My Grandfather, Col. Merlin Ingles Carter was the last Commanding Officer of Polebrook AFB during the last months of the war. One of the 4 memorial plaques at the site is dedicated to his service. Thank you for your posting this footage..
I was lucky to be assigned to the 351st Strategic Missile Wing (Minuteman ICBM) unit (successor to the 351 BG) when I joined the Air Force in 1978. Later, I was assigned to the 91st Missile Wing -- the unit my father was assigned to during WWII as the 91st Bomb Group!
My grandpa was a photographer and cameraman in the 351st Bomb Group from June 1944-April 1945. His name was S/Sgt. James Fuller. He flew a couple of missions on the B-17 "Star Duster" featured at the 2:47 minute mark. He flew 33 missions total with the 351st. Thank you for this video!
My father was a bombardier in the 351st bomb group 509 squadron He was shot down over first raid over Berlin August 1944 and spent 17 months as prisoner of war. Enjoy these video's very much, they give me some idea the living conditions. My father never wanted to talk about the war but I read enough to know that We lost more boys in the air of Europe then we did the Marines in the south Pacific. By the way, Everyone should visit the 8th air force museum outside of Savanah.
This is my father's group right here. I believe he copiloted for the bomber Wildfire. The called him Wiley. I believe Cary Grant was attached to the 351st for filming purposes, there's a video out there on it.
My father flew 35 missions from Polebrook as a Navigator. Would love to see some more if possible. I been searching for years to find some actual footage of the group besides Combat America with Gable. Man that was great.Thanks.
Hello Beth, as I mentioned in a response to one of the commenters below, my grandfather - FO George Goforth - was a navigator at Polebrook from October of 44 through March of 45. Do you have a place where you store your collection of stills? I’d love the chance to look through the footage and shots you’ve got. I use my spare time researching the 351st - and enjoyed the chance to visit Polebrook a few years ago myself. I can be reached at joshua.cagney@gmail.com
@@sabunome Sir, with all the images of personnel with cameras, etc. and you state you have additional footage, might there be any film if the Major Glenn Miller AAF Orchestra's concert for the personnel at Polebrook? Keeping my fingers crossed!! I enjoy chronicling Miller's career.
I think all the footage was shot from spring 1944 to 45. The B-17's are all G models with the chin turret in natural metal (No camouflage) which only started arriving in the UK from early 1944. Also the flight clothing is late war issue, most are wearing B-10 cotton flight jackets rather than the earlier leather A2. The A2 was discontinued in late 1943.
+Timothy Martin this is film my grandfather shot that was recently digitized. I'm working on a few more from Polebrook in his collection and will link them from here. Glad you found it.
Hello sabunnme, Love the film clip would you like me to include them on my UA-cam channel I have over 16.000 subscribers and 15 mill views it would sure get to be well seen and I could give you all the credits Regards John Chairman 92nd Bomb Group U.K.
It's kinda funny. I drive a taxi and whenever I get somebody from the U.K. in the car I ask them if they know where Polebrook is. The answer is always no, but they say it probably has three pubs, four churches and a population of twenty.
Mr. Bulley/Russ, I am Andy Burns (full name: Robert Andrew Burns), the son of then Colonel Robert W. Burns of the 351st Bomb Group, who was stationed at RAF Polebrook from March 1943 until May 1945. My father retired as a USAF Major General in 1970, and died in 2004. I am as certain as I can be that he was the cameraman for all the shots where he's not in the picture. One of the Army nurses in the film was my mother-to-be, and I believe you are right: the scenes of her were most probably taken at her duty station in Abergavenny, Wales, where she was stationed from June 1943 to October 1944, or possibly at Bath, U.K., where she was posted from Oct 1944 to March 1945 . I do believe, but can’t be fully certain, that all the shots that don’t include her were taken at Polebrook. From clues in the film, I believe but do not know this film was shot on a single roll of film (not cut or spliced together from different bits of film), and that filming took place from about June 1944 to about October 1944, but that is only my surmise right now. My son, Sam Burns, has been kind enough to post my father’s wartime film on his website. I believe I can accurately name some of the people in the film but, I’m sorry to say, only a relative few. In the interests of time, I’m going to give a short version first, so you have a prompt response. Some time later, when I’ve been able to digest all the sometimes-conflicting information I’ve found, I’ll venture a longer form reply, but that may be a while. For general background, RAF Polebrook was the location of the US Army Air Force’s 94th Bombardment Wing headquarters, and the headquarters (and