Introduction
During World War II (From 7-9th December 1942 onwards), the 305th bombardment group (Heavy) was based at the airfield of Chelveston, Station 105 close to the village of Chelveston (England) after moving from their temporary base of Grafton Underwood. Being part of the eighth air force (Mighty Eighth) 1st division, within the 40th Combat wing, the 305th bomb group consisted of four flying squadrons, the 364th, 365th, 366th and 422nd. Also attached to the group as Ground Units where the 325th Service Group (Headquarters Personnel), 413rd Air Service Squadron (Maintenance and major airframe repairs) , 2nd Station Complement Squadron (Responsible for the maintenance of bricks and mortar at the base, fire crews, flying control and communications), 1623 Ordnance MM Company (Maintenance of the bomb dump and vehicles etc), 875th Chemical Company (responsible for incendiary bombs and pyrotechnics), 1121st Quartermaster Company (Domestic welfare, food etc), S2 (intelligence) and the 983rd MP Company (Military Police).
Background
The 305th Bomb Group was activated 1 March 1942 at Salt Lake City AB, Utah, in which they trained there until the 2nd of March 1943. The group then moved to Geiger Field, Washington on 11 June 1942 for intensive training at Muroc Lake AB, California from the 29th June to 20th August 1942. The ground unit travelled by train to at Fort Dix, New Jersey. The ground unit sailed on the Queen Mary on the 5th September 1942, and disembarked from Greenock, Renfrewshire, United Kingdom on the 12th of September 1942. The group received the new B-17F bombers, and left for the United Kingdom in October 1942 via the presque Isle, and Gander to Prestwick.
Once within the United Kingdom, the group was formed at RAF Grafton Underwood as part of 1st Air Division, 40th Combat Wing. The group was assigned the group tail code "Triange-G". At Grafton Underwood, the group began combat on 17 November 1942.
Arrival
The 305th Bomb Group arrived at Chelveston between 7-9th December 1942. Previously the group had flown 5 missions from their temporary base of Grafton Underwood. The first two of these missions were called 'Diversions', also known as decoy missions which were flown to the enemy coastline to attract enemy fighters away from the main attacking force. The last mission from Grafton on the 6th December saw the first casualties, of the William Prentice crew, only one of the crew survived.
The commander of the 305th at that point was the greatly respected General Curtis Emerson LeMay. During his time, LeMay was perfecting the 'Bomber Combat Box Formation' designed to give maximum fire power against enemy fighters and having bombers at staggered altitudes to create difficulty for enemy anti aircraft fire from the ground. Targets set at this stage in the war were mostly against enemy fighter airfields and the French coastlines, but also U-Boat Pens.
Early Days- Ground Crew Load 500 pounders ready for the 23rd November 1942 mission on U-Boat Pens, St Nazaire.
Can Do
History of the Group
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During the years between 1942-45 approximately 8,000 Americans passed through Chelveston, with towards the end of the war, up to 4,000 men in residence at the base at one time. 769 + young men, gave their lives to preserve freedom for all. The group flew 480 combat missions overall and over 174 of the group's aircraft (B-17's "Flying Fortresses") were shot down or destroyed.
