I remember my father-in-law, Bill Horney, who was Navigator on the Dougherty Crew telling about how they always avoided getting too close to Heligoland in the North Sea. Heligoland is a two Islands on what is called the German Bight. It was to be avoided because it was a training base for the top German Flack Gunners and they were known for their deadly accuracy. 

466th pilot, Elmo Maiden recalled a short mission. Their primary target over was an airfield in the Netherlands. In case the target was under clouds, their secondary target was to be Heligoland. He was able to successfully bomb the primary target, and as he turned over the North Sea to come home he saw a squadron of ten B-24's in the distance. They were starting a bombing run over Heligoland. As he turned his B-24 southeast, he watched their approach to the Island. There was a sudden huge explosion of flack and as the black smoke cleared there was nothing but debris falling out of the sky. In just a couple of seconds, ten B-24's and 100 airmen were gone! That horrible picture remained in Elmo's mind for the rest of his life.


Bill Curtis




SEPTEMBER 1949

The Supply Operations


Combat Missions were put on hold during the month of September, 1944 for re-supply and replacement crews. Bomb Squadrons in the 2nd Air Division received new non-combat supply missions. Several bomb groups, including the 466th flew missions to haul gasoline to Southern France to supply General Patton's tank corps. Patton's advance had been so swift that the units in the land supply line were having a difficult time keeping his tanks and vehicles fueled. These fuel hauling missions did not count as combat missions, even though a number of aircraft were shot down. A crew could fly several of these missions in a day. They were tasked with moving 70.000 gallons of 80 octane fuel each day. The B-24's were modified to be able to load and haul the fuel in 5-gallon jerry cans. When they were unloaded in France, fuel would also be pumped from the B-24 Fuel tanks, leaving just enough to reach home. 



The Loss of an Old Friend


On another supply mission the 466th Bomb Group B-24 “No Feathered Injun” was loaned to the 392nd Bomb Group in Wendling. This was 466th Pilot John Woolnough's favorite B-24. The 392nd was not hauling fuel but they were dropping supplies for the Allied Forces in Holland during “Operation Market Garden”. The B-24 had to be modified in order to allow the dropping of large bundles of supplies by parachute. An additional crewman, from the Army Quartermaster Corps, a drop manager, was added to the crew.



On September 18 at 10:15 forty airplanes took off from Wendling for the Holland Drop Zone. When they crossed the island of Walcheran, they encountered heavy flak and light arms fire. “No Feathered Injun” , piloted by James Gerow was severely damaged after the drop and was forced to leave the formation near the coast of Holland. The dropmaster, Pvt. Edward Yenshow was at the waist. This was his first flight in an airplane. The aircraft was at 17,000 feet but losing altitude when Gerow ordered the crew to bail out. He and the crew bailed out at that time. Later, Private Yenshow's body was later found in the wreckage. He had not jumped. Of the 11 men on board , 3 were KIA, 3 were POW, and 5 evaded capture. In 1972 a memorial was erected by the local people in the Netherlands using part of the wreckage.




Friends In the Netherlands Adopt Graves of American Airmen


Carlo Kuit has adopted the grave of Roland C. Boulter, Navigator on the Kenneth Kessinger Crew #616 (786th Sq) that was shot down on April 8, 1944 in what was to be one of the worst 466th missions of the war. A total of 6 aircraft were lost. 21 were KIA and 38 were POWs. Carlo writes that there are 5300 military graves in this cemetery in Belgium,  and about 65% of them are U.S. Army Air Force. We thank you for remembering and caring Carlo. 

Thanks to Jac Engles for posting this photo of Roland Boulter  and Arie-Jan-van Hees for posting the photo of Kenneth Kessinger on Facebook! 

Mission to Brunswick- April 8, 1944

From  Attlebridge Arsenal: "Before the 8 April, 1944 mission to Brunswick, the 466th BG had flown five combat missions and already lost seven aircraft to combat with 50 men Killed in Action with an additional 10 taken as POW's. Only one mission had flown without a loss. The losses reached a crescendo  on the sixth mission. On the bomb run the group was hit by ME-109's and FW- 190's which shot down six bombers in quick succession. One of those was the KLessinger Crew. In total on the day the 466th lost 6 aircraft with 21 men Killed in Action and another 38 taken as POW's. Though the 466th would lose many more aircraft and crews , the 8 April , 1944 wold stand as the biggest single day loss that group would suffer during the war." (Wassom and Brassfield) 

In "Attlebridge Diaries" Claude Meconnis (Co- Pilot-Dike Crew #504) records in his diary "They don't come any harder than the one we flew today to Brunswick, The Jerries threw everything they had at us, fighters and flak, It was the big 'Maximum Effort' raid our operations had long predicted. Well it came today on Holy Saturday. Personally to me it was Unholy Saturday" The mission was delayed by an hour because the bombs had not been ordered right and by the time they were in the air the formation was poor. Prop wash from other wings caused problems crossing the channel. After turning at the IP,  Meconnis continues: "when one of the boys began calling 'one-two-three B-24's going Down!' I saw them go down from a group far off on our right, two of them blazing balls of fire and the third sickeningly flopping and spinning down- I couldn't believe my eyes."

