield at Florennes, Belgium.
15 Aug 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the airfield at Eschborn, Germany.
16 Aug 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the synthetic oil facility at Böhlen, Germany.
24 Aug 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against I.G. Farben synthetic oil facilities at Merseburg, Germany.
25 Aug 1944 US Eighth Air Force attacked Peenemünde Army Research Center in Germany to counter suspected hydrogen peroxide production.
26 Aug 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the synthetic oil plant at Gelsenkirchen, Germany in the Ruhr Valley.
27 Aug 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Berlin but diverted to Wilhelmshaven, Germany due to weather.
30 Aug 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Kiel, Germany.
3 Sep 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the chemical plant at Ludwigshafen, Germany.
5 Sep 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the chemical plant at Ludwigshafen, Germany.
8 Sep 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the chemical plant at Ludwigshafen, Germany.
10 Sep 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched an incendiary bombing raid against Stuttgart, Germany.
11 Sep 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the synthetic oil facilities at Merseburg, Germany but had to divert due to weather. Half of the group bombed Eisenach, Germany and the other half bombed Lützkendorf, Germany.
12 Sep 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the Braunkohle-Benzin AG synthetic oil facility at Schwarzheide, Germany.
13 Sep 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against I.G. Farben synthetic oil facilities at Merseburg, Germany.
17 Sep 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against anti-aircraft batteries around Volkel, Netherlands in advance of the glider flights in Operation Market-Garden.
19 Sep 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched an incendiary bombing raid against the ordnance stores at Unna, Germany.
22 Sep 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Kassel, Germany.
23 Sep 1944 The 306th Bomb Group and the air base at RAF Thurleigh had a change of command with Lieutenant Colonel James Sutton relieving Colonel George Robinson.
25 Sep 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Frankfurt, Germany.
27 Sep 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Cologne, Germany.
28 Sep 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Magdeburg, Germany.
30 Sep 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Münster, Germany.
2 Oct 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Kassel, Germany.
3 Oct 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Nürnberg, Germany.
5 Oct 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Cologne and Koblenz, Germany.
6 Oct 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid in two groups to bomb Stralsund, Germany and Stargard, Poland.
7 Oct 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the synthetic oil facility at Schwarzheide, Germany.
9 Oct 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the ball-bearing works at Eberhausen, Germany.
14 Oct 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Cologne, Germany.
15 Oct 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Cologne, Germany.
17 Oct 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Cologne, Germany.
19 Oct 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the ordnance storage facility at Mannheim, Germany.
22 Oct 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Hanover, Germany. On their return to Thurleigh, fog over England resulted in the 306th arriving over the airfield at the same time as the unseen B-17s of the 305th Bomb Group. As the planes made evasive maneuvers, two bombers from the 305th collided and exploded. All 19 aboard both planes were killed.
25 Oct 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the oil refinery at Harburg, Germany.
26 Oct 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the ordnance storage facility at Bielefeld, Germany.
30 Oct 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the synthetic oil facility at Gelsenkirchen, Germany but diverted to Münster due to weather and bombed the railway yards.
2 Nov 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the synthetic oil facilities at Merseburg, Germany.
4 Nov 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the oil refinery at Harburg, Germany.
5 Nov 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Frankfurt, Germany.
6 Nov 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities in Hamburg, Germany.
8 Nov 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the synthetic oil facilities at Merseburg, Germany.
9 Nov 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid in support of the US Third Army against German gun emplacements at Metz, France. Third Army commander, General George Patton, issued a letter of thanks to the 306th Bomb Group for their performance in this strike.
16 Nov 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid in support of the US Army troops against German positions at Eschweiler, Germany.
21 Nov 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Meppen, Germany.
26 Nov 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the oil refinery at Misburg, Germany.
29 Nov 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the oil refinery at Misburg, Germany.
30 Nov 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities in Gera, Germany.
2 Dec 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Cologne, Germany but the group became divided and bombed two targets of opportunity, Oberlahnstein and Koblenz, Germany.
