WThe Wartime Memories Project - RAF Glatton, USAAF Station 130

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Information. RAF Glatton, located 10 miles north of Huntingdon, was built by The 809th Engineer Aviation Batallion, The new 457th airfield completely surrounded and included the village of Conington. Since there were already air fields at Honington and Coningsby, and in order to avoid confusion of names, the field was named after Glatton, a small village four miles west. Glatton opened in January 1944 and was home to the 748th and 749th Squadrons of the 94th Combat Wing, 457th Bomb Group, the base was known as USAAF Station 130. The 457th flew 237 missions losing 83 B-17s, their final mission being on the 20th April 1945. The base was then handed over to No.3 Group Bomber Command who flew Lancasters and Liberators to the Middle East until July 1945 when 273 MU took over. The airfield was sold 1948 and today is used as a private airfield and is known as Peterborough Business Airfield. Some of the buildings survive. Squadrons stationed at Glatton 748th Bomb Squadron 749th Bomb Squadron 750th Bomb Squadron 751st Bomb Squadron 273 MU I am the grandson of John W. Lewis. John W. Lewis was the Tail Gunner in the B17 named "Moon Light Mission" 43-38606. Mission No. 228 was on April 10th, 1945 Target - Oranienberg The target for the 457th was an ordinance depot at Oranienburg, near Berlin. Rendezvous and course were flown as briefed. Bombing was visual in squadron trail formation. Bombs were dropped from 25000 feet and results of all squadrons was good. Just after dropping their bombs the group was attacked by four ME-262's from the tail, The The lead ship s/n 44-8368 was hit by 20 mm cannon and, with two engines out, left the formation and later exploded. Also a plane in the high box s/n 43-38606, was hit and dove out of formation. Another plane, s/n , flying deputy lead was hit badly by 20 mm shells but managed to stay with the bomber stream and made an emergency landing at Woodbridge in England. Plane s/n 43-38606, named "Moon Light Mission," and piloted by Lt Thomas P. Thompson, Jr., was flying #2 position in the high box and was hit by a number of 20 mm shells from the ME-262's that were attacking. The plane immediately nosed down, and burst into flames. One wing came off and the ship exploded at about 15000 feet. Four of the crewmen did not survive. It is reported by some of the survivors that the Germans took Keith and Lewis to the site of the crash and made them carry the bodies of there fellow crewmen to a nearby cemetery. Pilot Lt Thomas P. Thompson, Jr. Copilot F/O Max E. Felder KIA Navigator F/O Charlie P. Keith Toggleer Sgt Alfred F. Waichunas KIA Aircraft Engineer Sgt Thomas E. Smith KIA Radio Operator Sgt Keith V. Shinault Left Waist Gunner Sgt William A. Peltoma Ball Turret Gunner Sgt Walter J. Basara KIA Tail Gunner Sgt John W. Lewis Photographs The layout of RAF Glatton in 1944 Memorial to the 547th Group situated in the churchyard of All Saints’ Church at Conington. The 457th Officers Mess at Glatton If you have any Photographs you would like to share please get in touch. List of those who served. Sgt Walter J. Basar. Ball Turret Gunner 748thBS (d. 10 Apr 1945) Read his Story Felecismo Basuil - radar operator 748th Squadron. Hardy Bell - engineer 748th Squadron. Benny J. Bigley Thomas E. Brines Paul Brook George Cole - tail gunner 748th Squadron. L. Domato - radioman 748th Squadron. Art Gennari - copilot 748th Squadron. Richard Gibbs 749th Sqd Read his story Carl Gooch F/O Max E. Felder Copilot 748thBS (d. 10 Apr 1945) Read his Story Richard Fitzhugh - pilot 748th Squadron. James W. Ford John Kearney F/O Charlie P. Keith Navigator 748thBS Read his Story Charles Kenney Robert E Hall Floyd N. "Hink" Henderson Harvey G. Henkel - right waist gunner 748th Squadron. Clair Hetrick, Robert Hollobush. 748th squadron Charles P. Keith Howard Larsen - radioman 748th Squadron. Leo Lawler Joel Lester Sgt John W. Lewis. Tail Gunner 748thBS Read his Story Jim McCloskey Wesley McDonald - waist gunner 748th Squadron. Percy Mack William Meng - 2nd navigator 748th Squadron. J. Miller - flight engineer 748th Squadron. Lt. Mueller - high squadron commander 748th Squadron. E. T. Naversen - navigator 748th Squadron. Wilbur M. Parker Sgt William A. Peltoma. Left Waist Gunner 748thBS Read his Story Edward Peters Ivory Phillips - ball turret gunner 748th Squadron. Howard Prather - waist gunner 748th Squadron. A. Willard "Hap" Reese Read his story Col. Rogner K. Rohde Don Scheuch, John Schwall - bombardier 748th Squadron. Delbert S Schawb. Sgt Keith V. Shinault Radio Operator 748thBS Read his Story L. Smith - tail gunner 748th Squadron. Sgt Thomas E. Smith. Aircraft Engineer 748thBS (d. 10 Apr 1945) Read his Story Jim Stoner Murray "Morris" Swerdlove - Bombardier 748th Squadron Read his story J. Taylor - copilot 748th Squadron. J. Taylor - Ball turret 748th Squadron. W. Thistle - pilot 748th Squadron. Lt Thomas P. Thompson, Jr. Pilot 748thBS Read his Story R. Truba. bombardier 748th Squadron. Sgt Alfred F. Waichunas. Toggleer 748thBS (d. 10 Apr 1945) Read his Story Rudolfh G. Warner III C. Winters - navigator 748th Squadron. If you have any names to add to this list, or any recollections or photos of those listed, please get in touch. If you have a story which you would like to share, or a website dedicated to an airfield or aircrew, please get in touch. Send an E-mail to The Wartime Memories Project Links Fields of Valour Photographs of Glatton 457th Bomb Group Association The 457th Bomb Group Airfields Index The Wartime Memories Project is a non profit organisation. 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