340th Group References

340th Bombardment Group References

Second Anniversary, 340th Bomb Group, XII Air Force

1944: 340th Bomb Group, Corsica.

A history of the 340th Bomb Group, prepared by the group for their 2nd anniversary celebration while stationed in Corsica. Includes stories of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius and the German Air Raid of May 13, 1944.

OUT OF PRINT -- But Now Available to Download at Hymie Setzer's (340th, HQ Squadron) website -- with an accompanying bonus booklet celebrating the second anniversery of the 487th Squadron.

340th Second Anniversary Booklet

486th Bomb Squadron

Dear Mom: A Family Finds Its Place in World War II Letters Home

"In 1945 my father lost two brothers. In 2012 I found them."--Michelle Cahill... After retiring from Disneyland Resort in 2010, Michelle Cahill looked forward to a slow-paced retirement exploring the arts. She never expected the fantasy of Disney would collide with the reality of World War II and send her down an exciting path. In 2012, Michelle and her cousins found several hundred pages of letters flier uncles Tom and Jack, their fathers’ brothers, wrote to their mother during the war. The cousins never knew these boys—both were killed on bombing missions in Europe a few weeks apart near the end of the war. The discovery of these letters, and hundreds of old photos found with them, was a head-spinner Michelle never could have imagined, but eagerly welcomed. She followed a fascinating journey to meet these charming new men in her life who were previously only silent portraits. Michelle’s first book, "DEAR MOM, A Family Finds Its Past in World War II Letters Home" unravels for her generation the obscurity of Tom and Jack in a time capsule of the 1940s.

Available: -- amazon.com

Palouse Pilot

The story of pilot 1st Lt. Scotty Rohwer, who flew with the 486th BS from May 1944 through December 1944. This book covers his life from his childhood through the end of the war. It concentrates on his training and war service and includes his diary entries of the 67 missions he flew.

Deke!

Donald "Deke" Slayton was a B-25 pilot first with the 486th Bomb Squadron, 340th Bomb Group, and later served in the Pacific with the 319th Bomb Group (formerly of the 57th Bomb Wing) flying A-26's. He went on to become one of the original Mercury Seven Astronauts and the only 57th Bomb Wing member to go into space! A small portion of this book describes his war experience, a great read!

Yankee Doodle Dandy, The Final Mission of 6Y

The personal story of Sgt. James R. Davidson, tailgunner on the B-25 called Yankee Doodle Dandy of the 486th Bomb Squadron which was shot down on February 13, 1945. He and his crew spent the rest of the war in Stalag XIII-D. This is the story of this mission and his experience as a POW.

Private Publication Out of Print

Truth Flies with Fiction

During World War II, author Dale J. Satterthwaite was a B-25 pilot who flew more than seventy missions over Italy and France in 1944. Truth Flies with Fiction, his memoir, presents a truthful, firsthand account of the missions and adventure...

In this book the author intersperses quotes from letters and personal memories with entries taken from the war diaries of the 486th Bombardment Squadron which place his personal story in perspective with the greater story of the war raging around him.

Avaliable at Archway Publishing Truth Flies with Fiction

Rivalta, 4 April 1945: The Crash of 6J, Ladies Delight

A detailed history by the Italian historian, Claudio Mischi, of the crash of 6J, Ladies Delight. It includes first-person interviews with the co-pilot and the tail gunner, as well as first-person accounts of the citizens of Rivalta who witnessed the crash landing.

In addition the author also recounts some fascinating stories of the activities of the Italian partisans in the last days of the war as they had to deal with the retreating German army.

Available for immediate download:

Original Italian Version (21MB)

English Translated Version (10MB)

487th Bomb Squadron

487th Squadron Album

A yearbook assembled by men of the 487th BS, and published in 1944, so it covers the first year of the squadron history. 181 pages

OUT OF PRINT- My copy was made from the collection of the Late Bill Slate.

Georgio Italiano, An American Pilots Unlikely Tuscan Adventure

The story of pilot 1st Lt. Harry D. George, who flew with the 487th BS and was shot down on June 22, 1944. He evaded capture by the Germans by living in a Cave, hidden by local Italians, for 78 days. Great story, and includes a 340th BG veterans point of view on Joseph Heller's book "Catch-22."

488th Bomb Squadron

Round the World with the 488th

A yearbook assembled by men of the 488th BS, and published in 1946. 176 pages

OUT OF PRINT- My copy was made from George Wells original.

Now and Then, from Coney Island to Here

The story of bombardier 1st Lt. Joseph Heller, who flew with the 488th BS and wrote the controversial book of fiction "Catch-22," that used a lot of the real men of the 340th BG and the 57th BW as a framework.

This book is his autobiography. Heller talks a lot about his experiences on Corsica and clears up a lot of what he was thinking when he wrote Catch-22."

Available- Through Barnes and Nobel.

The True Story of Catch 22: The Real Men and Missions of Joseph Heller's 340th Bomb Group in World War II

Author Patricia Chapman Meder has been a professional artist in both fine and commercial art for the past 35 years, 13 of them in Europe. When Catch-22 was published it was quickly apparent that this book was based on the Bomb Group her father commanded in World War II. This true-life parallel book thus begged to be written. Pat Meder has also written a full-color companion work to "The True Story of Catch-22," containing her delightful original artwork and caricatures of the individuals.

The True Story of Catch-22 Illustrated

Available: -- Casemate Publishers

Just One Catch

This is the definitive biography of Joseph Heller.

The author consulted the 57th Bomb Wing Association while preparing the sections of Heller's biography that covered his military service as a bombardier with the 488th Bombardment Squadron.

Available- Through MacMillan Books.

Yossarian Slept Here

Joseph Heller's daughter gives us an intimate and personal look at the man who wrote Catch-22.

See Yossarian Slept Here.

Ponte San Martino

A deep study of the August 23, 1944 raid on the Roman era bridge, Ponte San Martino, in Settimo, Italy.

The author has collected first-person accounts of the raid, and located US Army documents concerning the mission. He also has extensive accounts from the inhabitants of the village who experienced the raid on the ground.

This history is of particular significance due to the fact that Joseph Heller, the author of Catch-22, was a participant in the mission. He was so affected by it that it was included in a very important scene in the novel.

The book is difficult to find in the original Italian edition, but you can read an English translation of significant portions of the book here:

See Raid on the Settimo Road Bridges.

489th Bomb Squadron

489th Yearbook

A yearbook assembled by men of the 489th BS, and published in 1947. 247 pages

OUT OF PRINT- My copy was made from the collection of the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA) at Maxwell Air Force Base.

Pictures on the Piano

The story of pilot 1st Lt. Alex Stewart, who flew with the 489th BS from May 1944 through December 1944. This book covers his life from his childhood through the end of the war. It concentrates on his training and war service and includes his diary entries of the 63 missions he flew. Also writes about his family and siblings who also served in the war.

We have posted the Index from this book and it can be used to search for names or places mentioned in the text.

Pictures on the Piano - Index (7MB)