Getting Started
History > Formation
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, 445th Headquarter's Detachment:
Name | Rank | Army Service No. | Organizational Position |
Terrill, Robert H. | Lt Col | O-18833 | 445th Group Commanding Officer |
Seashore, Malcolm D. | Maj | O-308240 | 445th Group Executive Officer |
Frasher, Howard E. | Capt | O-363130 | 445th Group Adjutant |
Jones, William W. | Capt | O-393142 | 445th Group Operations (S-3) Officer |
Peterson, Chester A. | Capt | O-374795 | 445th Group Bombardier |
Fisher, Gilbert W. | 1st Lt | O-729838 | 445th Group Assistant Operations (S-3) Officer |
Walker, Charles P. | 1st Lt | O-489366 | 445th Group Supply (S-4) Officer |
Case, Shadie L. | 2nd Lt | O-857587 | 445th Group Communications Officer |
Support Personnel | |||
Eight (8) Enlisted Men | |||
Officer Personnel, 700th Bomb Squadron:
Name | Rank | Army Service No. | Organizational Position |
Ward, Irving H. | 2nd Lt | O-437893 | 700th Squadron Commanding Officer |
Crandell, Ralph B. | 1st Lt | O-560847 | 700th Squadron Adjutant |
Head, Charles W., Jr. | 1st Lt | O-371563 | 700th Squadron Navigator |
Christensen, Thomas E. | 2nd Lt | O-2043754 | 700th Squadron Bombardier |
Honaker, Charles M. | 2nd Lt | O-665689 | 700th Squadron Operations (S-3) Officer |
Evans, George W. | 2nd Lt | O-857392 | 700th Squadron Supply (S-4) Officer |
Wilkins, Charles R. | 2nd Lt | O-579658 | 700th Squadron Communications Officer |
Peters, Wallis E. | 2nd Lt | O-869570 | 700th Squadron Armaments Officer |
Ehart, Howard L. | 2nd Lt | O-571565 | 700th Squadron Engineering Officer |
Combat Crew Personnel | |||
Ropp, Kenneth F. | 2nd Lt | O-740934 | Copilot |
Lapolla, Anthony J. | 2nd Lt | O-801136 | Navigator |
Johnson, William H., Jr. | 2nd Lt | O-671366 | Bombardier |
Sixty-Four (64) Enlisted Men | |||
Officer Personnel, 701st Bomb Squadron:
Name | Rank | Army Service No. | Organizational Position |
Kreidler, Howard E. | 1st Lt | O-727226 | 701st Squadron Commanding Officer |
Walthall, Frank P. | 1st Lt | O-562280 | 701st Squadron Adjutant |
Gershenzon, Nolan (nmi) | 2nd Lt | O-731288 | 701st Squadron Navigator |
Spahn, Alphonse J. | 1st Lt | O-659600 | 701st Squadron Bombardier |
Casey, Maurice F., Jr. | 2nd Lt | O-735047 | 701st Squadron Operations (S-3) Officer |
King, Joseph E. | 2nd Lt | O-578187 | 701st Squadron Supply (S-4) Officer |
Dunn, George H. | W/O (JG) | W-2118892 | 701st Squadron Communications Officer |
Maher, William P., Jr. | 2nd Lt | O-859644 | 701st Squadron Engineering Officer |
Combat Crew Personnel | |||
Schmidt, Robert C. | 2nd Lt | O-738038 | Copilot |
Serpico, Frank R. | 2nd Lt | O-801152 | Navigator |
Kelso, Richard G. | 2nd Lt | O-671447 | Bombardier |
Sixty-Four (64) Enlisted Men | |||
Officer Personnel, 702nd Bomb Squadron:
Name | Rank | Army Service No. | Organizational Position |
Evans, James C. | Capt | O-385477 | 702nd Squadron Commanding Officer |
Chancellor, James E. | 2nd Lt | O-567635 | 702nd Squadron Adjutant |
Blumencranz, Harold J. | 2nd Lt | O-795188 | 702nd Squadron Navigator |
Cassani, Anthony R. | 2nd Lt | O-732609 | 702nd Squadron Bombardier |
Waldher, Eugene N. | 1st Lt | O-442552 | 702nd Squadron Operations (S-3) Officer |
Bingman, Glenn J. | 2nd Lt | O-578884 | 702nd Squadron Supply (S-4) Officer |
Finley, Benjamin W. | 2nd Lt | O-857116 | 702nd Squadron Engineering Officer |
Hill, George J. | 2nd Lt | O-857550 | 702nd Squadron Communications Officer |
Smith, Lee M. | 2nd Lt | O-579279 | 702nd Squadron Armaments Officer |
Combat Crew Personnel | |||
Onks, Marvin C. | 2nd Lt | O-799842 | Copilot |
Gill, Joseph F. | 2nd Lt | O-674179 | Navigator |
Destro, Anthony L. | 2nd Lt | O-732613 | Bombardier |
Sixty-Four (64) Enlisted Men | |||
Officer Personnel, 703rd Bomb Squadron:
Name | Rank | Army Service No. | Organizational Position |
Sawyer, Willis B. | Capt | O-23821 | 703rd Squadron Commanding Officer |
Lane, Duncan L., Jr. | 2nd Lt | O-572334 | 703rd Squadron Adjutant |
Kirchenbauer, Albert U. | 2nd Lt | O-741788 | 703rd Squadron Navigator |
Howard, John B. | 2nd Lt | O-2043761 | 703rd Squadron Bombardier |
Horton, Richard S. | 2nd Lt | O-794410 | 703rd Squadron Operations (S-3) Officer |
Herbauger, John A. | 2nd Lt | O-577891 | 703rd Squadron Supply (S-4) Officer |
Swearingin, Roland O. | 2nd Lt | O-860342 | 703rd Squadron Communications Officer |
Francis, James A. | 2nd Lt | O-857092 | 703rd Squadron Engineering Officer |
Dow, William E. | 2nd Lt | O-860101 | 703rd Squadron Armaments Officer |
Hyer, Harold R. | 2nd Lt | O-856600 | 703rd Squadron Assistant Armaments Officer |
Combat Crew Personnel | |||
Herrick, Martin L. | 2nd Lt | O-798646 | Copilot |
Meyers, James L. | 2nd Lt | O-736786 | Bombardier |
Sixty-Five (65) Enlisted Men | |||
Intelligence Officers:
Name | Rank | Army Service No. | Organizational Position |
Smith, Austin G. | Capt | Unk | 445th Group Intelligence (S-2) Officer |
Otness, Bernard M. | 2nd Lt | O-569662 | 445th Group Photo Interpretation Officer |
Dixon, Ronald J. | 2nd Lt | Unk | 700th Bomb Squadron Intelligence (S-2) Officer |
Jones, Max L. | 2nd Lt | O-568829 | 701st Bomb Squadron Intelligence (S-2) Officer |
Grove, Andrew (nmi) | 2nd Lt | O-568427 | 702nd Bomb Squadron Intelligence (S-2) Officer |
Roeming, George C. | 2nd 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.