The Events
1943 EVENTS: Winfred and Clifford Maxwell
Tuesday, December 22, 1942 – Winfred G. Maxwell enlisted into the United States Army Air Force at Jefferson Barracks in south St. Louis, Missouri. He was transferred to Clearwater, Florida for basic training. Postcards and letters began coming home in January.
Feb. 1 – 4, 1943 – Winfred was transferred by train from basic training in Clearwater, FL. to A.A.F.T.T.S. – Army Air Force Technical Training School in Sioux Falls, SD. This is where he began training at the A.A.F.T.S. ‘Radio Mechanics School’ for 18-20 weeks.
Tuesday, March 9, 1943 is the day Clifford S. Maxwell enlisted in the United States Army at Jefferson Barracks, MO.
March 20-24, Clifford was transferred by troop train the Camp Roberts, CA. to complete basic training.
After Basic Training, Clifford was assigned to Fort Worden, near Port Townshend, WA, to the 248th Coastal Artillery Battalion D. this occurred sometime in the month of May or June 1943.
May 20, 193 – Clifford has his 19th Birthday.
June 9, 1943 – Winfred graduates from A.A.F.T.T.S. – ‘Radio School’. He waits almost a month for his next assignment.
July 5, 1943 – Winfred has arrived at the Army Air Base in Salt Lake City, UT for reclassification and will be assigned to the 2nd Air Corp.
Jul. 22, 1943 – Clifford has finished bootcamp and is now stationed at Fort Worden, WA. as part of the Harbor Defense of Puget Sound.
July, 23, 1943 – Winfred is at Gowen Field, near Boise, ID for Phase I Bomber training. This is where the crews were formed to fly the B-24 bombers.
July 27, 1943 – Winfred Maxwell turned 22. Happy Birthday!
Aug. 12, 1943 – Winfred has been in the pressure chamber all morning. ‘Human Physiology and Altitude’
Aug. 20, 1943 – Winfred has been assigned to a crew in the 453rd Bomb Group.
Aug. 27, 1943 – The planes were grounded due to a fuel shortage.
Sep. 8, 1943 – Clifford has been on maneuvers.
Sep. 29, 1943 – Winfred and his crew have finished Phase I of their training at Gowen Field, ID. He is in Pocatello, Idaho for a couple of days before they are transferred to a base somewhere in California. The crew has been transferred from the 2nd to the 4th Army Air Force.
Oct. 2,1943 – Winfred is now at March Field in Riverside, California for 2nd and 3rd phase training (about 60 days) before going over.
Nov. 1, 1943 – Winfred begins Phase 3 bomber training where crews learn to fly in formations.
Nov. 10, 1943 – Winfred writes Margaret about his BIG SCARE! (nearly falling out of the plane)
Nov. 18, 1943 – Winfred has finished Phase 3 training and has been on a 24-hour pass to L.A.; he is a sergeant now and knows he will be going to Europe; he sends the (crew) picture home.
Nov. 12-18, 1943 (aprox.) – Clifford is on a furlough and came home to Irondale.
Dec. 5, 1943 – Winfred’s crew picks up their new B-24H at Hamilton Field, CA. and begins their cross-country flight to their Port of Embarkation – Morrison Field, FL.
Dec. 7, 1943 – Clifford and Pat Merrill break off their relationship over Mary Lou.
Dec. 9, 1943 – Winfred’s crew is at Morrison Field, FL. preparing for their flight to England via the Southern Route.
Dec. 23, 1943 – Winfred and his crew have arrived in England and will be stationed at Old Buckenham #144, near Norfolk.
1944 EVENTS: Winfred and Clifford Maxwell
Jan. 14, 1944 – Winfred sends the Folks a V-Mail letter for the first time.
Jan. 19, 1944 – Clifford had a pass and used it to work at a pulp mill.
Feb. 5, 1944 – Winfred is now a staff sergeant.
FEB. 6, 1944 1270 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 1 (212) – SIRACOURT 8th AAF 453rd BG 734th BS
Feb. 8, 1944 – Winfred writes his Uncle Norman.
FEB. 15, 1944 1360 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 2 – SIRACOURT 8th AAF 453rd BG 734th BS
Feb. 20 – 25, 1944 – “BIG WEEK”: The Turning Point of the Air War in Europe in WWII
FEB. 20, 1944 1440 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 3 – BRUNSWICK 8th AAF 453rd BG 734th BS
Feb. 23, 1944 – An envelope arrived for Guy D. Maxwell from his oldest brother, Norman A. Maxwell. The envelope contained six items.
FEB. 25, 1944 1500 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 4 – GOTHA 8th AAF 453rd BG 734th BS
Feb. 27 & 28, 1944 – Winfred went to Cambridge on a two-day pass.
Mar. 3, 1944 (aprox) – Clifford went on a his pass last week.