operating base) of its subordinate unit, the 351st Bombardment Group. The 351st BG’s distinctive aircraft marking was the triangle-J insignia (clearly visible on the scenes of airplanes taking off and landing). The 94th Bomb Wing was subordinate to the USAAF 1st Air Division, located at Brampton Grange in Cambridgeshire. The 1st Air Division was one of three air divisions of the 8th Army Air Force (The “Mighty Eighth”, as it came to be known), located at High Wycombe, UK. The 351st Bomb Group had four Bomb Squadrons: the 508th, 509th, 510th, and 511th. I believe the following pieces of information are also facts: Brigadier General Julius K. Lacey was commander of the 94th BW from 12 Dec 1943 to June 1945, when Col. Eugene A. Romig took command The 351st BG had four commanders during WWII: Col. William A. Hatcher Jr. Nov. 24, 1942 - Dec. 31, 1943 (when he was shot down and became a POW in Germany for the remainder of the war) Col. Eugene A. Romig Jan. 3, 1944 - Oct. 12, 1944 Col. Robert W. Burns Oct. 12, 1944 - Mar. 30, 1945 (my father) Col. Merlin I. Carter Mar. 31, 1945 - Aug. 28, 1945 Lt. Col. James T. Stewart was commander of the 508th Bomb Squadron May 14, 1943 - Aug. 28, 1945. Lt. Col. Stewart’s squadron was where Clark Gable and his film crew were assigned when they joined the 351st BG in 1943 to shoot film footage for the movie Combat America. They had returned to the United States, I believe, when this film was shot. 1st Lieutenant Ruth J. Blackburn, a US Army nurse (who went on to marry my father and become my mother) was stationed at: Lilford Hall Manor House, near Polebrook, from early 1943 until June 1943 (this was where she met my father) Abergavenny, Wales, from June 1943 to October 1944 Bath, U.K., from Oct 1944 to March 1945 1:15 The man with the thick head of graying hair deplaning from a B-17 is Brigadier General Julius K. Lacey, commander of the 94th Bomb Wing, the parent organization of the 351st BG. Gen. Lacey retired as a USAF Major General. Did Gen. Lacey get out of the plane first seen taxiing to its shut-down location at 0:36? Easy to assume, but possibly not. 1:54 As he walks toward the camera, the stars on Gen. Lacey’s shoulders, indicating his rank as a Brigadier General, are clearly visible. 5:57 The grinning man with the flight cap set well back on his head is Lt. Col. James T. Stewart (not the American movie actor), who was commander of the 508th Bomb Squadron. Lt. Col. Stewart eventually retired as a USAF Lieutenant General. 6:35 The man doffing his cap for the camera is Colonel Eugene A. Romig, the second commander of the 351st BG. Col. Romig went on to succeed Gen. Lacey as C.O. of the 94th Bombardment Wing, and Col. Burns became the third commander of the 351st Bomb Group. 7:22 Then-351st C.O. Col. Romig emerges from the 351st group HQ building 7:56 This man is wearing the Christian cross insignia of an Army chaplain, but I can find no reference as to who he is. 8:40 1/Lt Ruth Blackburn (my mother) and 1/Lt Bert Shannon (her closest friend), Army nurses. Most likely this film was taken at her medical station in Abergavenny, Wales, where she was posted from June 1943 to October 1944. My father made flying trips there from Polebrook to visit my mother using a Piper Cub airplane the Bomb Gp. had somehow acquired. This film likely was shot during one such visit. My mother was subsequently posted to a medical station in Bath, U.K., from Oct 1944 to March 1945, but I believe (cannot be sure though) that was probably after these films were taken. After the war Lt Shannon married a Spokane WA dentist named Gates, and had two sons, Charles and Kenneth. Lt. Blackburn married Col. Burns and had a son, me, and two daughters, Susan and Rebecca. Ruth died in 2006. 8:56 Lt. Blackburn (my mother) again, at either Abergavenny or Bath. 9:40 Col. Robert W. Burns (my father) and my mother, Ruth Blackburn, at either Abergavenny or Bath. 10:57 Around the time I believe this was filmed (Oct ’44), my father became C.O. of the 351st BG, succeeding Col. Romig, who moved up to command the 94th Bomb Wing. This appears to me to be him entering the base, and then the 351st BG HQ as the new commander. I’m sorry I can’t name any other people in this film. I am experiencing some inconsistencies between my assumptions and suppositions and some of the internet “facts” I am finding, so my idea of when this film was likely to have been shot is still under review, but I am confident enough of my identifications to submit this as is. Sometime in the future I’ll post a longer version; perhaps other interested folks will have something to say. Russ, I salute your sharp eye and knowledge of Polebrook; you are correct that some of those scenes were not at Polebrook. I have been there twice myself, once in the late 1990’s and again in 2000, or so. We were hosted by Mr. David Gower, of Polebrook, during both visits; perhaps you know him? Cheers, Robert (Andy) Burns
Good grief there is nothing left of Polebrook airfield other than some concrete apron and the Memorial. I doubt anyone could orientate anything from this film to the way Polebrook looks now!
