Skip to main content

460th Heavy Bombardment Group Society papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 01.0046

Scope and Contents

The collection of the 460th Heavy Bombardment Group Society contains a unit history of this B-24 U.S. Army Air Corps Group, 55th Wing, 760th, 761st, 762nd, 763rd Squadrons and Group Headquarters, which served in the Italian Campaign. This collection primarily focuses on the memory of the war and those who served in the 460th. Included is a listing of the airmen who were held as prisoners of war, including their squadrons, positions on the plane (e.g. pilot, gunner), the date, mission, and what country or stalag in which they were held. Also included is a booklet, "Remembering the 460th Bomb Group (H)," which contains photographs, personnel lists, and maps, and was prepared as a gift from Duane and Betty Bohnstedt to their members. There are mission lists, target details, flight records, and crew searches. The collection includes issues of the society's veterans' association magazine, "Black Panther" from mid-1990 to their final issue, December 2005.



Additionally, there are copies of diaries, personal files, memoirs, and wartime letters assembled and sent to Bohnstedt by various crew members. An oral history of Bohnstedt is included. Correspondence is included with members that gave to his collection, as well as his accounts of personal research and travel while assembling this collection.

Dates

  • 1943-2015
  • Date acquired: 02/07/2015

Creator

Language of Materials

English .

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to all researchers.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to quote, publish, broadcast or otherwise reproduce from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Associate Dean for Special Collections & Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Florida State University Libraries as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

Biographical or Historical Information

The collection was assembled by Duane and Betty Bohnstedt, who conducted extensive research on the 460th Bombardment Group by contacting its members and traveling to original station sites. Duane ("Sparky") was part of the 460th, a B-24 group, which was part of the 55th Wing, Fifteenth Air Force, stationed in Spinazzola, Italy, from February 1943 until May 1945. Duane was 19 when he joined and served with ordnance.



Duane and Betty Bohnstedt combined their skills and experiences to thoroughly preserve the history of the 460th. Duane has a degree in Art and Betty was an experienced writer. Together they became historians and archivists of their own collection. They published a history of the 460th, along with editing and publishing a newsletter for the 460th Bomb Group Society.

Note written by Jordan Bolan

Extent

41 boxes

Additional Description

Arrangement Note

Creators' arranged.

Custodial History

Transferred from the Institute on World War II and the Human Experience to FSU Libraries Special Collections & Archives in July 2022.

Source of Acquisition

Duane and Betty Bohnstedt

Method of Acquisition

Donation

Subjects

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
460th Heavy Bombardment Group Society papers 01.0046
Author
Jordan Bolan and Gillian Morton
Date
05/12/2016
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Physical Storage Information

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the FSU Special Collections & Archives Repository

Contact:
Tallahassee FL 32306 US

Staff Interface | ArchivesSpace.org | Hosted by Lyrasis Lyrasis Logo