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that breathes history and where at every step
you can meet those tremendous stories that
were born right there and that today recreate
the legend and legacy of the Bloody Hundredth.
In 2022, the museum received the prestigious
Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service from the
British Queen.
The 100th Bomb Group was formally deactivat-
ed on the 21st of December, 1945. It was reactivat-
ed as a training unit with B-29s on May 29th, 1947
and decommissioned again on June 27th, 1949.
It was later reactivated several more times as
the 100th Bomb Wing (1956-1966, with B-47s), the
100th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (1966–1976,
U-2s), the 100th Air Refueling Wing (1976–1983,
KC-135s), followed by seven years on ice, after
which the One Hundredth was reactivated as
the 100th Air Division (1990–1991) and then again
as the 100th Air Refueling Wing (1992–present,
KC-135R aircraft). The unit is based in the UK at
RAF Mildenhall, just a few minutes’ flight from
Thorpe Abbotts, and is the main USAF refueling
unit for the European area. The members of the
100th ARW are justifiably proud of their genera-
tional connection to the 100th Bomb Group, which
is shown, among other things, by sporting the
‘Square D’ on the tails of their giant Stratotankers,
the designation used by the 100th Bomb Group
during World War II. The 100th ARW representa-
tives regularly attend 100th BGF reunions and oc-
casionally volunteer to help out at the museum at
Thorpe Abbotts. They faithfully familiarize them-
selves with the history that preceded their unit
long before they themselves came into the world.
Boeing KC-135R s/n 58-0100, due to its last three digits
of the tail number, usually serves as the commander’
ship of the 100th Air Refuelling Wing.
(100th ARW & Public Domain)
The KC-135R s/n 63-7999 ‘Boss Lady’ was named
after one of the 100th Bomb Group’s aircraft lost over
Kovarska on September 11, 1944. (100th ARW & Public
Domain)
Meeting of Generations. In addition to the human
participants, several 100th BG Foundation Reunions
featured the B-17 ‘The Movie Memphis Belle,’ a flying
warbird with the 100th Bomb Group designation, and
a KC-135R from the 100th ARW. This image was taken
at the 2017 Reunion.
(Museum of Air battle over the Ore Mountains)
HISTORY
INFO Eduard
Speciál B-17F / The Bloody Hundredth 1943
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June 2024