Russ, I too am a native of that area and some of this is not polebrook. There were no civilian houses right next to the air base and local houses are very different in style to those in the film anyway. Those hills in the background don't look realistic either.
My Dad was with the 510th Sqdrn MSgt. Wendell A. Kratz. I stole some of your footage to make a video, I hope you don't mind. If there is an issue, let me know. For some reason I can't paste the link to my video but you can find it by going to my Channel. Mark KratzMC I also have a website www.kratzmc.com with pages dedicated to the 351st. If I can of any assistance, let me know. I am also a member of the 351st BG assoc.
Tony Mills - Peterborough - Fantastic film I too would like to copy the Main Gate footage showing the J Type Hanger, thank you so much for sharing the memory @@sabunome
My Grandfather, Col. Merlin Ingles Carter was the last Commanding Officer of Polebrook AFB during the last months of the war. One of the 4 memorial plaques at the site is dedicated to his service. Thank you for your posting this footage..
I was lucky to be assigned to the 351st Strategic Missile Wing (Minuteman ICBM) unit (successor to the 351 BG) when I joined the Air Force in 1978. Later, I was assigned to the 91st Missile Wing -- the unit my father was assigned to during WWII as the 91st Bomb Group!
My dad flew out of Polebrook as a bombardier toward the end of the war. He had many fond memories of England...not so many of Germany. Great video.
Some of the B-17's had the BTO in place of the ball turret. BTO = Bombing Through Overcast radar. Awesome footage
My grandpa was a photographer and cameraman in the 351st Bomb Group from June 1944-April 1945. His name was S/Sgt. James Fuller. He flew a couple of missions on the B-17 "Star Duster" featured at the 2:47 minute mark. He flew 33 missions total with the 351st. Thank you for this video!
All brave men and not forgotten by us Brits.
My father, Msgt Claude Mills Pitts, was an aircraft mechanic with the 509th squadron at Polebrook.
What a wonderful document - absolutely amazing ...
My father was a bombardier in the 351st bomb group 509 squadron He was shot down over first raid over Berlin August 1944 and spent 17 months as prisoner of war. Enjoy these video's very much, they give me some idea the living conditions. My father never wanted to talk about the war but I read enough to know that We lost more boys in the air of Europe then we did the Marines in the south Pacific. By the way, Everyone should visit the 8th air force museum outside of Savanah.
My father was with the 511th Squadron. Thank you so much for sharing this video!
This is my father's group right here. I believe he copiloted for the bomber Wildfire. The called him Wiley. I believe Cary Grant was attached to the 351st for filming purposes, there's a video out there on it.
Thanks for this great video. My father was in the 351st from late December 1942 through the end of the war.
My father flew 35 missions from Polebrook as a Navigator. Would love to see some more if possible. I been searching for years to find some actual footage of the group besides Combat America with Gable. Man that was great.Thanks.
+Beth Blank working on digitizing others. Will post soon.
Hello Beth, as I mentioned in a response to one of the commenters below, my grandfather - FO George Goforth - was a navigator at Polebrook from October of 44 through March of 45. Do you have a place where you store your collection of stills? I’d love the chance to look through the footage and shots you’ve got. I use my spare time researching the 351st - and enjoyed the chance to visit Polebrook a few years ago myself. I can be reached at joshua.cagney@gmail.com
@@sabunome Sir, with all the images of personnel with cameras, etc. and you state you have additional footage, might there be any film if the Major Glenn Miller AAF Orchestra's concert for the personnel at Polebrook? Keeping my fingers crossed!!
I enjoy chronicling Miller's career.
I think all the footage was shot from spring 1944 to 45. The B-17's are all G models with the chin turret in natural metal (No camouflage) which only started arriving in the UK from early 1944. Also the flight clothing is late war issue, most are wearing B-10 cotton flight jackets rather than the earlier leather A2. The A2 was discontinued in late 1943.
