Flixton Airfield 1944

Bungay’s main residents  were the 446th BG (Heavy) which gained the nickname “The Bungay Buckaroos”.  This group first touched down on 4th November 1943, after flying the Southern Ferry Route across the Atlantic.  Commanded by Colonel Jacob J Brogger, this group had four squadrons of B-24 Liberators – the 704th, 705th, 706th and 707th – which, together with the 93rd BG at Hardwick and the 448th at Seething made up the 20th Combat Wing of the Second Bombardment Division, 8th US Air Force.  After warming up, the 446th’s first mission was flown on 16th December 1943, when the target was Bremen.  On returning, two B-24s crash landed on or near base and were written off.  This was followed by a mission to Osnabruck on 22nd December, when the first losses were sustained over enemy territory.  The 446th Group’s last raid was flown on 25th April 1945, by which time they had clocked up 273 combat missions during which they delivered 16,800 tons of bombs.  Total losses amounted to 58 aircraft in action, and 28 due to other operational causes.  The Group left for the USA in July of the same year. 446BG