The 351st Bomb Group in WWII
The Duty to Remember
by Ken Harbour & Peter Harris

The 351st Bomb Group in WWII: The Duty to Remember chronicles the formation, training and combat missions flown by this American heavy bomber group during WWII.

This 298 page hardcover book guides the reader through the evolution of the 351st Bomb Group, their time served at Polebrook, England from 1943 to 1945 and the Group's return to the United States. More than seven thousand U.S. Army Air Force personnel served at Polebrook during WWII. There were 311 combat missions flown, with the loss of 175 B-17s. Each 351st Group member is listed by rank, squadron and fate. Technical drawings help the reader to understand the Boeing B-17 four-engine heavy bomber and the Group's markings. Each B-17 assigned to the 351st Bomb Group is listed by serial number, the "nose art" name given by its crew and the number of missions it flew.

Over 260 photos give the reader an opportunity to look back in time at life on an Eighth Air Force bomber base during WWII.

Valor at Polebrook
The Last Flight of Ten Horsepower
by Rick School & Jeff Rogers

German fighters had been attacking for more than an hour. In the bright sunlight at 20,000 feet, the B-17s of the American 351st Bomb Group had nowhere to hide. Several of the bombers had been hit. Some carried wounded crewmen.

Without warning, 20mm cannon shells smashed into a plane named Ten Horsepower, the number three ship of the low squadron. The copilot was killed instantly. The pilot was knocked unconscious. The crippled plane wavered unsteadily and witnesses saw the bomb bay doors open. The bombs were dropped, then a man jumped from the escape hatch below the cockpit. Finally, the bomber nosed down and fell into a steep, spiraling dive. In seconds it had fallen from view. No one in the other planes expected to see Ten Horsepower again, nor could they make any effort to help.

In an instant, the lives of the men in Ten Horsepower were irrevocably altered. One was already dead; another, nearly so. In the minutes and hours to follow, these young airmen would hold their fate in their hands as they struggled to survive. Some would bail out. Others would stay with the aircraft and try to land to save their pilot. Their efforts would be humble and heroic, but by nightfall half of them would be gone. In recognition of their determination and sacrifice, these ten young men would become the most decorated crew in the Eighth Air Force during World War II.

152 pages, Illustrated, Signed by Rick School

My Memoirs
How I found myself piloting a B-17 over Germany
by Clint Hammond - 509th Squadron

Thinking back on my WWII service I wonder how many men could say they had a 2nd AM mechanic rating, attended Aerial Gunnery School, served as a Top Turret Gunner and piloted a B-17 on thirty missions.

On my first bombing mission, I flew as a copilot with an experienced crew. My second mission, I flew in the pilot's seat with an experienced co-pilot and the rest of my crew. The third mission was flown with my full crew. The first two missions, I was in the cockpit with experienced men. This mission, it was all up to me to get my crew to the target, drop our load of explosives and return the crew safely back to Polebrook. I had to perform! Scared! Boy was I scared! But, there again, I had to do it.

My World War II service was a great experience and I wouldn't trade it for the world but I wouldn't give you a penny for another one. I was twenty-three years old when I flew my first mission and twenty-four, just a kid, when I flew my last mission. Every mission was scary; I always had that apprehension, would this be the day, would I be able to make the right decisions during a crisis?

An Innocent At Polebrook
A Memoir of An 8th Air Force Bombardier
by Charles N. Stevens - 509th Squadron

This is a true story about an innocent 18-year old plucked from his small hometown in California who found himself at 19 riding in the nose of a heavy bomber under conditions he could not possibly have imagined.

As a bombardier riding in a Plexiglas compartment, Stevens had a unique vantage point from which he could behold grand vistas. He witnessed the beauty of clouds and the high altitude sky, the ever-changing scene below of sea, mountains, rivers and towns. But he also observed armadas of bombers stretching out ahead like flocks of geese, the horrifying barrages of black antiaircraft fire, the menace of enemy interceptors and the heartbreaking spectacle of wounded bombers.

The book follows the everyday activities of a bombardier in the 8th Air Force during World War II. There are no heroics in this account other than the courage of men who performed their jobs despite withering enemy opposition and the ever-present specter of sudden death. It is a collage of agonizing apprehensions, numbing fright, occasional pride, bitter disappointments, abject loneliness, fits of anger and even good times.

The Innocent Cadet
Becoming a World War II Bombardier
by Charles N. Stevens - 509th Squadron

Entering the Army Air Corps at 18 in 1943 after leaving his loving and religious family, Charles "Norm" Stevens was suddenly among men of many backgrounds, some differing markedly from his. Appearing boyish, he endured ribbing from others who were older and more mature, more manly. As training progressed he found he could compete both physically and mentally with most of them.

His quest to become a bombardier drove him to excel in his classes, physical training, gunnery school and the rigors of the bombardier school at Midland, Texas. He finally graduated, earning his silver bombardier's wings and a commission as a second lieutenant. He made out his will and power of attorney with the rest of the men, then boarded a troop train bound for Nebraska where his crew would pick up a new B-17 to fly to England and combat, a bloody business he knew very little about.

Back From Combat
A World War II Bombardier Faces His Military Future
by Charles N. Stevens - 509th Squadron

His combat tour over, a survivor of thirty-four bombing missions as an 8th Air Force bombardier, Charles "Norm" Stevens wonders what he will do next. He would have his 30-day furlough, but that will pass quickly. What then? Having endured the hell of his bombing missions, he has no desire to sign up for another tour.

Even though the Allies are gaining on all fronts, the war still rages, and he is still on active duty in the Army Air Corps. He is a trained bombardier who will continue his military service. But in what capacity?

Turning down the option of being an instructor, he volunteers for training as a radar bombardier. But where would this lead him? He sees himself slowly being drawn into the Pacific War as a radar bombardier on a B-29 Superfortress. It is a gamble. Would the war end or would he find himself again in hostile skies?

Memoirs of My War Years 1940-1945
by Joseph R. Berardi Sr. - 509th Squadron
and Virginia Berardi

I was born on March 23, 1923 in The Bronx, New York City. I attended parochial school in Yonkers, New York, in the early grades and then public schools in the Bronx through the 9th grade at Crescent Junior High School. In September of 1937, our family moved to Olean, New York, which is located in the western part of the state near the Pennsylvania border.

I attended Olean High School and graduated as an honor student in 1940 with little or no hope of being able to go to college. There were very few job opportunities for young people just out of school with no experience in anything whatsoever. By January 1941, I decided to enlist in the Army Air Corps, where I thought I might learn airplane mechanics or something associated with airplanes, which had always fascinated me.

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and the U.S. declared war on Japan as well as Germany, the need for pilots became very urgent. The age requirement was lowered from 21 to 18 years, with a minimum of 2 years of college or taking and passing equivalent tests to qualify. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity and applied to be an aviation cadet.

Lt. Robert Lawsen Bomber Pilot
by Charles Lawsen