Very brave boys
Amazing. Where on earth did you get this film? My dad was there 1944 - May through September. I have visited once. Ghosts were everywhere.
+Timothy Martin this is film my grandfather shot that was recently digitized. I'm working on a few more from Polebrook in his collection and will link them from here. Glad you found it.
Hello sabunnme, Love the film clip would you like me to include them on my UA-cam channel I have over 16.000 subscribers and 15 mill views it would sure get to be well seen and I could give you all the credits
Regards John Chairman 92nd Bomb Group U.K.
+TOPCAMERAMAN sure, please also mention the Texas Archive of the Moving Image who are doing all of the digitization.
When we lived in Peterborough I used to take my wife and kids out to polebrook to feed a horse that lived there
Good video.
12.54...this is a Norseman UC64, the type that Glenn Miller vanished in in 1944....this isn't the one...
It's kinda funny. I drive a taxi and whenever I get somebody from the U.K. in the car I ask them if they know where Polebrook is. The answer is always no, but they say it probably has three pubs, four churches and a population of twenty.
1 pub I live 2 miles from Polebrook
@@kevinholmes1852 that's awesome! Now I know who to ask for a guided tour if I ever get to the UK! Well...at least a tour of the pub.
Wasn't Polebrook one of the first Airbase in East Anglia for the 8th ?
I am local to Polebrook, and question the location after 9:40. The houses don't look like Polebrook? For posterities sake, can the people be named?
Mr. Bulley/Russ,
I am Andy Burns (full name: Robert Andrew Burns), the son of then Colonel Robert W. Burns of the 351st Bomb Group, who was stationed at RAF Polebrook from March 1943 until May 1945. My father retired as a USAF Major General in 1970, and died in 2004. I am as certain as I can be that he was the cameraman for all the shots where he's not in the picture. One of the Army nurses in the film was my mother-to-be, and I believe you are right: the scenes of her were most probably taken at her duty station in Abergavenny, Wales, where she was stationed from June 1943 to October 1944, or possibly at Bath, U.K., where she was posted from Oct 1944 to March 1945 . I do believe, but can’t be fully certain, that all the shots that don’t include her were taken at Polebrook. From clues in the film, I believe but do not know this film was shot on a single roll of film (not cut or spliced together from different bits of film), and that filming took place from about June 1944 to about October 1944, but that is only my surmise right now.
My son, Sam Burns, has been kind enough to post my father’s wartime film on his website.
I believe I can accurately name some of the people in the film but, I’m sorry to say, only a relative few.
In the interests of time, I’m going to give a short version first, so you have a prompt response. Some time later, when I’ve been able to digest all the sometimes-conflicting information I’ve found, I’ll venture a longer form reply, but that may be a while.
For general background, RAF Polebrook was the location of the US Army Air Force’s 94th Bombardment Wing headquarters, and the headquarters (and operating base) of its subordinate unit, the 351st Bombardment Group. The 351st BG’s distinctive aircraft marking was the triangle-J insignia (clearly visible on the scenes of airplanes taking off and landing). The 94th Bomb Wing was subordinate to the USAAF 1st Air Division, located at Brampton Grange in Cambridgeshire. The 1st Air Division was one of three air divisions of the 8th Army Air Force (The “Mighty Eighth”, as it came to be known), located at High Wycombe, UK.
The 351st Bomb Group had four Bomb Squadrons: the 508th, 509th, 510th, and 511th.
I believe the following pieces of information are also facts:
Brigadier General Julius K. Lacey was commander of the 94th BW from 12 Dec 1943 to June 1945, when Col. Eugene A. Romig took command
The 351st BG had four commanders during WWII:
Col. William A. Hatcher Jr. Nov. 24, 1942 - Dec. 31, 1943 (when he was shot down and became a POW in Germany for the remainder of the war)
Col. Eugene A. Romig Jan. 3, 1944 - Oct. 12, 1944
Col. Robert W. Burns Oct. 12, 1944 - Mar. 30, 1945 (my father)
Col. Merlin I. Carter Mar. 31, 1945 - Aug. 28, 1945
Lt. Col. James T. Stewart was commander of the 508th Bomb Squadron May 14, 1943 - Aug. 28, 1945. Lt. Col. Stewart’s squadron was where Clark Gable and his film crew were assigned when they joined the 351st BG in 1943 to shoot film footage for the movie Combat America. They had returned to the United States, I believe, when this film was shot.
