Back in 1990, a group of 100th Bomb Group veterans visited Thorpe Abbotts, and for many it was their first visit to see the Museum. The family of Mike Harvey recently discovered several tapes from his collection featuring short interviews with the veterans, and those tapes have been digitized for the first time. Here is part 1 of a recording of T/Sgt Melbourne “Mel” Steinhauer, who worked on turrets as part of the 418th Bomb Squadron‘s ground echelon. The mechanics, armorers, and ordnance men pl

The 100th Bomb Group in action during a mission in late 1944. 80 years later, their legacy lives on. (Martin collection, 100th Bomb Group Foundation archives) | 100th Bomb Group Foundation - "The Bloody Hundredth"

A final salute to Robert “Bob” Wolff, pilot and former 100th Bomb Group Foundation president — Blue skies and tailwinds Bob. Original footage of Bob’s damaged B-17 during the Regensburg mission can be seen in the second portion of this clip as he headed for Africa. Harry Crosby recognized Bob’s actions in his book noting “I looked back past our right wing. Bob Wolff was flying a plane with two engines, a smashed port wing, a huge hole in the waist, and the whole leading edge of the rudder tatter

From Harry H. Crosby, Group Navigator, 100th Bomb Group — “During the week before D-Day I worked twenty-four hours a day. I had to superintend the preparation of maps and flight plans. I had to set up the formations for over a hundred different missions and variations. I had to brief all our navigators as a group and each lead navigator as an individual….The night before D-Day I was a zombie….On the way to my quarters I almost ran my jeep into a tree, I was so nearly out. I fell onto my bed with

Then and now - 100th Bomb Group aircraft coming in to land and taxiing along the perimeter track at Thorpe Abbotts. Much of the area has now returned to farmland but some of the original perimeter track still exists today. #100thbombgroup #mastersoftheair | 100th Bomb Group Foundation - "The Bloody Hundredth"

During his time with the 100th Bomb Group, Col. Thomas S. Jeffrey emphasized the importance of keeping a tight formation during combat missions. Jeffrey oversaw numerous practice missions where crews harnessed their skills flying in formation. These rare images were all taken during one of those practice missions in July 1944, and the audio of Jeffrey is from an interview he gave in 1997. (100th Bomb Group Foundation archives) #b17 #100thbombgroup #mastersoftheair | 100th Bomb Group Foundation -