 

Looking for 466th BG FACES (PHOTOS)

Netherlands Remembering Our Fallen Heroes.

Twenty-six  466th Bomb Group Honor Roll Members are buried in the Netherlands at at Margraten Netherlands American Cemetery and 6 are commemorated on the Walls of the Missing. The Memorial features photos of 22 of these young 466th If you have or know of a photograph of any of the these heroes  send photos to:

Foundation United Adopters American War Graves-Loonsevaert 21- 5171 LL Kaatsheuvel The Netherlands

also contact:

                         http://www.thefacesofmargraten.com/index.php/en-US/home





                            

                                                                          Friends at Weston-Longville 

Posed in front of 466th Jeep at 466th Memorial Site ca. 2020

Front Left: Eileen Hindle (Brit)  and Beverly Tomb (Yank)

Back Left: Peter Woodcock (Dc.2023)(Brit),  Mel Johnson ( Brit) (Jeep Owner), Paul Hindle (Brit) 

Paul and Eileen donate their time and resources to the upkeep of our 466th Memorial and now at the construction of the Visito Centre. Paul and son, Shaun have found and dug out old bunkers on the old base and dug up all sorts of artifacts. Paul works with Peter Woodcock and Catherine Thomson (not in photo) as Historians and hosts to veterans and families of 466th veterans. Catherine Thomson is curator and director of the 466th Bomb Group Historical Collection located in Hethel.

(See Below for contact info) 


784th ENGINEERING SECTION

     

  This photo comes from Jim Melnyk whose father was part of the Engineering group for the 784th Bomber Squadron. Jim is looking for any other information, he might be able to find out about his father. There is another photo of him in front of the B-24 "Cindy".


William Terry Crew

Lost on first mission



Many of us who have been active with the 466th BGA and attended the 8thAFHS reunions remember well Lew Loevsky, who was an officer and active member of the Association, and was a well-known POW Camp survivor. He was navigator on the William Terry Crew. On their first mission they were hit by a flak burst and lost one propeller and then collided with "Rebel Yell" flown by the Gilley T. Brand Crew. Five of the Terry Crew were lost and five were POW's. Brand Crew: 8 KIA 2 POW

 

Followup on Grave Adoptions

The following was posted on AAF List:

""My parents have adopted the name of William J. Terry on the wall of missing in Margraten.

The aircraft collided on 22 March 1944 about 1330 hours with B-24H / AF# 41-29416, 

nickname "Rebbel Gal", 2nd Lt Gilley T. Brand crew of 466th Bomber Group, 

Heavy, 15 seconds for "Bombs away" over Berlin, Germany.

AF# 41-29416 Crashed near Malz, Schweinerhütte, 5 miles NorthEast of Oranienburg, 

NorthNorthWest of Berlin." 

There was a request for more information and I have posted below passages from "Attlebridge Arsenal" and "Attlebridge Diaries" concerning that first mission flown by thee 466th. Lou Loevsky was a good friend to many of us and I remember him speaking of his pilot, William Terry with the greatest regard. (BC)

We want to express our gratitude for the people in Europe who are watching over our honored lost airmen and for preserving the memory of their lives and service. They truly understand that Freedom is not free.

 

ATTLEBRIDGE DIARIES & ATTLEBRIDGE ARSENAL Accounts of Incident

OPEN BELOW

 


Visiting Attlebridge?

The American Air Bases were named for the closest village with a railroad station. The Village of Attlebridge is 6 miles from the base and the airmen spent most of their off duty time in the village of Weston-Longville located next to the airfield.

If you are planning to visit and you want to see the air base, and visitor centre, prior arrangements need to be made before arriving. Paul and Eileen Hindle are our Resident Historians. Paul and his volunteer staff give tours of most of the old airbase. Please generously donate for their time and gasoline & perhaps take them to lunch at the local pub.! E-mail them at:

eileenhindle@talktalk.net - 


PS. when making air reservations consider flying into Norwich. (Delta Airlines) It is usually cheaper and you don't have to deal with large crowds. Norwich is about 10 miles from the Attlebridge Airfield,