Uncle Louie's Letters to Home: LETTER #74 - 1 MAY, 1945 FROM CPL ALVIN LLOYD

My Little Notes: This is surprisingly the first letter we see from Alvin Lloyd. We have heard about him through Louie's letters. If you recall, they were stationed together in training at several bases. While at Truax Field in Madison in the summer of 1944, Louie brought Alvin home with him to his family in Chicago while on furlough for a weekend (See letter #33). Letter #34 is the letter from Alvin's mother thanking Louie's mom for her hospitality for her son. We will see 4 more letters from Alvin. This is the only letter we see from Al being with the 451st Bombardment Group. This group was activated on May, 1, 1943 and deactivated on September 26, 1945.

451st Bombardment Group Website

The 451st Bomb Group flew B-24 Liberators and was stationed at Castellucio, Italy.

The 451st Bomb Group consisted of the following organizations:

724th Bomb Squadron

725th Bomb Squadron

726th Bomb Squadron

727th Bomb Squadron

History of the 451st Bomb Group

(Source: http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/USAAF/451st_Bombardment_Group.html)

The 451st Bombardment Group was a B-24 Liberator group that was based in Italy during 1944-45 and took part in the strategic bombing campaign as well as providing some support for the tactical air force in Italy.

The group was activated on 1 May 1943 and trained with the B-24. It was one of six B-24 groups that were originally expected to reach the Fifteenth Air Force by the end of December 1943. Only three of these groups arrived on time, including the 451st, although the group didn't officially arrive at its first Italian base until mid January 1944.

The group's main job was to take part in the strategic bombing campaign across Europe. It ranged across most of southern Europe, hitting targets in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania and Greece. It attacked industrial targets, oil refineries, aircraft factories and other strategic targets.

From time to time the group took part in tactical operations to directly support the fighting on the ground.

On 29 March 1944 the group took part in the Fifteenth Air Force's first 'thousand ton' raid, part of Operation Strangle, the attempt to isolate the German front line in Italy.

On 17 May 1944 the group was one of ten B-24 groups to attack the Italian harbours of Piombino, San Stefano and Porto Ferraio (Elba), part of a wider effort to support the advance on Rome.

In August 1944 the group was used to support Operation Dragoon, the invasion of the south of France.

In September 1944 it was even used as a transport unit, flying supplies to isolated positions in Italy.

In April 1945 the group helped support the final Allied advances in northern Italy that ended with the surrender of the German armies in the country.

(Note: the timeframe the letter was written from Alvin.)

The group received three Distinguished Unit Citations. The first came for an attack on the aircraft factory at Regensburg on 25 February 1944, the second for a raid on oil refineries and marshalling yards at Ploesti on 5 April 1944 and the third for an attack on a German airfield at Vienna on 23 August 1944. On each occasion the group reached its target despite heavy German fighter opposition.

The group returned to the United States in June 1945 and was inactivated on 26 September 1945.