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43-34220, B-26G-5, Capt. Charles G. Fraser,
587th BS/394th BG, Bricy, France, August 1944
43-34240, B-26G-5, Lt. Wilbert L Weir, 444th BS/320th BG,
Decimomannu, Sardinia, August 1944
The 394th Bomb Group was established on
February 15, 1943 and activated on March 5. From
the beginning, its crews flew B-26s with which
they trained for combat deployments in Europe.
In February and March 1944, the group moved to
England to Boreham Base and was assigned to
the 9th Air Force. By March, its Marauders were
flying attacks in France, with frequent targets
being V-1 missile bases, marshalling yards and
bridges. When the D
-
Day came, the 394th BG
bombed German positions at Cherbourg and other
targets. After moving to the Continent in late
August 1944, the group began operating against
targets in Germany and participated in the Battle
of the Bulge. After the surrender of Germany,
it stayed in Europe as part of the occupation
forces. In September it began training on the
A-26s and in December 1945 was redesignated
the 394th Bomb Group (Light). Upon return to
the United States, the group was inactivated on
March 31, 1946. The pilot of the aircraft named
I'll Get By, which was assigned to the unit on
August 7, 1944, was Capt. Charles G. Fraser, co-
pilot 2Lt Thomas Leask. The drawing of the girl
unbuttoning her swimsuit top was based on an
original by Albert Vargas
The activation of the 320th Bomb Group occurred
on June 23, 1942, with most of the group moving
through England to North Africa after training
during August–December 1942. As part of the 12th
Air Force, the group began combat operations
from bases in Algeria, Tunisia, Sardinia, and
Corsica. Gradually, crews attacked enemy
vessels in the approaches to Tunisia, land targets
in Sardinia, and supported the invasion of Sicily.
This was followed by raids on targets in Italy
and, from June 1944, support for the invasion of
southern France. In June 1945 the group moved
to Germany and returned to the United States
during November. It was inactivated as early as
December 4 of that year. The aircraft, named
Pancho and his Reever Rats, did not see the end
of the war unfortunately. On August 23, 1944,
it was hit by German anti-aircraft fire during
a raid near Covigliano and exploded in mid-air.
According to some sources, the entire crew of
Lt. Wilbert L. Weir was killed, others state that
the rear gunner, S/Sgt. Albert A. Giuffre, was
rescued and even returned to duty.
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