487th Bomb Group (H)
Station 137 - Lavenham, Suffolk, UK
22-Sep-43 to 7-Nov-45
The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H) by Ivo de Jong

As of 29-June-2006 all books have been sold
The 487th Bombardment Group (Heavy) flew 185 combat missions over Europe in World War 2. Until now, this accomplishment was not properly documented, except for the pictorial history that was published shortly after the war. The history of the 487th Bomb Group (H) by Ivo de Jong is now filling this void.

The book is 8,5 " x 11 ", hardbound, with a dust jacket, and has 328 pages (16 of which are in color). It is lavishly illustrated, with over 500 photographs of the men, the aircraft and the exploits of the 487th Bomb Group.

The other main features of the book are:

  • A foreword by Lt Gen William K. Martin, Commanding Officer of the 487th Bomb Group from late December 1944 until late May 1945
  • Chapters covering the activation and training of the Group in the United States, the move to England, life at the base at Lavenham, all combat missions, and finally the return to the United States and disbandment of the Group
  • All 185 combat missions are covered in significant detail, with in-depth coverage of all losses suffered by the Group
  • The history is based on official records and enhanced by the use of a number of original diaries of both officers and enlisted men, and the recollections of many members of the Group
  • Appendices include a roll of honor of all 233 fatalities, biographies of the Commanding Officers, a complete list of all combat crews, an organization chart of the Group, and a list of the B-17 and B-24 aircraft that flew from Lavenham
This is a limited edition, as only 1,000 copies were printed. The first copy was presented by the author during the annual reunion of the 487th Bomb Group Association in Washington D.C. on October 23, 2004.

This is definitely the most substantive legacy of the exploits of the men of the 487th Bomb Group in World War 2.

Examples of cover & pages from book

[Cover] [Example 1] [Example 2] [Example 3] [Example 4]



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