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The 445th Bomb Group
is not an old established heavy bombardment outfit. It is, as a great many of
the other groups overseas, a "war baby". It's inception was December 7th,
1941,in the office of the War Department, Washington, D.C. It's birth, although
according to schedule, was not until the middle of May, 1943, and as with all
"war babies", it was hardened to the likes of war in short order.
The 445th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated per War Department Letter
AG-320.2 dated 20 March 1943. The Group actually activated at Gowen Field,
Boise, Idaho per Special Order 115, Paragraph 1, dated 25 April 1943. The
following list of officer personnel and the number of enlisted men were
contained on that special order:
Officer Personnel Headquarters Detachment
|
Name |
Rank |
Serial Number |
Position |
|
Robert H. Terrill |
Lt Col |
O-18833 |
Group Commanding Officer |
|
Malcolm D. Seashore |
Maj |
O-308240 |
Group Executive Officer |
|
Howard E. Frasher |
Capt |
O-363130 |
Group Adjutant |
|
Gilbert W. Fisher |
1st Lt |
O-729838 |
Assistant Group Operations (S-3) Officer |
|
William W. Jones |
Capt |
O-393142 |
Group Operations (S-3) Officer |
|
Charles P. Walker |
1st Lt |
O-489366 |
Group Supply (S-4) Officer |
|
Shadie L. Case |
2nd Lt |
O-857587 |
Group Communications Officer |
|
Chester A. Peterson |
Capt |
O-374795 |
Group Bombardier |
|
8 Enlisted men |
Officer Personnel
700th Bombardment Squadron (H)
|
Name |
Rank |
Serial Number |
Position |
|
Irving H. Ward |
2nd Lt |
O-437893 |
Squadron Commanding Officer |
|
Charles M. Honaker |
2nd Lt |
O-665689 |
Squadron Operations (S-3) Officer |
|
Thomas E. Christensen |
2nd Lt |
O-2043754 |
Squadron Bombardier |
|
Ralph B. Crandell |
1st Lt |
O-560847 |
Squadron Adjutant |
|
Howard L. Ehart |
2nd Lt |
O-571565 |
Squadron Engineering Officer |
|
George W. Evans |
2nd Lt |
O-857392 |
Squadron Communications Officer |
|
Charles R. Wilkins |
2nd Lt |
O-579658 |
Squadron Supply (S-4) Officer |
|
Wallis E. Peters |
2nd Lt |
O-869570 |
Squadron Armaments Officer |
|
Charles W. Head, Jr. |
1st Lt |
O-371563 |
Squadron Navigator |
|
Combat Crew Personnel |
|
Kenneth F. Ropp |
2nd Lt |
O-740934 |
Copilot |
|
Anthony J. Lapolla |
2nd Lt |
O-801136 |
Navigator |
|
William H. Johnson, Jr. |
2nd Lt |
O-671366 |
Bombardier |
|
64 Enlisted Men |
Officer Personnel
701st Bombardment Squadron (H)
|
Name |
Rank |
Serial Number |
Position |
|
Howard E. Kreidler |
1st Lt |
O-727226 |
Squadron Commanding Officer |
|
Maurice F. Casey, Jr. |
2nd Lt |
O-735047 |
Squadron Operations (S-3) Officer |
|
Nolan (NMI) Gershenzon |
2nd Lt |
O-731288 |
Squadron Navigator |
|
Alphonse J. Spahn |
1st Lt |
O-659600 |
Squadron Bombardier |
|
Frank P. Walthall |
1st Lt |
O-562280 |
Squadron Adjutant |
|
William P. Maher, Jr. |
2nd Lt |
O-859644 |
Squadron Engineering Officer |
|
George H. Dunn |
W/O (JG) |
W-2118892 |
Squadron Communications Officer |
|
Joseph E. King |
2nd Lt |
O-578187 |
Squadron Supply (S-4) Officer |
|
Combat Crew Personnel |
|
Robert C. Schmidt |
2nd Lt |
O-738038 |
Copilot |
|
Frank R. Serpico |
2nd Lt |
O-801152 |
Navigator |
|
Richard G. Kelso |
2nd Lt |
O-671447 |
Bombardier |
|
64 Enlisted Men |
Officer Personnel
702nd Bombardment Squadron (H)
|
Name |
Rank |
Serial Number |
Position |
|
James C. Evans |
Capt |
O-385477 |
Squadron Commanding Officer |
|
Anthony R. Cassani |
2nd Lt |
O-732609 |
Squadron Bombardier |
|
James E.
