The 467th Bomb (H) Group was a part of the 8th Army Air Force during WWII. It was located at Rackheath, England, a small village 6 miles northeast of Norwich. The group flew B-24s starting in April 1944 until the same month in 1945.
The 467th Bomb Group (H) Association was created as a separate entity in July 1986 at a reunion of the Second Air Division Association in Pheasant Run, Illinois, and in 1998 non-vets could become associate members. The leadership was prepared to shut the organization down when they met at their annual meeting in October 2012. A variety of people offered to keep the association going and the group has had slow but steady growth and accomplishments since then.
In 2020 the group was supposed to have returned to England for its reunion. Those plans were canceled because of the pandemic, but the plans were resurrected for this Fall. It is particularly important that the group return this year because the land of the original base is due to be developed. While the developers are making paths that will lead to a memorial garden, what is now left of the site will be gone.
The reunion is called “One Last Look,” and it takes place from September 18 – 22, 2023. Attendees will be visiting control towers, one of which is the former home of the 448th Bomb Group and is now a museum. They will also be able to stand on the remains of the 467th’s main runways, walk along lost paths, see buildings, blast shelters, and the concrete base of the officer’s club on Site 6 which was the communal part of the Rackheath Airbase.
The group will visit the American Library, dedicated to the Second Air Division to learn about the legacy of the Memorial Room, a gift from the veterans of the Second Air Division in memory of the almost 7,000 who gave their lives during the war. Yvonne Caputo will give a presentation on her book Flying with Dad, which celebrates her father, a navigator in the 467th.
The 467th accumulated many records. Some are; it had the best bombing results in the 8th from November 1944 to April 1945, and the second best from January 1944 to October 1944. A perfect strike was achieved on April 15, 1945. All squadrons dropped 100 percent of their bombs within 1000 feet mpi (mean point of impact) and 55 percent within 500 feet. The 467th BG was selected to lead the entire 8th Air Force on May 13, 1945, for the Victory Fly Past Air Review for Lt. General James (Jimmy) Dolittle.
Of note, the 467th was the only group to have the same commander for its entire stay in England. This was Colonel Albert J. Shower. He is credited with the group having such a sterling reputation. His insistence on tight formation flying was cited as a reason for the group having the lowest number of aircrew losses per credit sortie in the 96th Combat Bomb Wing between September 1944 and March 1945.
The reunion trip is open to anyone who would wish to attend. The deadline to register is August 11th. More information along with a registration form and a link to hotel accommodations can be found at One Last Look and here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/209080115899870/permalink/2611148082359716
Authors note: The picture of the Massillon Tiger (at top) was on the perfect strike on April 14, 1945. My father, Mike Caputo, was the navigator in that plane on that day. The model of the Witchcraft hanging in the American Library was built by Mike and donated to the library in 2002.
