United States. Army Air Forces. Bomber Command, 8th

Scope and Contents This collection relates to the 97th Bombardment Group which was based in England, Africa and Italy during World War II and the first operational bomb group in England in 1942. The collection contains documents (mostly photocopies) on missions, statements and statistics, three diaries, and newspaper articles. Their daily operations reports, narrative reports, and casualty reports detail their accomplishments and their losses. Included are a collection of videos, audio tapes, and microfilm. Included are copies of three personal diaries by Alex Blair, Jr., LeRoy Teschendorf, and Herman F. Lykins. Also included is an extensive photograph collection of flight crews, air fields, and...

Content Description

This collection relates to Donald and Portia Ackerman. Donald Ackerman served as a pilot on B-24 bombers with the 44th Bomb Squadron, 506th Bombardment Group, in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. He continued to serve in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years and served during the Korean War.This collection contains an oral history transcript, artifacts, audio tapes, documents, letters, maps, pamphlets, and photographs relating to Donald and Portia Ackerman.

Content Description This collection relates to Lieutenant David E. Bail Jr. who serves as a bombardier with the 335th Bomb Squadron, 95th Bomb Group in England during World War II. He attended University of Florida and enlisted in Spring of 1942. He flew two missions over France before he was shot down over Hanover, Germany on July 26, 1943 and killed in action. This collection contains seven folders includes Bail’s personal letters to his family from December, 1941 up to his death, letters from the War Department to Bail’s family first declaring him MIA, then later confirming him KIA, two photographs of Bail and his crew, and a letter from his sister to Bail’s parents recounting her interview with Bail’s...

Content Description

This collection relates to Colonel Walter Carl Beckham who served with the U.S. Army Air Corps as a P-47 fighter pilot with the 353rd Fighter Group in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. He was credited 18 aerial victories. He was shot down and subsequently became a German Prisoner of War. He was the recipient of the Distingquished Service Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, Silver Star, Air Medal, and Legion of Merit. This collection contains Beckham's medals, badges, pins, photographs, veteran's items, and newspaper articles.

Content Description This collection relates to Staff Sergeant Philip Lester Brinson who served with the U.S. Army Air Corps in the tail gunner position on B-26B aircraft number 41-18058 Martin Marauder with the 450th Bomb Squadron, 322nd Bombardment Group (Medium) during World War II. On September 9. 1943, this aircraft was hit by flak on a mission to Boulogne, France. The aircraft subsequently flipped over and crashed into the English Channel which killed the entire crew. Brinson was awarded the Purple Heart medal and Air Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster. This collection includes photographs, documents, Brinson's engraved Purple Heart Medal, and his wallet that was returned to the family after his...

Content Description This collection relates to Major General Delmar T. Spivey who was an U.S. Army Air Corps prisoner of war in Stalag Luft III in Germany from August 1943 until May 1945. Then Colonel Spivey was in charge of gunnery training for B-17 flight crews of the U.S. 8th Air Force based in England. He was sent to England with several other gunnery instructors to teach air gunnery to bomber flight crews who were being decimated by German fighter aircraft. He was participating in his first combat mission as a nose gunner/ observer on a bombing mission over Gelsenkirchen in the Ruhr Valley when his plane was disabled by anti-aircraft fire. After the plane crash landed, he was taken prisoner and sent...

Content Description

This collection relates to Stan Hall who served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force at the beginning of the Office of Strategic Services project where he completed tours in the European Theater (ETO). This collection contains various photographs and descriptions of Hall's service in World War II.

Scope and Contents

The collection of First Lieutenant James Feerick contains an oral history transcript of an interview provided by the Reichelt Program for Oral History. Feerick served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as part of the 8th Bomber Command, 1st Bombardment Wing, 91st Bombardment Group in the European theater. He was based in London at Bassingbourne.

The collection also includes a copy of a magazine article from 2000 about a U.S. government agency that smuggled out contraband (radio parts, etc.), into German POW camps and letters along with other information. The agency also helped Allied POWs escape.

Content Description

This collection relates to William Edward McKee Sr. who served as a sergeant with the 324th Squadron, 91st Heavy Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force in Europe during World War II. McKee Sr. was shot down along with the crew of the B-17 bomber on March 29, 1944. The entire crew survived and then became German prisoners of war at Luft Stalag 17B. Mckee Sr. received the Air Medal and Purple Heart Medal. This collection includes letters, documents, photographs, prisoner of war memorabilia, and memoirs.

Content Description

This collection relates to John Peacock who served with the the 8th Air Force, 45th Combat Wing, 388th Bomb Group, 560th Squadron also known as “The Peacock Crew” who served in England and Ireland during World War II. This collection contains a brief manuscript written by John F. Peacock entitled, “The Peacock Crew” that details information regarding their service and includes short biographies for the individuals. The collection also contains an addendum to the manuscript, including a list of crew members in chronological order by date of death. There is a digitally reproduced 8 by 11 photograph of the “Peacock Crew” at Avon Park, Florida, in 1944.

Content Description

Bernard Silverblatt served as a co-pilot on B-24s with the 492nd Bomb Group from 1943 to 1945, serving in the European Theater of War. He flew diversionary missions for the Royal Air Force and supply missions to Denmark and Norway. All 12 missions were at night. This collection contains an oral history interview transcript of Silverblatt.