465th Bombardment Group
The 465th Bomb Group flew B-24 Liberators and was stationed at Pantanella, Italy.
Commander
The 465th Bomb Group consisted of the following organizations:
| 780th Bomb Squadron | 781st Bomb Squadron | 782nd Bomb Squadron |
| 783rd Bomb Squadron |
Destination ~Vienna
by
Kevin W. Edwards
Available from Author House
"This book will retrace the mission of one solitary B-24 Liberator bomber crew on a single day in March 1945 when they met their "fate, somewhere among the clouds above." We will see the kindred spirit of complete strangers who were thrust into and subsequently banded together by untenable circumstance, to rise and act to cast off the yoke of evil."
Courtesy of Gerry Kersey
Bombing of Ferrara, Italy by Consolidated B-24 Liberators of the Fifteenth Air Force on June 5, 1944. Smoking target on the ground below.
Courtesy of Gerry Kersey
Bombing of Ferrara, Italy by Consolidated B-24 Liberators of the Fifteenth Air Force on June 5, 1944. Smoking target on the ground below. Closest aircraft is "Memories".
Courtesy of William Kolar
1st Lt. Richard E. Tout (P) 2nd Lt. Paul Frankhart, 2nd Lt. Wayne Oley, 2nd Lt. Arthur Brenner, Cpl. Arthur Bernzott, Cpl. John Stewart, Cpl. Joseph Lemieux, Cpl. Chestley Armstrong, Cpl. Arthur Goldberg & Cpl. Joseph Grahovec (Uncle Joe). Their aircraft crashed after take off at Pantanella Army Air Base on September 1, 1944. All aboard were KIA. Photo was taken at Charleston, SC prior to their departure for overseas. 782nd Bomb Squadron, 465th Bomb Group (H), 15th Air Force.
"Uncle Joe" is located in the front row, second crewmember in from the left. He was the eldest of (I believe) a total of 14 kids. We've learned over the years that Joe initially enlisted in the Army and was assigned to a Tank Destroyer Unit (Fort Knox, KY). Later, a relative suggested reclassifying into a more saleable skill to use after the war. The aircraft accident: After taking off with a full bomb load, the B-24J went into a stall while it caught up with the formation, recovered briefly, then experienced a secondary stall and lost power. On it's descent to the ground, the aircraft clipped a tree with one of it's wings and crashed. There was no fire or explosion.
