The 100th Bomb Group, Thorpe Abbotts Station 139

Hard Luck
"Hard Luck" a famous aircraft

The 100th Bomb Group based at Thorpe Abbotts, near Rushall flew its first combat mission on June 25, 1943, and its last on April 20, 1945. During those 22 months, some 7,000 men and a few women were stationed at Thorpe Abbotts. They flew 306 missions including six food drops to the Netherlands in May, 1945. They were credited with 8630 sorties; they dropped 19,257.1 tons of bombs plus 435.1 tons of food on mercy missions.

As part of the 8th Air Force (affectionately called "The Mighty Eighth") during World War 2, The 100th Bomb Group received two Distinguished Unit Citations for the missions to Regensberg 17th August '43, and the 4/6/8 March '44 to Berlin. Over 800 men were killed in action or flying accidents. 229 Fortresses were lost or declared salvage. The 100th’s gunners claimed 261 enemy aircraft shot down, 1,010 probably destroyed, and 139 possibly destroyed. They were some of the first gunners who, late in the war, destroyed the German Jet, the ME-262.

Glen Miller

In 1943. the average life of an 8th Air Force B-17 crew was eleven missions. In 1943-1945, the 100th lost 177 aircraft missing in action plus 52 lost due to operational accidents, making a total of 229. The 100th was not the Group with the highest losses in the 8th, but since its losses often came many at a time, it soon acquired the reputation of a hard-luck outfit and the name “The Bloody Hundredth.” It lost 9 crews on the August 17, 1943, Regensburg-to-Africa shuttle. It lost seven over Bremen on October 8, 1943, with its lead plane being shot out of formation over the target and then returning alone on the deck before crash-landing on the shore of East Anglia. It lost 12 over Munster on October 10, 1943, with one plane, Royal Flush with the legendary Robert Rosenthal as its pilot being the only one to return. It lost 15 over Berlin on March 6, 1944, and nine there on May 24. It lost 12 over Ruhland on September 11, 1944, and 12 over Hamburg on December 31, 1944.

The 100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum
Reg Charity No. 285169     Reg.Museum No.665

This interesting museum is housed at the 100th's old air base Station 139 from which B17 Bombers of the 8th Air Force carried out Daylight sorties over Germany during World War ll. The museum has become a popular place of interest for American and British Royal Air Force veterans and enthusiasts. The museum is less than 2 miles from the Half Moon which provides an excellent base for those revisiting the area or discovering Norfolk for the first time.

Museum Contact Tel: from UK01379 740 708
 from US011 44 1379 740 708

Thanks to: Charles M. Cole, Michael Faley, Harry A. Nelson, Paul West and The 100th Bomb Group Foundation for providing us with the photos and content for this page. Special thanks to:
All those in The 100th Bomb Group who gave their lives to defend our freedom.