380th BG jackets headed home

[capt71]

380th Bomb Group jackets headed home at the end (obviously being worn by extremely Happy Campers).

Four 380th BG, 531st BS Captains headed home on a "cruise".

This 380th BG photo was captioned "Intelligence officers aboard SS Coontz". (The cutout at the bottom is not a deletion, but another photo below it, superimposed onto it.)

Sorry for the less than pristine quality of the photos. These were scanned from a 380th BG book I have.

Bill

 

[Andrew]

Is that Best in the Southwest of King of the Heavies? I'd love either but they seem to be scarce.

Look at the wear on the one in the top photo front. Even the cuffs have worn out. Also interesting what looks like a civvy jacket on the guy at the back in the second shot.

531st Bomb Group, there's a version on Emblemhunters thread.

 

[capt71]

Is that Best in the Southwest of King of the Heavies? I'd love either but they seem to be scarce.
531st Bomb Group, there's a version on Emblemhunters thread.

No, the photos are from a much earlier (and rarer) book about the 380th BG: "The Flying Circus--History of the 380th Bomb Group". It was published not too long after the war ended. In fact, the guys who put it together are in the 2nd photo. Also, I think you meant to type "531st Bomb Squadron...."

You're right about the 2 books you mentioned--they are both long out of print and scarce (and expensive when you find one). Keep searching the internet for "Best In The Southwest"--a copy occasionally shows up through Amazon dot com (you can place a request there to be notified if it does), or on eBay (which is where I got my copy). I came across the Flying Circus book at the last 380th BG Association reunion--a deceased vet's daughter had it. I did an extensive search on the internet and found a copy at a small bookstore website.

I saw Emblemhunter's post--very nice work.

Bill

 

[Andrew]

Is that Best in the Southwest of King of the Heavies? I'd love either but they seem to be scarce.
531st Bomb Group, there's a version on Emblemhunters thread.

No, the photos are from a much earlier (and rarer) book about the 380th BG: "The Flying Circus--History of the 380th Bomb Group". It was published not too long after the war ended. In fact, the guys who put it together are in the 2nd photo. Also, I think you meant to type "531st Bomb Squadron...."

You're right about the 2 books you mentioned--they are both long out of print and scarce (and expensive when you find one). Keep searching the internet for "Best In The Southwest"--a copy occasionally shows up through Amazon dot com (you can place a request there to be notified if it does), or on eBay (which is where I got my copy). I came across the Flying Circus book at the last 380th BG Association reunion--a deceased vet's daughter had it. I did an extensive search on the internet and found a copy at a small bookstore website.

I saw Emblemhunter's post--very nice work.

Bill

slip 'o the brain

I suppose they were all very small print runs, but I've never come across a copy of any of them. Will keep hunting. These are great reference shots for the uniforms and quite different from what you normally see them wearing in their aircraft portrait shots- which is often just a shirt or jacket without shirt!