398th Experiences

Getting There

Rapid City to Nuthampstead

The original crews left Rapid City in April 1944 with their B-17s. The route they generally followed was:

  • Rapid City, SD
  • Grand Island, NB
  • Manchester, NH, Grenier Field
  • Goosebay, Labrador
  • Keflavik, Iceland
  • Nutscorner, Ireland
  • Nuthampstead, England

Later crews followed varying routes from various originating Army Air Force Bases.

USS Wakefield

One member of each of the original crews was bumped on the flight over and their places taken by key officers. The bumped aircraft crewmen along with ground support personnel traveled by train from Rapid City to Boston where they boarded the USS Wakefield and then sailed to Liverpool, England.

  1. Chaplain Duvall Conducting Services on USS Wakefield - probably 16 April 1944
  2. My 398th B.G. Military Career - Clerk - 398th Group Headquarters by Robert Cronk
Other Ships
  • H.M.S. Highland Brigade” -  Troop Ship left Port of New York 24 July 1944 (Bradford Diary)

 

Getting There Articles

The following 398th web site articles include information about Getting There. Note that in some cases the information may be just a few sentences within a story. However, even though just a few sentences or paragraphs, the reader will begin to get a feel for how the veterans traveled to Nuthampstead. Arranged alphabetically by author.

  1. Nunzio Addabbo, 398th Navigator - 601st Squadron Video Interview Transcription
  2. Keith Anderson, 398th Pilot - 600th Squadron 2003 Video Interview Transcription
  3. Keith Anderson, 398th Pilot - 600th Squadron 2006 Video Interview Transcription
  4. Lt. Robert J. Beckley's Diary Introduction
  5. Walter E. Boland: My Personal History by Walter E. Boland (briefly mentions transport there via ship)
  6. T/Sgt. Oliver W. Bradford's Diary for July 20 to August 29, 1944
  7. T/Sgt. Frederick Chester Bradley, Jr. Engineer / Top Turret Gunner Howard F. Traeder Crew by Lee Anne Bradley
  8. Dale Brown, 398th Bombardier - 603rd Squadron Video Interview Transcription
  9. Why I Should have been Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by Lew Burke, Co-Pilot, 603rd
  10. Lew Burke, 398th Pilot - 603rd Squadron Video Interview Transcription
  11. Marvin Coffee, 398th Pilot - 602nd Squadron Video Interview Transcription
  12. My 398th B.G. Military Career - Clerk - 398th Group Headquarters by Robert Cronk
  13. Russell Currier, 398th Engineer - 603rd Squadron Video Interview Transcription
  14. Donald Dunn, 398th Tail Gunner/Spot Jammer - 603rd Squadron Video Interview Transcription
  15. Chaplain Duvall Conducting Services on USS Wakefield - probably 16 April 1944
  16. Bebe - Boeing B-17 # 43-37982 N7-K by Dallas Ebest, Ground Crew, 603rd Squadron
  17. Lt. E. Dalton Ebbeson, Bombardier/Navigator, 603rd
  18. Dick Frazier, 398th Pilot - 602nd Squadron Video Interview Transcription
  19. T/Sgt. Armand Fugge's Diary for April 20 to April 25, 1944
  20. Getting There And Back Was As Perilous As The Real War by Robert Geiryn
  21. George Graham, 398th Radio Operator - 600th Squadron Video Interview Transcription
  22. S/Sgt. Ken Green's Diary for July 26 to September 2, 1944
  23. S/Sgt. James Holloway's Diary Introduction
  24. Jerome Jans, 398th Pilot - 603rd Squadron Video Interview Transcription
  25. T.J. "Ted" Johnston, 398th Pilot - 600th Squadron Video Interview Transcription
  26. Phil Jones WWII Recollections by Philip H. Jones, Tail Gunner
  27. Lt. Edward C. Jordan - The War Years by Dave Jordan (see Rapid City to Nuthampstead Chapter)
  28. S/Sgt. Chilton H. Jorgenson's Diary for April 12 to April 23, 1944
  29. Clarence King, 398th Pilot - 603rd Squadron Video Interview Transcription
  30. Arthur Laughlin, 398th Pilot - 601st Squadron Video Interview Transcription
  31. T/Sgt. Derald Lyman's Diary - Pre-Missions
  32. Lt. Harvey B. Kramer's Diary for April 8-24, 1944
  33. 2nd Lt. Charles J. Mellis, Jr.'s Diary for 13 May to 8 June 1944
  34. A Flight Never to be Forgotten by Newell (Newt) Moy
  35. Elliot Novek, 398th Radio Operator - 602nd Squadron Video Interview Transcription
  36. A Great Day with John Driscoll's Family by Malcolm "Ozzie" Osborn
  37. Allen Ostrom, 398th Tail Gunner - 603rd Squadron Video Interview Transcription
  38. "Pep" Petrocine, 398th Pilot - 600th Squadron Video Interview Transcription
  39. Russell Reed, 398th Pilot - 603rd Squadron Video Interview Transcription
  40. Ray Richman, 398th Executive Officer - 600th Squadron Video Interview Transcription
  41. Philip Stahlman, 398th Pilot - 601st Squadron Video Interview Transcription
  42. Crossing The Atlantic by Phil Swan, Co-Pilot
  43. Sgt. Claude W. Tracey's Diary for 22 November 1944
  44. Howard Traeder, 398th Pilot - 601st Squadron Video Interview Transcription
  45. Bluie West One (BW-1) by Howard Traeder, Pilot
  46. A Memorable Trip - December 1944 by Paul Wagner
  47. Hal Weekley, 398th Pilot - 601st Squadron - EAA Timeless Voices of Aviation Video Interview Excerpts
  48. The Tallest Gunner in the Air Force by Ralph F. Will, Flight Engineer