5 Dec 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Berlin, Germany.
6 Dec 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the synthetic oil facilities at Merseburg, Germany.
9 Dec 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities in Stuttgart, Germany.
11 Dec 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Frankfurt, Germany.
12 Dec 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the synthetic oil facilities at Merseburg, Germany.
15 Dec 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Kassel, Germany.
18 Dec 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Kaiser-Lautern, Germany.
24 Dec 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the airfield at Giessen, Germany.
28 Dec 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Siegburg, Germany but the group overshot and bombed the target of opportunity of Koblenz.
29 Dec 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Bingen, Germany.
30 Dec 1944 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities in Mainz, Germany.
1 Jan 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Magdeburg, Germany but the group became divided and bombed two targets of opportunity, Kassel, Germany and Limburg, Netherlands.
2 Jan 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Kyllburg, Germany.
3 Jan 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities in Hermülheim, Germany.
5 Jan 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the airfield at Niedermendig, Germany.
6 Jan 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Cologne, Germany.
7 Jan 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Euskirchen, Germany.
8 Jan 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Speyer, Germany.
10 Jan 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the airfield at Gymnich, Germany but thick clouds, persistent anti-aircraft fire, and crowded skies pushed the formation off course so that most of their bombs landed on Bliesheim, Germany, eight miles off-target.
14 Jan 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Cologne, Germany.
15 Jan 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Freiburg, Germany.
17 Jan 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail viaduct at Bielefeld, Germany.
20 Jan 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Rheine, Germany.
21 Jan 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Aschaffenburg, Germany.
28 Jan 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Cologne, Germany.
29 Jan 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Koblenz, Germany.
1 Feb 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against a railway viaduct at Mannheim, Germany.
3 Feb 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Berlin, Germany.
6 Feb 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Fulda, Germany.
9 Feb 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the oil refinery at Lützkendorf, Germany.
10 Feb 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Dülmen, Germany.
14 Feb 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Dresden, Germany.
16 Feb 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against a coke plant at Dortmund, Germany.
19 Feb 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against a coke plant at Bochum, Germany.
20 Feb 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Nürnberg, Germany.
21 Feb 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Nürnberg, Germany.
22 Feb 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Wittstock, Germany.
23 Feb 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Plauen, Germany.
24 Feb 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against oil facilities in Hamburg, Germany.
26 Feb 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Berlin, Germany.
27 Feb 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Leipzig, Germany.
28 Feb 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Hagen, Germany.
1 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Neckarsulm, Germany.
2 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the synthetic oil facility at Böhlen, Germany.
4 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against an ordnance depot at Ulm, Germany.
7 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Frankfurt, Germany but equipment troubles caused the group to split and bombed Giessen and Siegen, Germany.
8 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the synthetic oil plant at Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
9 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched 36 aircraft on a non-operational gunnery training flight off the east coast of England. B-17G "Hellcat Hattie" had an engine explode and the airplane crashed into the sea. Two were rescued and eight were killed.
10 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against a coke plant at Dortmund, Germany.
11 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the German submarine facilities at Bremen, Germany.
12 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against dock facilities at Swinemunde, Germany (now Świnoujście, Poland).
14 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against a jet components plant at Hildesheim, Germany.
15 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against a military headquarters complex at Zossen, Germany.
17 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against a power plant at Mölbis, Germany.
18 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Berlin, Germany.
19 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Plauen, Germany.
21 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the airfield at Rheine, Germany.
22 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against a military camp at Feldhausen, Germany.
23 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Coesfeld, Germany.
24 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh split into two forces and bombed airfields at Vechta and Hesepe, Germany.
28 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Berlin, Germany.
30 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched twelve B-17 Fortress bombers against a submarine yard within a reinforced concrete structure at Farge near Bremen, Germany. This was the 306th's first use of the Disney Bomb. Twenty B-17s from another Eighth Air Force bomb group also bombed Farge with Disney Bombs. A total of 14 bobmers were damaged on this mission.
