1942
August

8- 451st Bomb Squadron, 322nd Bomb Group, activated at Mac Dill Field, Florida.

September

21- Squadron moved to Drane Field, Florida, for second phase of training.

November

16- 13 officers and 233 enlisted men, composing the ground echelon, entrained Drane Field for Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.

23- Departed Camp Kilmer for Port of Embarkation.

24- Aboard Queen Elizabeth. "Goodbye Statue of Liberty."

29- Landed at Grenock, Scotland. "ETO, here we are."

December

1- Ground echelon arrived at Rattlesden, Suffolk, England.

23- Squadron held Christmas party for English kiddies. M/Sgt. Louis Agnew played Santa Claus.

1943
February

18- Tours of historic Cambridge arranged for enlisted men every week.

20- C. G. (Joker) Johnson takes up duties at group headquarters and is replc in the squadron by S /Sgt. Charles E. Doss.

28- T /Sgt. Merwin E. Chagnon, with the flight echelon in the States, killed cross-country flight. Squadron's first fatality.

March

15- Lts. Herbert Price and Richard Young arrived from States with Lt. Col. Robert Stillman as advance combat party.

April

28- Brig. General Francis Brady arrived at Rattlesden on inspection tour shortly after taking command of 3rd Wing. One-half of outfit traveled to Elveden Hall under guidance of Lts. Fred Chase and Lawrence Cash to prepare Wing Headquarters.

May

13- Group made history on first low-level mission by becoming the first Marat Group in the ETO to bomb targets in Western Europe. Imuijden, Holland, the target. 451st not yet on hand to participate.

15- Capt. Frederick E. Fair, squadron C.O., arrived from States with the flight echelon. Trip was made by Southern route. Lt. Leslie E. Reece killed on a landing on the trip over.

17- Group's second and fatal low level mission. Ten out - ten down.

20- Lt. Col. Glenn Nye assumed command of group to head what was to become the renowned "Nye's Annihilators."

22- Squadron moved from Rattlesden to Bury St. Edmonds.

25- Orderly room staff had narrow escape as engine and wheel from exploding bomber crashed through building. Fortunately, no one in Squadron injured.

June

6- Transferred from 8th Bomber Command to 8th Air Support Command.

12- Advance echelon left for station No. 485, Great Saling, Essex, England. This becomes our most permanent residence in the ETO. The field was named Andrews Field in honor of General Frank Andrews, former ETO Commanding General.

19- Capt. Ben C. Barnes left for School of Aviation Medicine, Randolph Field, Texas. Home again.

29- Sgt. Robert Schiffler left for Flying Control School and a commission.

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