The "Hundredth Bombardment Group" came into being "on paper" at Orlando Army Base, Florida on June 1st, 1942. It would not be until October 27, 1942 in Boise, Idaho, by "Special Order 300", that 230 enlisted men and 24 officers were transferred to the 100TH. The group was officially activated on November 14, 1942 when Col. Darr Alkire became the groups first Commanding Officer. In December, during their second phase training, the total strength of the Group was 37 crews, with ten men on each crew. At that time, Capt. John Egan was Operations Officer with Capt. William Veal-349th Bomb Squadron Commanding Officer (BS C.O.), Capt. Gale "Buck" Cleven-350th BS C.O., Capt. John "Jack" Kidd-351st BS C.O. and Capt. Robert Flesher-418th BS C.O.
The 100th Bomb Group trained at Walla Walla Washington, Wendover Field-Utah, Sioux City-Iowa, and Kearney-Nebraska. It was at Kearny on April 20th that all 37 original crews took off on a practice mission for Hamilton Field, California, a distance of almost 1300 miles with very poor results. Col. Alkire shouldered this responsibility and was relieved of command of the 100th BG and assigned weeks later as Commanding Officer of the 449th Bomb Group (B-24’s), which would later fly with the 15th Air Force out of Italy.
On April 26, 1943 Colonel Howard Turner, assumed command of the Group and on May 1st the air echelon took off for Wendover Field, Utah for 20 days of advanced training in navigation, gunnery, bombing, formation flying while aircraft combat modifications were being done at Ogden Utah. With training completed, 35 crews flew to England on May 25, 1943 and arrived at Station 139, Thorpe Abbotts, England on June 8, 1943. Three days later Col. Turner was assigned to the First Air Division and was replaced by Col. Harold Huglin who made the following changes; Maj. Egan to 418th BS C.O., Capt. Flesher to Air Exec, Capt. Kidd to Operations Officer, and Capt. Ollie Turner to 351st BS C.O. The 100th Bomb Group (H), flying the B-17 "Flying Fortress", would become combat operational beginning June 25, 1943. Any sense of adventure and bravado came to a halt on that first mission; three planes and 30 men were lost over Bremen. The average life of an 8th Air Force B-17 crewman in 1943 was eleven missions! On July 2, 1943, Col. Neil B. "Chick" Harding assumed command of the 100th BG with Col. Huglin being reassigned to 13th Combat Wing HQ. "Chick" would command the 100th until March 7, 1944, and by that time the group had already become legendary.
From June 25, 1943 until April 20, 1945 the 100th Bomb Group would never go off operational status due to losses. The 100th did not stand alone at Thorpe Abbotts. Throughout their stay they were assisted by support units: 1776 Ordnance Company, 18th Weather Detachment, 869th Chemical Company, 216th Finance Section, 592nd Postal Unit, 1285th Military Police, 2110 Fire Fighting Platoon, ll4lst Quartermaster Company, 83rd Service Group, 456th Sub-Depot, 412th Air Service Group, 838th Air Engineering Squadron, 662nd Air Material Squadron, American Red Cross, and Royal Air Force Detachment. Throughout its stay at Thorpe Abbotts, the Ground Echelon of the 100th was cited frequently for its excellent maintenance and preparation activity.
Statistical Summary:
First mission: June 25 1943
Last mission: April 20 1945
Total missions: 306
Total credit sorties: 8,630
Total bomb tonnage: 19,257
184 Missing Air Crew Reports
229 planes were Lost or Salvaged
785 men KIA/MIA and 894 POW
6 "Chowhound" missions in May 1945, dropping food to hungry Dutch citizens.
Campaign Credits:
- Air Offensive, Europe (4 July 1942 - 5 June 1944
- Normandy (6 June 1944 - 24 July 1944)
- Northern France (25 July 1944 - 14 September 1944)
- Rhineland (15 September 1944 - 21 March 1945)
- Ardennes - Alsace (16 December 1944 - 25 January 1945)
- Central Europe (22 March 1945 - 11 May 1945
- More on campaigns
Awards and Decorations:
Distinguished Unit Citation: Regensburg, Germany - 17 August 17, 1943
Distinguished Unit Citation: Berlin, Germany-March 4, 6, 8, 1944
French Croix de Guerre with Palm-25 June – 31 December 1944