MAR. 5, 1944 1580 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 5 – BERGERZE (Bergerac A/F) 8th AAF 453rd BG 734th
MAR. 6, 1944 1590 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 6 – BERLIN (First big raid) 8th AAF 453rd BG 734th BS
Mar. 15*, 1944 (aprox) – Clifford is in Seattle on a 3-day pass; Service Men’s Club Seattle, WA.
Mar. 17, 1944 – Winfred just got back from a 48-hour pass to London.
MAR. 20, 1944 1710 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 7 – FRANKFURT 8th AAF 453rd BG 734th BS
MAR. 24, 1944 1750 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 8 – DEMART 8th AAF 453rd BG 734th BS
MAR. 26, 1944 1780 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 9 – PAS DE CALIAS
(Winfred’s last mission with the 453rd BG 734th BS)
Apr. 1, 1944 – Winfred and his crew have been transferred to the 389th B.G./564th B. Sqd. At Station #114 – Hethel Air Base, UK to become a P.F.F. (Pathfinder) crew.
APR. 12, 1944 1850 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 11 (300) – ZWICKAU 8th AAF 389th BG PFF 564th BS
APR. 13, 1944 1860 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 12 (301) – LIECHFIELD 8th AAF 389th BG PFF 564th BS
APR. 18, 1944 1880 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 13 (80) – RATHENOW 8th AAF 389th BG PFF 564th BS
APR. 22, 1944 1900 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 14 (84) – HAMM 8th AAF 389th BG PFF 564th BS
(Apr. 27, 1944 – Winfred has returned from a 48-hour pass.)
MAY 7, 1944 1940 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 15 (95) – ORNSBRUCK 8th AAF 389th BG PFF 564th BS
MAY 8, 1944 1950 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 16 (96) – BRUNSWICK 3 8th AAF 389th BG PFF 564th
(Avery plane shot down)
MAY 12, 1944 1960 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 17 ( ) – ZIETZ 8th AAF 389th BG PFF 564th BS
MAY 13, 1944 1960 BOMBER JOURNAL MISISSION 18 ( ) – TUTOW 8th AAF 389th BG PFF 564th BS
(May 14, 1944 – Winfred has been promoted to Tech Sergeant.)
MAY 19, 1944 2000 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 19 (102) – BRUNSWICK 4 8th AAF 389th BG PFF 564th
MAY 20, 1944 2010 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 20 (103) – RHEIMS, FR 8th AAF 389th BG PFF 564th BS
(May 20, 1944 – Clifford’s 20th Birthday)
MAY 25, 1944 2060 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 21 (107) – FRENCH COAST 1, NO-BALL 389th/564th
MAY 27, 1944 2070 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 22 (108 or 109) – FRENCH COAST 2, NO-BALL 389th/564th
MAY 29, 1944 2090 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 23 (111) – POLITZ, GERMANY 8th AAF 389th BG/564th BS
June 1, 1944 (Aprox) – Clifford is at Camp Barkeley, Texas. Hears they are to be reserve field artillery in case anything goes wrong with the invasion. He went through the filtration course at 10:30 last night.
JUN 3, 1944 2130 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 24 (115) – FRENCH COAST 3 “BURK” STELLA- PLAGE
(Jun 2, 1944 – Guy D Maxwell 49th Birthday)
JUN. 4, 1944 2150 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 25 (117, 118, or 119) – BOULOUGNE/PAS DE CALOIS 2
(June 4, 1944 – Rome fell to the Allies)
Jun. 5, 1944 *Aprox 2160 Clifford is at Camp Barkeley, Texas; listens to FDR and read Yank magazine.
‘D-DAY’
JUN. 6, 1944 2170 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 26 (121, 122, 123, or124) – D DAY 1 389th BG PFF 564th BS
(389th radar bombers among 1st to bomb on D-Day)
JUN. 6, 1944 2180 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 27 (122, 123, or124) – D DAY 2 “COUTANCES” 389/564
(Second bomb mission on D-Day)
JUN. 18, 1944 2210 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 28 (135) – HAMBURG 8th AAF 389th BG PFF 564th BS
Jun. 23, 1944 – Winfred has been on a pass to London.
JUN. 25, 1944 2230 BOMBER JOURNAL MISSION 29 (145) – PARIS, FRANCE 8th AAF 389th BG 564th BS
(Winfred’s last bombing mission – Capt. Titus plane shot down.)
Jun. 26, 1944 224 Winfred writes he is a very happy + lucky fellow (he has another pass); and says “you don’t have to do anymore worrying about me now as I’ve accomplished what I came for”.
(July 1, 1944 – Cressie M (Eye) Maxwell 45th Birthday)
JUL. 10, 1944 2260 BOMBER JOURNAL FINAL NOTES – Two weeks after their last mission the crew of the Hoo Jive was broken up. What next?