Chancellor |
2nd Lt |
O-567635 |
Squadron Adjutant |
|
Benjamin W. Finley |
2nd Lt |
O-857116 |
Squadron Engineering Officer |
|
George J.
Hill |
2nd Lt |
O-857550 |
Squadron Communications Officer |
|
Glenn J.
Bingman |
2nd Lt |
O-578884 |
Squadron Supply (S-4) Officer |
|
Eugene N.
Waldher |
1st Lt |
O-442552 |
Squadron Operations (S-3) Officer |
|
Harold J.
Blumencranz |
2nd Lt |
O-795188 |
Squadron Navigator |
|
Lee M. Smith |
2nd Lt |
O-579279 |
Squadron Armaments Officer |
|
Combat Crew Personnel |
|
Marvin C.
Onks |
2nd Lt |
O-799842 |
Copilot |
|
Joseph F. Gill |
2nd Lt |
O-674179 |
Navigator |
|
Anthony L. Destro |
2nd Lt |
O-732613 |
Bombardier |
|
64 Enlisted Men |
Officer Personnel
703rd Bombardment Squadron (H)
|
Name |
Rank |
Serial Number |
Position |
|
Willis B. Sawyer |
Capt |
O-23821 |
Squadron Commanding Officer |
|
Albert U. Kirchenbauer |
2nd Lt |
O-741788 |
Squadron Navigator |
|
John B. Howard |
2nd Lt |
O-2043761 |
Squadron Bombardier |
|
Duncan L. Lane, Jr. |
2nd Lt |
O-572334 |
Squadron Adjutant |
|
Roland O. Swearingin |
2nd Lt |
O-860342 |
Squadron Communications Officer |
|
John A. Herbauger |
2nd Lt |
O-577891 |
Squadron Supply (S-4) Officer |
|
James A. Francis |
2nd Lt |
O-857092 |
Squadron Engineering Officer |
|
Richard S. Horton |
2nd Lt |
O-794410 |
Squadron Operations (S-3) Officer |
|
William E. Dow |
2nd Lt |
O-860101 |
Squadron Armaments Officer |
|
Harold R. Hyer |
2nd Lt |
O-856600 |
Squadron Armaments Officer |
|
Combat Crew Personnel |
|
Martin L. Herrick |
2nd Lt |
O-798646 |
Copilot |
|
James L. Meyers |
2nd Lt |
O-736786 |
Bombardier |
|
65 Enlisted Men |
Intelligence
Officers
|
Name |
Rank |
Serial Number |
Position |
|
Austin G. Smith |
Capt |
|
Group Intelligence (S-2) Officer |
|
Bernard M. Otness |
2nd Lt |
O-569662 |
Group Photo Interpretation Officer |
|
Ronald J. Dixon |
2nd Lt |
|
700th Bomb Squadron Intelligence (S-2) Officer |
|
Max L. Jones |
2nd Lt |
O-568829 |
701st Bomb Squadron Intelligence (S-2) Officer |
|
Andrew (NMI) Grove |
2nd Lt |
O-568427 |
702nd Bomb Squadron Intelligence (S-2) Officer |
|
George C. Roeming |
1st Lt |
O-915497 |
703rd Bomb Squadron Intelligence (S-2) Officer |
Prior to it's forming as a group,
the Air Echelon of the newly formed unit went through preliminary training by
attending the AAF School of Applied Tactics in Orlando, Florida. The new flying
personnel completed ten days of bivouac training and went on several practice
missions over land and water.
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