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Cranston Fine Arts  Aviation Art and Artists World War Two Squadrons United States 339th Fighter Group to 385th Bomb Group  351st Bomb Group |
| 351st Bomb Group Aviation Art Prints, Paintings and Drawings Aviation Prints |
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| Text for the above items : |
Favorite Lady by John Young. A damaged Boeing B-17G of the 510th Bomb Squadron, 351st Bomb Group operating out of Polebrook, Northants, escorted here by North American P-51Ds of the 357th Fighter Group from Leiston in Suffolk. |
| 351st Bomb Group Aircraft details |
 Flying Fortress Built : 12677 | Flying Fortress In the mid-1930s engineers at Boeing suggested the possibility of designing a modern long-range monoplane bomber to the U.S. Army Air Corps. In 1934 the USAAC issued Circular 35-26 that outlined specifications for a new bomber that was to have a minimum payload of 2000 pounds, a cruising speed in excess of 200-MPH, and a range of at least 2000 miles. Boeing produced a prototype at its own expense, the model 299, which first flew in July of 1935. The 299 was a long-range bomber based largely on the Model 247 airliner. The Model 299 had several advanced features including an all-metal wing, an enclosed cockpit, retractable landing gear, a fully enclosed bomb bay with electrically operated doors, and cowled engines. With gun blisters glistening everywhere, a newsman covering the unveiling coined the term Flying Fortress to describe the new aircraft. After a few initial test flights the 299 flew off to Wright Field setting a speed record with an average speed of 232-mph. At Wright Field the 299 bettered its competition in almost all respects. However, an unfortunate crash of the prototype in October of 1935 resulted in the Army awarding its primary production contract to Douglas Aircraft for its DB-1 (B-18.) The Army did order 13 test models of the 299 in January 1936, and designated the new plane the Y1B-17. Early work on the B-17 was plagued by many difficulties, including the crash of the first Y1B-17 on its third flight, and nearly bankrupted the Company. Minor quantities of the B-17B, B-17C, and B-17D variants were built, and about 100 of these aircraft were in service at the time Pearl Harbor was attacked. In fact a number of unarmed B-17s flew into the War at the time of the Japanese attack. The German Blitzkrieg in Europe resulted in accelerated aircraft production in America. The B-17E was the first truly heavily armed variant and made its initial flight in September of 1941. B-17Es cost $298,000 each and more than 500 were delivered. The B-17F and B-17G were the truly mass-produced wartime versions of the Flying Fortress. More than 3,400 B-17Fs and more than 8,600 B-17Gs would be produced. The American daylight strategic bombing campaign against Germany was a major factor in the Allies winning the War in Europe. This campaign was largely flown by B-17 Flying Fortresses (12,677 built) and B-24 Liberators (18,188 built.) The B-17 bases were closer to London than those of the B-24, so B-17s received a disproportionate share of wartime publicity. The first mission in Europe with the B-17 was an Eighth Air Force flight of 12 B-17Es on August 12, 1942. Thousands more missions, with as many as 1000 aircraft on a single mission would follow over the next 2 ½ years, virtually decimating all German war making facilities and plants. The B-17 could take a lot of damage and keep on flying, and it was loved by the crews for bringing them home despite extensive battle damage. Following WW II, B-17s would see some action in Korea, and in the 1948 Israel War. There are only 14 flyable B-17s in operation today and a total of 43 complete airframes |
| 351st Bomb Group Pilot and aircrew signature details |
 Lieutenant Colonel Robert Gossman Our estimated value of this signature : £25 | Lieutenant Colonel Robert Gossman Bob Gossman joined the USAAF in March 1943, and after training was posted to England as a B-17 pilot with the 8th Air Force. Here he oined the 351st Bomb Group, 508th Bomb Squadron, based at Polebrook, Northamptonshire. He flew his first combat mission from there in January 1944, and later took part on a mission to Berlin with over 1300 bombers. After the war in Europe he went on to fly 58 missions in Korea, and another 30 missions in Vietnam. He retired from the Air Force in 1984. |
Captain Malcolm H Higgins Our estimated value of this signature : £20 | Captain Malcolm H Higgins Pilot Malcolm Higgins flew with the 100th Bomb Group on the Anklam raid of 9 Oc 1943, and was with the 3 5 1 st Bomb Group on the second Schweinfart raid, 14 October 1943. During this mission his aircraft came under heavy attack and he was shot down Taken by the Germans, he remained a POW until 10 May 1945. |
Captain James A Myl Our estimated value of this signature : £45 | Captain James A Myl Jim Myl joined the USAAF in 1942. Assigned to the 511th B.S., 351st B.G., he flew his first B17 combat mission in June 1944. On 4th August he brought his badly mauled B17 safely home from Berlin, but three days later, returning from Munich, he was hit again. With his aircraft in flames, he and his crew bailed out into the North Sea, six miles from England. He and six survivors were rescued y an RAF Air Sea Search launch. He completed his tour in just 72 operational days, the fastest tour in the 8th Air Force. |
 First Lieutenant Charles Norm Stevens Our estimated value of this signature : £10 | First Lieutenant Charles Norm Stevens Joining the Army Air Corps in April 1943, Norm Stevens graduated as a Bombardier and was commissioned shortly after. Posted to the 351st Bomb Group, he and his recently formed crew flew a new B-17 from Nebraska to their new base at Polebrook in Northamptonshire, England. Flying with the 509th Bomb Squadron his first combat mission was a raid on Le Bourget airfield outside Paris on 14th June 1944, followed by operations to targets across occupied France and Germany, including Berlin. His final mission was a raid on a Luftwaffe airfield at Kassel on 22nd September 1944 and he completed a total of 34 operations during WW2. |
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