Air Force Museum
390th Bomb Group (H)
The 390th Bombardment Group (Heavy), part of the Eighth Air Force, flew 301 combat missions from England during World War II. Its memorial takes the form of a B-17 Flying Fortress tail, joining the group's aircraft identity with remembrance of its crews. The museum credits the group with destroying 377 enemy aircraft during the war.
In depth
History & service
This memorial is the configuration of the tail of a B-17 aircraft known as the Flying Fortress. The 390th Bombardment Group (H) flew 301 combat missions out of England during World War II. In addition to its outstanding bombing record, the 390th was credited with shooting down in one day -- Oct. 10, 1943 -- 62 enemy fighters. This was the highest kill rate in a single day for any bomber or fighter group in the European Theater of Operations.
In all, the group was credited with destroying 377 enemy aircraft during the war. The 390th attacked enemy targets throughout Europe. Also, the 390th was selected to take part in every shuttle mission flown by the 8th Air Force, including attacks on targets on the Eastern Front, in the Balkans, in Southern France and at the Normandy Beachhead.
You patched our wings, replaced our engines and healed our battle inflicted wounds.
You, as experts, unfailingly provided fuel, bombs, ammunition and all equipment necessary to sustain every bombing mission.
You truly excelled in maintaining the over-all efficiency of the greatest air force ever assembled.
You exemplified your deep concern as you housed and fed us, guarded and protected us with great care and professional skill.
You turned your special civilian skills into a mighty military asset. You were the part of the team which made the next combat mission possible.
Your dedication, commitment and intellect were major contributions to the total war effort.
Details that tell the story
Served with the 13th Combat Wing, 3rd Air Division, Eighth Air Force · Flew 301 combat missions from England · Memorial shaped as the tail of a B-17 Flying Fortress
What survives after the mission
A museum object begins a second life when it stops performing its original job. An aircraft that once carried a crew becomes a place for public memory. A jacket, letter, medal, or small piece of equipment can preserve a much more intimate connection. The object is valuable both for what it reveals physically and for the documented story that gives it meaning.
Famous aircraft and individuals can make a complicated history approachable, but they are only part of it. Many people left no celebrated machine behind. Memorials, personal possessions, unit records, and photographs help recover the experiences of those whose service was less visible. They also preserve loss, separation, captivity, recovery, and the consequences of war for families and communities.
Preservation involves choices. Restoring an aircraft may make its design easier to understand, while retaining wear or damage may protect evidence of its use. A reproduction can explain how a machine worked, provided its identity remains clear. Linking objects across collections helps fill the gaps created when surviving material is dispersed. A uniform in one gallery, an aircraft in another, and a memorial elsewhere can illuminate the same history from different directions. The result is more than a record of machines: it is a way to keep the people, decisions, and experiences connected to them in view.