31 Mar 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the reinforced submarine pens at Farge, Germany using the rocket-assisted "Disney" bomb for the first time operationally.
3 Apr 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the submarine yards at Kiel, Germany.
4 Apr 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the airfield at Fassberg, Germany.
5 Apr 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Weiden, Germany.
6 Apr 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Leipzig, Germany.
7 Apr 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the airfield at Wesendorf, Germany.
8 Apr 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Halberstadt, Germany.
10 Apr 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against the airfield at Oranienburg, Germany.
11 Apr 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against an explosive factory at Krailburg, Germany.
12 Apr 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group based at RAF Thurleigh scrubbed their mission for this day on receiving the news of President Roosevelt's death. A memorial service was held in the officers' mess.
13 Apr 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Neumünster, Germany.
14 Apr 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against shore batteries at the mouth of the Garenne River in Royan, France in advance of French troops landing there.
15 Apr 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against shore batteries at the mouth of the Garenne River in Royan, France in advance of French troops landing there.
16 Apr 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Plattling, Germany. The 306th Bomb Group and the air base at RAF Thurleigh had a change of command with Lieutenant Colonel Hudson Upham relieving Colonel James Sutton.
17 Apr 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against Dresden, Germany.
18 Apr 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Rosenheim, Germany.
19 Apr 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a bombing raid against rail facilities at Falkenberg, Germany.
29 Apr 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a leaflet dropping mission (nickels) to 16 cities in the Netherlands, France, and Germany.
30 Apr 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a leaflet dropping mission (nickels) to 11 cities in the Netherlands, France, and Germany.
2 May 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a leaflet dropping mission (nickels) to 19 cities in the Netherlands, France, and Germany.
3 May 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a leaflet dropping mission (nickels) to 24 cities in the Netherlands, France, and Germany.
6 May 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a leaflet dropping mission (nickels) to 14 cities in the Netherlands, France, and Germany.
7 May 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a leaflet dropping mission (nickels) to 17 cities in the Netherlands, France, and Germany.
8 May 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a leaflet dropping mission (nickels) to 13 cities in the Netherlands, France, and Germany.
9 May 1945 With the war over, the USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh sent 24 aircraft on observation flights to Western Germany. These tours were organized in order to show ground personnel throughout the United Kingdom some of the bomb damage done to the Reich. Needless to say, passengers were highly impressed.
10 May 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh sent 24 aircraft on observation flights to Western Germany. These tours were organized in order to show ground personnel throughout the United Kingdom some of the bomb damage done to the Reich. All flights were completed without incident.
11 May 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh launched a leaflet dropping mission (nickels) to several cities in the Netherlands, France, and Germany.
12 May 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh sent 25 aircraft on observation flights to Western Germany. These tours were organized in order to show ground personnel throughout the United Kingdom some of the bomb damage done to the Reich. All flights were completed without incident.
13 May 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group flying from RAF Thurleigh sent 30 aircraft to Barth airfield in Germany to pick up and evacuate 603 American POWs to Lessay, France.
6 Sep 1945 The USAAF 306th Bomb Group departed RAF Thurleigh and relocated to the aerodrome at Giebelstadt, Germany.




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Modern Day Location
WW2-Era Place Name Thurleigh, England, United Kingdom
Lat/Long 52.2297, -0.4747
RAF Thurleigh Photo Gallery
Flight crew of B-17F Fortress “Man-O-War” of the 306th Bomb Group in full flight dress, RAF Thurleigh, Bedfordshire, England, Oct 1942.King George VI of the United Kingdom (center) on a tour of RAF Thurleigh in Bedfordshire, England, 13 Nov 1942. He is hearing from USAAF Lt Robert Riordan (left) about how his B-17 Fortress was damaged on a mission.
See all 35 photographs of RAF Thurleigh


Famous WW2 Quote
"All that silly talk about the advance of science and such leaves me cold. Give me peace and a retarded science."

Thomas Dodd, late 1945


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