‘There and back again’ – The 305th AMW story Published April 25, 2013 By Alec Nelson 305th Air Mobility Wing JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- B-17 Flying Fortresses, loaded to the gills with bombs, fill the sky. The crews flying these legendary aircraft fly in formation over Nazi-occupied Europe with one goal: drop the payload and return home unscathed. The 305th Bomb Group's singular mission was to drop bombs on enemy assets. The 305th Air Mobility Wing, the descendent of the 305th BG, contributes mobility and air refueling capabilities in support of Air Force operations. The 305th BG arrived at Royal Air Force Chelveston, United Kingdom, in December 1942 to assist our allied brethren in the fight against the Nazis during World War II. Alic Nelson, 305th AMW historian, and Master Sgt. Chad Alexander 305th Maintenance Squadron aerospace propulsion craftsman, traveled to England to photograph the remains of the 305th BG's European headquarters in Chelveston Dec. 29, 2012, almost exactly seventy years later to the day. "We arranged to tour the area as much as possible, speak to local aviation historians and learn more about Bill Donald, arguably the 305th BG's best historian," said Nelson. Nelson and Alexander enhanced their knowledge and expertise while immersing themselves in the 305th's past over the course of their time in the United Kingdom. The U.S. Army Air Forces selected Chavelston as the 305th BG's the home station during World War II. The group was activated March 1, 1942. The 305th BG was not the first unit at Chelveston - that distinction belonged to the 60th Troop Carrier Group, which stayed for only a month before moving to another base in England. The Airmen of the 305th BG reported for duty at Chelveston, designated as Station 105, during the summer and fall of 1942 and began their combat assignment in November for a strategic bombardment operation that lasted until April 1945. The B-17s missions included night bombing raids on armament functions, motor works, shipyards, submarine pens and other targets that supported the German war effort in Europe. Four squadrons comprised the 305th BG: the 364th, 365th, 366th and 422nd squadrons. A number of these Airmen were teens who lied about their age in order to enlist. They shipped out to Chelveston with a minimum of training to fly B-17s, planes well-known for being cumbersome. The Americans flew many successful missions, and the 305th BG saw so much success that, in July 1945, the USAAF chose the group to stay behind after the war, move to St. Trond Airfield, Belgium, and execute aerial mapping missions for the Allies. However, there were also several well-documented crashes which occurred just outside the base. Each crash was a tragedy that usually ended in the deaths of the aircrew, and sometimes civilians. In one case, the pilot hit the outside wall of the parish church so hard, that legend has it, on rainy days, the imprint of his body is still visible on the wall. The visit began with Nelson and the other meeting one of their hosts, Peter Hill, at the Star and Garter Pub in Chelveston. The pub has a parking lot which is close to the memorial located in the town square. "The 305th Bomb Group Memorial Association Village Memorial, built in 2007, is a testament to the dedication of the remaining 305th BG veterans and their English friends in preserving the legacy of the 305th BG," said Nelson. Atop the memorial is an original windsock and mast from a hangar at Chelveston. The British Ministry of Defense originally planned to scrap it, but when Hill and Donald got word, they and another friend, Bill Betts, crept out one night, took the windsock mast from the hangar, and hid it in Hill's barn until it was used for the memorial. Hill took the group to his home, a farm called High Mere Lodge, where he showed them dozens of recovered artifacts, some of which he'd found and others that had been given to him by Donald. The collection of items ranged from World War II-era items up through the 1960s. "The sheer magnitude of his collection is astounding, and we took pictures of nearly everything he showed us," said Nelson. The group returned to the memorial and met up with Ian White, 305th BG historian. They headed toward the former RAF Chelveston Airfield upon leaving Chelveston-cum-Caldecot Village. There aren't any signs pointing to the old Chelveston Airfield. "You have to already know where you are going, or have an excellent tour guide," said Nelson. While the airfield and runway are completely overgrown and the area is mostly farmland now, hidden clues of the past remain: a service road here, a gate there and pilings that indicated a structure had once occupied the spot. "In the cold rain of a British winter afternoon, it did require a little imagination to see what the site had once been," said Nelson. "Luckily, none of us lacked that and our hosts, Peter Hill and White, did a magnificent job of bringing RAF Chelveston - as it had existed during World War II - back to life." The group stopped first at the site where the 305th BG base hospital once housed injured service men. "It is a field now, with a nondescript gate facing the road, but it was easy to envision the site as it must have been: a bustling center of activity where medics treated everything from toothaches to gunshot wounds," said Nelson. The travellers next visited the former 364th squadron site and walked along a remaining concrete service road. "As I walked, I thought about the thousands of pairs of boots that had walked that same road before me - especially the original group of men who sailed over on the Queen Mary," said Nelson. The men from Queen Mary landed at RAF Grafton Underwood before moving on to RAF Chelveston (this is the reason for the "Triangle G" symbols in the B-17 aircraft that belonged to the 305th BG). As Ian White said, "If these roads could talk, the stories they would tell." The Hill family currently owns and farms the land. After returning to the main road, the group crossed it and viewed the site of the 365th squadron communal area. A large wooden structure is located there now. Local historians believe that the