42nd
Bomb
Group
Crusaders

 

Air Forced Assigned To:    13th (March '43 to end WWII)
   
Stations Flown From:   Fiji Is. (April '43 - June '43)
  Guadalcanal (June '43 - Oct '43)
    Russell Is (Oct '43 - Jan '44)
    Sterling, Solomon Is (Jan '44 - Aug '44)
    Hollandia (Aug '44 - Sept '44)
    Sansapor, New Guinea (Sept '44 - Feb '45)
    Morotai (Feb '45 - March '45)
    Puerto Princesa, Palawan (March '45 - end WWII)
     
Campaigns Flown in:   Antisubmarine, American Theater
  China Defensive
New Guinea
Northern Solomons
Bismarck Archipelago
Western Pacific
Leyte
    Luzon
    Southern Philippines
    China Offensive
     
Awards Won:   Distinguished Unit Citation: Balikpapan, Borneo  23 -30 June '45
  Philippine Presidential Unit Citation
     

 

Squadron Insignia and Codes:

click squadron logos for
that squadron's photo page

  
69th BS
'43 - '46
Also served 38th BG
69th BS History		   70th BS
'43 - '46
Also served 38th BG
70th BS History		   75th BS
'41 - 46
75th BS History		   76th BS
'41 - 43
  69th BS members today   70th BS members today   75th BS members today    
       
  77th BS
'41 - '42
Also served 28th BG		   100th
'44-'45		   390th
'42 - '46
390th BS History		   406th BS
'42 - '43
Also served numerous other groups
      100th BS members today   390th BS members today    
Planes Flown: B25
 

2005 Reunion

42nd BG 'Crusaders' as they are today

Photo courtesy of George Jones, 42nd BG

42nd BG 'Crusaders' at 2004 reunion (Washington)

Photo courtesy of George Jones, 42nd BG

42nd BG 'Crusaders' at 2003 reunion (Dayton)

Photo courtesy of George Jones, 42nd BG

Reunion photo taken in 2002 at Huntsville reunion

Photo courtesy of George Jones, 42nd BG

70th Bomb Squadron vets at Maxwell Field, 2001 Our first Reunion at Montgomery, AL

Photo courtesy of George Jones, 42nd BG

Picture of a B-25 still around today shown at March Field

Photo courtesy of George Jones, 42nd BG

Wasile Bay  

Photo courtesy of George Jones, 42nd BG

Harokoe Air strip

Photo courtesy of George Jones, 42nd BG


a 3 pic sequence as we left the Goeroe air field gun positions in our AM parafrag drop. We rearmed  with 100 pounders, had Thanksgiving dinner Nov. 1944 by the planes at Pitoe strip on Morotai; and hit the repair crews trying to patch the morning damage done by 13th AF B-24s from med. altitude. Then on back to Sansapor, New Guinea to Mar strip late in the afternoon.
 

Photo courtesy of George Jones, 42nd BG

Good tail shot of the 'Crusaders' tail emblem

Photo courtesy of George Jones, 42nd BG

Jack Blake posing with the rest of the group (could possibly be 69th or 70th BS)

Photo courtesy of Robert Blake

Jack Blake somewhere in the South Pacific

Photo courtesy of Robert Blake

Jack Blake posing with a B25 crew

Photo courtesy of Robert Blake

Jack Blake a few years ago (he has since passed away...)

Photo courtesy of Robert Blake

Great shot of a B-25 strafer!

Photo courtesy of Robert Blake

Nice shot of a man in his B-25. No info other than the plane name 'Dolly'

Photo courtesy of Robert Blake

Report on enemy aerial activity against the 42nd BG

Photo courtesy of Robert Blake

continuation of the above image

Photo courtesy of Robert Blake

Commendation for strafing attack on Kahili Airdrome

Photo courtesy of Robert Blake

view of a bomb run

Photo courtesy of Robert Blake

Great shot of a low lever strafer!

photo courtesy of Jack Cook

B25J

photo courtesy of Jack Cook

View out the lower back of a B25

Photo courtesy of Robert Blake

Another great shot

photo courtesy of Jack Cook

42nd planes covering attack at Zamboanga Mar.10, 1945

Photo courtesy of George Jones, 42nd BG

Kairatoe Airfield in Ceram Islands

Photo courtesy of George Jones, 42nd BG

Our main drag at Palawan in the Colg/Palmolive coconut grove along the most beautiful white sand beach imaginable.

Photo courtesy of George Jones, 42nd BG

How the Japs left the field before the 42nd Bomb Group arrived at Palawan..

Photo courtesy of George Jones, 42nd BG

Target of the 42nd BG - Langoan Airdrome, No. Celebes

Photo courtesy of George Jones, 42nd BG

Target of the 42nd BG -Kendarii, So. Celebes was Dec. 2nd 1944, 2 days after we had lost our navigator on a long mission to Dumaguete Airfield on Negros in the Philippines. Nearly 1/2 of our 42nd crews were on detached service at Morotai flying in combination with the 38th Bomb Group of the 5th AF that month.  We flew several missions from there in Dec. 1944.

Photo courtesy of George Jones, 42nd BG

Target of the 42nd BG -Manado, No. Celebes

Photo courtesy of George Jones, 42nd BG










Series of photos showing the damage in Manilla

Photo courtesy of George Jones, 42nd BG

Photo taken in Fiji or Guadalcanal in Summer of 43. My father, Sgt. Gillis W. Hanson is on the front row, second from right end, wearing khakis and ballcap with bill turned up in front. His favorite way of wearing the hat. To his immediate right wearing white V-neck shirt, no hat, is Cpl. Michael Bobovsky , his best friend and my namesake and godfather.

Photo courtesy of Mike Hanson

nice wallpaper for your computer, featuring the 42nd BG

Photo courtesy of Jack Graden

would seem to be a Christmas card from overseas

Photo courtesy of Carroll Marcusen

 
 

Photo courtesy of Carroll Marcusen

Rueben Marcusen is in front row the last guy on the right, he is also wearing sunglasses in that photo

Photo courtesy of Carroll Marcusen

Visiting B-24?

Photo courtesy of Carroll Marcusen
 

Photo courtesy of Carroll Marcusen
 

Photo courtesy of Carroll Marcusen
 

Photo courtesy of Carroll Marcusen
 

Photo courtesy of Carroll Marcusen
 

Photo courtesy of Carroll Marcusen

Rueben Marcusen rightmost person in front of B-25 (in front of tower)

Photo courtesy of Carroll Marcusen
 

Photo courtesy of Carroll Marcusen

5th BG stage

Photo courtesy of Carroll Marcusen

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