The 390th Bomb Group, nicknamed "Wittan's Wallopers" (Colonel Edger M. Wittan Feb 1943 - April 1944), consisted of these bomb squadrons: The 568th (Code BI*) Call sign: Cavort, the 569th (Code CC*) Call sign: Boaster, the 570th (Code DI*) Call sign: Anteat and the 571st (Code FC*) Call sign: Longshore. The 390th Bomb Group belonged to the 8th Air Force, 3rd Bombardment Division, 13th Combat Bombardment Wing. The group was activated on January 26th, 1943 at Geiger Field in Spokane, Washington. The formation didn't begin until late Febuary of 1943. They trained at Geiger Field until the 6th of June, when the group moved to Great Falls AAB in Montana. The aircrafts went overseas on July 4th, 1943, taking the northern ferry route from Iceland to Prestwick, with the first aircraft arriving on July 13th, 1943. The ground unit left Camp Shanks, NY on the 4th of July 1943 and sailed on the USS James Parker on July 17th, 1943 arriving in Liverpool, England on July 27th, 1943. The 390th BG flew 300 missions, with a total of 8,725 sorties. It dropped a total bomb tonnage of 19,059 tons, with a 144 aircraft MIA. The 390th was assigned to the 8th army air force in July of 1943. It's first mission was August 12, 1943 and its last mission on April 20, 1945. There were three other commanders after Col. Wittan. Col. Frederick W. Ott (May 1944 - Sept 1944), Col Joseph A. Moller (Sept 1944 - May 1945), and Col. George Von Arb (May 1945 - Aug 1945).
The Sub Units consisted of the 1143rd Military Police Company, 272nd Medical Dispensary, 30th Station Complement Squadron , 458th Sub Depot , 878th Chemical Company , 1689th Ordnance S&M Company , 1091st Quartermaster Company , 216th Finance Section , 18th Weather Squadron , 563rd Postal Squadron , and the 2034th Fire Fighting Platoon.
Awards; (Distinguished Unit Citations) Regensburg: August 17, 1943 and Schweinfurt: October 14, 1943.
The 390th claim to fame: Highest claims of enemy aircraft destroyed by a bomb group on one mission in October 10, 1943. One man, Hewitt Dunn, of the 390th BG, was the only man to fly 100 missions.
If you look on the 390Th Bomb Group patch, like the picture off to the right side of this page, you will see a the (3) B-17's. Under the B-17's is a banner with "Sur Le Nez", which is a French phase and the motto of the 390Th Bombardment Group (H). It means "On the Nose".
* Click on the "Home" button at the bottom center of the post to go to the home page.