1st Lieutenant Ruth J. Blackburn, a US Army nurse (who went on to marry my father and become my mother) was stationed at:
Lilford Hall Manor House, near Polebrook, from early 1943 until June 1943 (this was where she met my father)
Abergavenny, Wales, from June 1943 to October 1944
Bath, U.K., from Oct 1944 to March 1945
1:15
The man with the thick head of graying hair deplaning from a B-17 is Brigadier General Julius K. Lacey, commander of the 94th Bomb Wing, the parent organization of the 351st BG. Gen. Lacey retired as a USAF Major General. Did Gen. Lacey get out of the plane first seen taxiing to its shut-down location at 0:36? Easy to assume, but possibly not.
1:54
As he walks toward the camera, the stars on Gen. Lacey’s shoulders, indicating his rank as a Brigadier General, are clearly visible.
5:57
The grinning man with the flight cap set well back on his head is Lt. Col. James T. Stewart (not the American movie actor), who was commander of the 508th Bomb Squadron. Lt. Col. Stewart eventually retired as a USAF Lieutenant General.
6:35
The man doffing his cap for the camera is Colonel Eugene A. Romig, the second commander of the 351st BG. Col. Romig went on to succeed Gen. Lacey as C.O. of the 94th Bombardment Wing, and Col. Burns became the third commander of the 351st Bomb Group.
7:22 Then-351st C.O. Col. Romig emerges from the 351st group HQ building
7:56
This man is wearing the Christian cross insignia of an Army chaplain, but I can find no reference as to who he is.
8:40
1/Lt Ruth Blackburn (my mother) and 1/Lt Bert Shannon (her closest friend), Army nurses. Most likely this film was taken at her medical station in Abergavenny, Wales, where she was posted from June 1943 to October 1944. My father made flying trips there from Polebrook to visit my mother using a Piper Cub airplane the Bomb Gp. had somehow acquired. This film likely was shot during one such visit. My mother was subsequently posted to a medical station in Bath, U.K., from Oct 1944 to March 1945, but I believe (cannot be sure though) that was probably after these films were taken. After the war Lt Shannon married a Spokane WA dentist named Gates, and had two sons, Charles and Kenneth. Lt. Blackburn married Col. Burns and had a son, me, and two daughters, Susan and Rebecca. Ruth died in 2006.
8:56
Lt. Blackburn (my mother) again, at either Abergavenny or Bath.
9:40
Col. Robert W. Burns (my father) and my mother, Ruth Blackburn, at either Abergavenny or Bath.
10:57
Around the time I believe this was filmed (Oct ’44), my father became C.O. of the 351st BG, succeeding Col. Romig, who moved up to command the 94th Bomb Wing. This appears to me to be him entering the base, and then the 351st BG HQ as the new commander.
I’m sorry I can’t name any other people in this film. I am experiencing some inconsistencies between my assumptions and suppositions and some of the internet “facts” I am finding, so my idea of when this film was likely to have been shot is still under review, but I am confident enough of my identifications to submit this as is.
Sometime in the future I’ll post a longer version; perhaps other interested folks will have something to say.
Russ, I salute your sharp eye and knowledge of Polebrook; you are correct that some of those scenes were not at Polebrook. I have been there twice myself, once in the late 1990’s and again in 2000, or so. We were hosted by Mr. David Gower, of Polebrook, during both visits; perhaps you know him?
Cheers,
Robert (Andy) Burns
Good grief there is nothing left of Polebrook airfield other than some concrete apron and the Memorial. I doubt anyone could orientate anything from this film to the way Polebrook looks now!
@@Biffo1262 lots of things change in almost 80 years.
Russ, I too am a native of that area and some of this is not polebrook. There were no civilian houses right next to the air base and local houses are very different in style to those in the film anyway. Those hills in the background don't look realistic either.
My Dad was with the 510th Sqdrn MSgt. Wendell A. Kratz. I stole some of your footage to make a video, I hope you don't mind. If there is an issue, let me know. For some reason I can't paste the link to my video but you can find it by going to my Channel. Mark KratzMC I also have a website www.kratzmc.com with pages dedicated to the 351st. If I can of any assistance, let me know. I am also a member of the 351st BG assoc.
+Mark KratzMC glad you found a way to remix and reuse it.
Tony Mills - Peterborough - Fantastic film I too would like to copy the Main Gate footage showing the J Type Hanger, thank you so much for sharing the memory @@sabunome