Warbird Information Exchange

Last week I spent some time with my uncle, a retired career bomber pilot whom I've occasionally referred to here as "my uncle the Buff driver." Uncle Bill,i.e. Lt. Col. William J. Tuxworth, USAF, ret. , a WWII combat veteran has finally opened up and told me about his background.
He flew a B-17 in the 840th sqn., "The Rum Hound" , 483rd BG, 5th air wing, 15th AF from Foggia, Italy. After the war, he stayed in and retired late sixties after flying a buff for SAC.
The photo of the 17 plowing along with its entire nose blown off was one of Uncle Bills buddies. He got choked up once or twice but also told me some tall stories from the base camp.
Bill gave me a load of stickers, pins, bumper stickers and a belt buckle with a B-17, "Flying Fortress" , "483rd bombardment group-H" and the BG emblem. This was from their 40th anniv. reunion in 1983 and it's new, unused. I am overwhelmed by his generosity.

Now that I've bragged enough, I'd like to find some contact info on the 483rd. Bomb Group association?

Doug

_________________
"I love the smell of 100LL in the morning."

Get the 'Heroe's of the 483rd' CD from the association, it has a list and brief history of crews.

Steve G

Thanks TriangleP and Steve G. I just went to the 483rd website and emailed the group pres. The reunion sounds like a good experience. Not too many groups from WWII still having them any more. I'd like to go but have already committed my vacation time for the year, some of which will be to out of state airshow events.
I love that 840th sqn badge. A drunk hound dog sprawled in a big martini glass chunking a bomb overboard.
I also just totally rearranged the pins on my museum '50 mission grease job' ball cap. The pewter B-17 uncle Bill sent me is a lot nicer and larger than the wimpy little pin I got at LSFM couple of years ago.

blue skies,
Doug

_________________
"I love the smell of 100LL in the morning."

My late father-in-law SSGT edward Potocki served with 815th BS 483rd BG. He was flight engineer/top turret. He was a foundation cadre member and went to Italy in March 44. WIA soon after. Flew B-17G Flak Happy and B-17F Chief Wahoo. The 483rd took new G models to Italy which were promptly given to a sister group after one or two missions.