448th Bombardment Group at Seething

It was organised on 6 April 1943 and activated on 1 May 1943 at Gowen Field, near Boise, Idaho.

It was to fly B-24 Liberators as part of the Allied bombing campaign against the Axis countries.

The air crews' initial training took place in Florida. This then moved to Wendover Field, Utah, where the entire group was assembled.

Both air and ground crews completed their training together at Sioux City, Iowa, before separating for the transfer overseas.

The ground crews arrived in Seething by early December 1943, while the air crews arrived via the southern ferry route by 22 December 1943.

This was also the first day of missions, with Gacabruck, Germany as their first target.

From that day through to 25 April 1945, the 448th flew 262 missions.

It lost 101 aircraft in action during 6,774 sorties.

The 448th was redeployed to the United States in the late June and early July of 1945.

The ground crews sailed on the Queen Mary, while the air crews flew their planes back.

The 448th was officially deactivated on 4 August 1946, although the 715 Bomb Squadron continued as part of the 509th Bomb Group, serving until 1965.

If you want to see photographs and other records relating to the 448th, you can visit our digital archive.

The airfield at Seething is about 10 miles south-east of Norwich, just to the east of Kirstead Green which is on the B1332 road to Bungay, follow signs to Seething Observatory.

All sites are now private property and you will need permission before you visit.
The library has information on some base contacts and with their permission can pass this onto you. The Library itself is unable to organise site visits.

The former control tower has been renovated and has become a memorial museum.

It's open to the public on the first Sunday of the month from May to October, but can be inspected at other times by special request. 

This includes part of the old main runway and a section of perimeter track.

The group have built three small hangars and a clubroom and the airfield is active most days of the week.

Most of the old airfield site, however, has reverted to farmland.

Some former dispersed barrack and communal sites, several of the old living quarters and associated buildings are still in existence to the south of the airfield.

Some of these buildings are in a reasonable condition, although they are derelict and overgrown.

A memorial stands in front of the control tower museum.

It was dedicated during a veterans' reunion in 1990 and honours the men of the 448th Bomb Group who were missing or killed in action during service at Seething.

Two other memorials were dedicated during a veterans' reunion in 1984.

One is on the airfield close to the Waveney Flying Group clubhouse and consists of an engraved stone plaque and rose garden.

The other is in the churchyard of Seething's parish church, which is a mile or so north of the airfield. It's pictured below.

The Stars and Stripes hang in the church while an oak tree has been planted near the village hall to commemorate the group's close association with the community.

It contains the group roll of honour, wartime diaries and photographs, plus various artefacts and memorabilia, with additional displays in a Nissen building.

It's open to the public on the first Sunday of the month from May to October, but can be inspected at other times by special request.

To find out more visit the Seething Control Tower Museum website.

Among those histories are:

• Peter Bodle and Patricia Everson: The 448th Bomb Group in Norfolk: A Pictorial History 
• Jeffrey E Brett: The 448th Bomb Group Liberators over Germany in World War II
• Ronald V Kramer and Joseph T Michalczyk (comp): 448th Bomb Group

Information about the individual bases comes from from George H Fox's 8th Air Force Remembered: An illustrated guide to the memorials, memorabilia and main airfields of the US 8th Air Force in England in WW2 (London: ISO Publications, 1991).

For more on the history of the airfield, see:

• Martin Bowman: Bomber Bases of WW2: 2nd Air Division 8th Air Force USAAF 1942-45
• Michael Bowyer: Action Stations Revisited: No 1 Eastern England
• Ken Delve: The Military Airfields of Britain: East Anglia (Norfolk and Suffolk)
• Roger Freeman: Airfields of the Eighth Then and Now

If you're interested in any of these books you can find and reserve them at the Norfolk Online Catalogue.