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92nd BG (H) Memorial Assn

 I welcome contributions of stories, photos, and any information you can provide.   All material contributed will be published.   I will create a Special Page for any member of the 92nd Bomb Group that would like me to do so.

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The Research Links page is the place to do your own research... These are links to resources that I have found and used since 1997 in my research and development of this website...

Click on tower to go to research page

My friend Tim Dunavin builds models on consignment.

These models are built from original photos of actual aircraft.

Click on the image to view his work

This page is dedicated to the memory of Cpt. Edward L. Walter, USAF. In 1942 he enlisted, trained as a bombardier, then was assigned to the 8th AF, 92nd Bomb Group, 327th squadron during WWII. He was stationed in England and flew 3-5  missions before being shot down by enemy aircraft over Germany while on the October 14, 1943 Schweinfurt raid.

Don Cash was with the 327th Bomb Squadron  KIA April 11th 1944  B-17F  no 42-30649 named the " Rose Olive" by her crew.

Fabulous Story...  Below is a partial transcript from the Official  MACR

"From my position in the tail of 42-30716 leading the second element of the low squadron, I saw the plane flying our right wing Lt. Hale’s B-17F #42-30803 hit by flak and burst into flames. I was watching it at the time it was hit. Flak hit the plane directly, hitting just behind the ball turret and at the same time the #2 engine seemed to be hit. The ball turret was blown off. The whole interior of the plane - from the bomb bay to the tail was in flames. The escape door from either the waist or tail was either kicked off or blown off but I did not see any chutes come out.

He was awarded the Air Medal with two bronze Oak leaf Clusters; Air Force Presidential Unit Citation; American Campaign Medal; the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with Battle Star (ETO); World War II Victory medal; and the Air Force Reserve Medal. He served 28 years, active and reserve, and retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, Air Force Reserve.

Information and Photos of the "GUNSHIP" flown exclusively by the 327th Bomb Squadron... The YB-40 was designed to replace fighter escort all the way to the target and back.  This was early in the war when fighter cover was virtually non existent

Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross The B-17 came under attack from numerous enemy aircraft, mostly      bf-109's...  The cockpit was hit by exploding 20mm cannon rounds, wounding both the pilot and co-pilot

From the Official USAAF 8th AF records...  Highlights of operations involving the 327th Bomb Squadron

Read the book here...  The story of a 19 year old Tail Gunner

Chronological Listing of All Missions (with links to many stories) flown by the 92nd Bomb Group in WW2

On April 24, 1944, a B-17G from the 407th BS, 92nd BG,  landed at Altenrhein airfield in Switzerland. The plane had been attacked by German fighters about half an hour before their target

Squadron Patches of the 92nd Bomb Group

Left to right;      407th    327th    326th      325th

Marshall Stelzriede

In 1998 Marshall Stelzriede came across a journal which he had written while in the service during the years 1942 to 1945, covering his experiences as a navigator with the Eighth Air Force in Europe during World War II.  His original intention was to type it up on paper, make photocopies of it, and distribute these copies only among my family, relatives, and friends  At the urging of his family, He put it on the Internet

There were fighters everywhere, but mostly on our tail. "The whole goddam Luftwaffey is out today," somebody said over the inter-phone. There were the single-engined Me.109s and twin-engined Me.110s; there were Ju.88s and FW190s; there also were Me.210s, even Dornier bombers, and God only knows what else the Germans had thrown into the fight. The only things they did not throw at the division were the plane factories themselves, or such factories as they have left to throw.

The "Toonerville Trolley" was a B-17 of the 92nd Bomb Group ...  Ed McKenzie's adventure began on April 24, 1944.  He was taken from his regular crew to fly his fifth mission as a replacement ball turret gunner with another crew. After hitting the target, an aircraft factory complex outside of Munich, their airplane named the "Toonerville Trolley" was shot down in flames by a German fighter. Some bailed out but, unable to exit his turret in time, Ed and a few others rode the plane down to a crash landing on a Bavarian hillside. Within the next twelve hours all were taken prisoner.

92nd Bomb Group

A must read...  This story is from a friends website, authored by another friend, Dan "Tiff" Johnson...  Dan is involved deeply in the history and research of WW2 Aviation...  This story is one of the most incredible true stories I have ever read...

Official  photos of 92nd BG

B-17F  "Woolaroc"

(serial number 42-30648) assigned to 327 Squadron

Crew of an Experimental YB-40

Every two months, the largest known regularly scheduled gathering of World War II Pilots gets together in Santa Rosa, California live and in person... Read about their past and present lives.

a/c B-17 231548 D

April 11 1944 Damaged and diverted to Sweden.   SSGT Richard G. Lloyd was the tailgunner on "Shu Shu Baby".  This account was written by his son Timothy Lloyd based on memories of what his father had described to him regarding his final mission.

Click on button

Images courtesy Timothy Lloyd.  Timothy's Father SSgt Richard G. Lloyd.  was a tailgunner assigned to "Shu Shu Baby" and was stationed at Podington with the 92nd BG.  In 1992 Timothy made a trip to see the base where his father served and graciously shared these images.

Read a first hand account about life at Podington Air Base during the course of the war... Click on the title above

John "Ole Tiger" Piazza

First with the RAF then the USAAF

My wife and I participate in re-enactment of WW2 USAAF personnel.  Here are some pictures of us and some friends at various Living History events.  

92nd BG Windows background

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Fame's Favored Few
Painting by Sam Lyons. Here, two B-17Gs from the 92nd Bomb Group make ready for the final combat mission flown by the 8th Air Force in WWII.

Story by Chester Schmidt

J. Kemp McLaughlin

Article from West Virginia University Alumni Magazine

Story written by Bill Post

Click on the flag for Posters