100th Bomb Group

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100th Bombardment Group (H)

"The Bloody Hundredth"

13th Combat Wing, 3rd Bomb Division, 8th USAAF
The 100th Bombardment Group was composed
of the 349th, 350th, 351st and 418th Squadrons.

Assigned to the Third Bomb, later Air, Division of the 8th USAAF on June 1st 1943, the Group was based temporarily at Station 109 (Podington), between June 2nd and 8th 1943. The Group moved to Station 139 at Thorpe Abbotts in Norfolk on June 9th 1943, which was still under construction at the time. The 100th BG remained at Thorpe Abotts until Dec 11 1945.
Throughout this period in it's history, the Group flew B-17Fs and Gs during which time it completed 306 missions and received two Distinguished Unit Citations for missions to Regensburg on August 17th 1943, and for missions to Berlin for the period between March 4th and 8th, 1944.
As a result of the heavy losses, which the BG sustained, the 100th BG became known as "The Bloody Hundredth" and the "Hard-Luck Group". In fact, it's losses overall (177), were roughly comparable to that of other B-17 and B-24 Groups. However, the difference was in the high number of losses from individual missions effecting one or more Bomb Squadrons and reducing their strength to critical levels.

On September 11th 1944, the Group was under the command of Col. Thomas Jeffrey. All four squadrons of the Group took part in the mission to the Ruhland refineries, and despite their severe losses continued to Ruhland and bombed the target.
A claim of 16 enemy aircraft was made by the air-gunners after the B-17s returned to their home base. This would not have included any figures from 350th BS, of which sadly none returned. Among the survivors who landed at Thorpe Abbots were a number of wounded crew and damaged aircraft. Nevertheless, the 100th BG returned to bomb the oil refineries at Magdeburg on the following day.

The B-17G #43-37517 LD-T "Heaven Can Wait" of the 418 squadron, 100th BG. This aircraft piloted by Harry Hempy and Jack Janssen returned from the battle on the 11th of September 1944, and was seriously damaged by fighters of JG 4. With only two engines running, the plane flew over 800 km, and returned to Thorpe Abbotts.
(See the history page)

The Group Identification was a "D" in a square painted on the tail and the right wing. Since July 1944 colored nose-bands differentiating the squadrons were painted on some aircrafts. Since January 1945 the rudder was painted black and a black diagonal stripe was added to the right wing.

	Aircraft in Olive drab with a black "D" on a white square from 1943 until early 1944 (some OD airplanes serviced till end of the war)
Aircrafts were bare metal with white "D" on a black square in mid 1944

Code letters and colors of nosebands of the 100th BG squadrons:

Squadron	Code letter	Sqn "Noseband" color
349th	XR	dark blue
350th	LN	yellow
351st	EP	light green
418th	LD	red

Click on the link bellow to see more interesting points of history of the 100th BG related to the Czech Republic (other than of 11th September 1944):

"They were The First"

(Jack C. Moore crew - 12th May 1944)

"The Bloody Hundredth Yesterday and Today"

	Very active part in the 100th BG history is an association of veterans of this unit and their families and friends. The association works now as "The 100th Bomb Group Foundation". Our Museum is a member of the exclusive organization since 1997. The foundation organises large reunions in various locations around the USA every two years, in which representative from this museum also takes a part.
	Since 1977 the control tower at Station 139, Thorpe Abbotts, has been the 100th BG Memorial Museum and is open to the public on weekends.
	“The Bloody Hundredth Yesterday and Today" The honorary successor to 100th BG exists today as the 100th ARW (Air Refuelling Wing), a part of 513th Airborne Command and Control Wing based at RAF Mildenhall. The "D" in a square is now to be found on the tails of Boeing KC-135Rs.
	A sculpture of a B-17 in 100th BG markings stands in the front of the building at the US Air Force Academy at Maxwell AFB.