building sits upon the foundations of one of the previous WWII barracks. The group then drove to the entrance of the 422nd squadron communal site area. The location contained a former 422nd bomb shelter. The shelters, or bunkers, were built primarily to protect against enemy air raids. They also observed the location of Gen. Curtis LeMay's living quarters. LeMay coined the motto "Can Do" for the group and it remains one of the shortest and possibly the most famous mottos in the U.S. Air Force. Although nothing remains now except some of the bricks used to build his bungalow, it was still exciting to be in a place where the great general once stood as 305th BG commander. The travelers then walked along the main track to Site 9, one of the farthest communal sites of the 305th BG. Underneath nearly 70 years of leaf debris and dirt lays a nearly intact concrete road with curbs. The area once housed the officers and enlisted men of the 413th Air Service Group, the 839th Engineering Company, and other units attached to 2nd Station Compliment. These auxiliary units worked ground support for the 305th BG. Unlike the majority of the base, which the Air Force's Strategic Air Command decided to use during the mid-1950s to 1960s as an airfield for B-29s, Site 9 was never repurposed after 1945 and nature slowly reclaimed it. The group then visited Site 3, a location with the majority of surviving World War II structures. The area had been the site of the mess halls, the Enlisted Men's Club, the American Red Cross and the Aero Club during the war in addition to various administration buildings and storerooms. While there, they observed the fire pool, and buildings that were part of the mess hall, boiler house, wash block, and showers. White and Hill have brought dozens of visitors to this site over the years. "It's a favorite because so much does remain," said Nelson. "We could have easily spent hours there listening to the stories that White and Hill never seem to tire of telling." The last stop led the group to the main gate of the base. The U.S. Air Force's Strategic Air Command built the concrete perimeter track that goes through it now when the Air Force returned in the 1950s. During that time, many of the previous structures and roads were demolished or reconfigured to support B-29s - which were much bigger aircraft than the B-17s. "It was a very full day and sadly, there were several sites we were unable to visit before darkness fell," said Nelson. "We were very fortunate in that our hosts, White and Hill, have studied the 305th BG for years and that their knowledge of the subject bordered on encyclopedic. Additionally, they were fantastic storytellers and recounted many of the stories they'd heard from Donald or residents of the nearby villages who were children when the 'Yanks' came to town. They made it clear that they truly enjoyed showing people the former airfield." White said that his group encourages visits from family members, next of kin and members of the 305th AMW or any active-duty military who may have an interest in the shared heritage. It's always a pleasure to share military history, White added. Nelson and the group said they wished they could have spoken to Donald, who passed away in 2008. During the 1970s, Donald, originally from Scotland, moved to the village of Higham Ferrers, near Chelveston, with his family. Donald was in his 30s by then and worked at a tannery. He met and befriended many people with memories of the base when it was active during the 1940s as he settled into village life. Donald's interest grew until he began making trips out to the former base, often by bicycle, and collecting things he found. He became even more involved and wrote to the U.S. Air Force and various archival facilities in the U.S. Information he obtained from those archives allowed him to map out crash sites and dig where there was the best possibility of finding artifacts. He found countless items - many of which he gave away. Donald recovered so many pieces from the downed B-17s that he formed a mold and made model airplanes of various sizes out of the metal. He met White, Hill and Bill Betts and the group worked to compile the story of the 305th BG. the four men became more closely allied to the 305th BG and began attending the annual reunions of the group after contacting the 305th BGMA. The first reunion was actually held in Chelveston in 1980 when the BGMA dedicated the plaque that hangs inside the church. Subsequently, the BGMA returned in 1992 for the 50th anniversary of the USAAF in England., Donald and his friends met hundreds of the WWII aircrews and support personnel from the 305th BG since 1980, resulting in a voluminous correspondence between Donald and many of the veterans. The hobby became something of a vocation until by 1998, he'd collected so much material that in his words. "I began to recognize more and more, that although I had never intended to write a book, that the knowledge that I had amassed was useless if it could not be shared, and so the idea of a 'book' in some shape or form was put in motion. As it came together, I realised gaps needed to be filled to gain some continuity, and again, 305th veterans were solicited for their memories and pictures ..." Donald, "Introduction", "John Burn, One-Zero-Five: The Story of Chelveston Airfield and the 305th Bomb Group In Pictures." Donald's research allowed him to write "John Burn One-Zero-Five" which was published in 2005. The 305th AMW currently presents copies of the book as gifts to prestigious visitors. "I now feel like I know Donald although I never met him," said Nelson. "I've spoken to his widow, Carole, and children Kirsty and Ian. I've touched the artifacts he dug out of the ground, and walked the trails he walked. The people who knew him spoke often of his passion, generosity and his amazing recall of details of the 305th BG. The 305th is fortunate to count LeMay as one of our legendary commanders, but the modern-day 305th AMW also owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to those men and women, and especially to Donald, who have done so much to keep the "CAN DO" legacy alive and flourishing."