384th BG - The Plane News

With the website under new management, you should not be surprised to learn that changes are coming. Before getting into that, I want to express thanks to Marc Poole for his outstanding work creating this site and making it such a valuable source of information about the 384^th. I am very pleased that he has confidence in me to carry on his vision for this site - I will do my best to honor the memory of the 384^th, the personnel, the deeds, the sacrifice. And of course, by honoring the 384^th, we honor the contributions of all service personnel who have, and continue to, defend Sweet Freedom.

And who, you might ask, am I? Well that is a legitimate question. I am an aerospace engineer living and working in Northeast Texas, who is the son of 384^th co-pilot Robert Henry Preller. Dad joined the 546^th Bomb Squadron with the James A. Gibson crew on 16 May 1944, and completed his 33rd and final mission on 13 September with an attack on Merseburg. He returned to the States on the Queen Mary shortly thereafter and went on to have a 28-year career with the USAF. He flew his final mission in 1993, but he remains in my heart.

Some visitors to this site may already know of my other 8^th Air Force site, the Mighty 8^th Cross-Reference that I have had up since mid-2002. I will, of course, continue to maintain that site because its purpose - promoting travel to 8^th Air Force sites in England as a way of preserving the memories - is quite different from this site.

Be sure to sign in the guestbook!
NEW FEATURE ALERT: Upload your own photos to the webiste!
True! If you have any photos - or even documents - related to the 384^th, and would like to have them appear on the website, you can upload them yourself using the new "Gallery" software I have installed. It is very easy to use and does not require you to install any programs on your computer - you just have to have the photo/document stored on your computer. Please contact me by email for details. In the meantime, go see the 384^th Gallery.
If your crew has a memorial plaque at Savannah, send me a photo to add to the "384^th Remembered" section (click the "Memorials" link on the Home page). This section features 384^th monuments at home and abroad. Also, several crash site locations are being memorialized: if you are among this group, give me your info to add.
If you have photos from recent - or past - reunions, send me a few and we can share the event with those who weren't able to attend.
If you have any 384^th-related events planned, send me your info so we can spread the word. These will be posted on the CURRENT EVENTS page.
Swiss researcher Rolf Zaugg has recovered several items from the crash site of 384^th B-17G 42-102446 "Little Chub," which was shot down in Switzerland on 24 April 1944. For more on this story, visit Little Chub.

The 384^th in Action - Excellent photographs from several contributors showing aircraft in flight, on the bomb run, and strike photos. ALERT - this new page is an example of the new "Gallery" software.

The Adversaries - Unique Luftwaffe photos sent by members of AG 11/2 via JG 71. See what the "other guys" looked like.

Grafton-Underwood, Station 106 - - Revisit the home of the 384^th, then and now.

The 384^th in Color - - Individual frames taken from original 8mm film taken by 544^th BS crew chief Morgan Himmelstein.

384^th BG Library- - A listing of 384^th-related book titles, including some published this year. Definitely worth a look.

384^th BG Websites- - Several new and informative 384^th websites to check out.

???

384^th Mysteries...

Did you know... 1^st LT Donald MacKellar? He and his crew were killed on 6 April 1945 in a crash at Grafton-Underwood on what was to be his last mission. Please help us locate a photograph or any information on MacKellar. If you have any information, please let me know via e-mail.

Did you know...2^nd LT Clifford Lee Johnson? He was shot down on 8 May 1944, and is thought to have evaded. He may possibly have been from Tennessee. He has a niece and several people in France who would like very much to find him.

Can you identify this 384^th plane? These two photos clearly show the name "Thunder." Note the number of missions the plane has flown indicated by the row of bombs on the nose. If you know the serial number of this plane, send me your information so we can fill in another blank!

Tom Britt sent in these photos, in which his uncle, Leo T. Britt, served as Lead Navigator. Can you help identify the other crewmembers in the pictures?