To learn even more about the Mighty Eighth Air Force I’ve collected some related books and resources to help deepen your knowledge. By purchasing any of the following books through Amazon, you are directly supporting my efforts to preserve and share the story of the Joe Noyes Crew for future generations.
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command
The Mighty Eighth: The Air War in Europe as Told by the Men Who Fought It by Gerald Astor
This book provides the gripping history of the U.S. Eighth Air Force during World War II. Through firsthand accounts, it captures the harrowing experiences of both bomber crews and fighter pilots as they faced deadly missions over Nazi-occupied Europe. This book highlights both the heroism and the heavy personal toll of aerial warfare.
The Mighty Eighth: Masters of the Air over Europe 1942–45 by Donald Nijboer
A detailed historical account of the Eighth Air Force’s pivotal role in the war. This book features insightful analysis and explores the strategies, aircraft, missions, and personal experiences of the airmen who took to the skies during World War Two.
The Mighty Eighth: A History of the Units, Men and Machines of the US 8th Air Force by Roger Freeman
The comprehensive history of the Eighth Air Force during the Second World War, detailing the 8th’s organization, aircraft, missions, and personnel. Meticulously researched, the book provides an in-depth look at the strategies that made the Eighth Air Force such a decisive force in the Air War over Europe.
Eighth Air Force Fighter Command
Clean Sweep: VIII Fighter Command Against the Luftwaffe, 1942–45 by Thomas McKelvey Cleaver
This book provides a detailed account of the U.S. Eighth Air Force’s fighter operations in World War II, chronicling how its pilots overcame early challenges to dominate the skies over Europe. Through tactical innovations, relentless air combat operations, and the introduction of superior aircraft like the P-51 Mustang, the VIII Fighter Command played a decisive role in defeating the Luftwaffe and securing air superiority.
Specific Bomb Groups
Mendlesham Memories originally published by the members of the 34th Bomb Group (H) Association, Inc.
The 44th Bomb Group in World War II: The “Flying Eight-Balls” over Europe in the B-24 by Ron Mackay
The Ragged Irregulars: The 91st Bomb Group in World War II by Marton Havelaar
Plane Names and Fancy Noses: The 91st Bomb Group (Heavy) United States Army Air Force, Bassingbourn by Ray Bowden
Serenade to the Big Bird: A Young Flier’s Memoir of the Second World War by Bert Stiles
First published in 1952, recounts author Bert Stiles experiences as an Army Air Force pilot in the European theater of World War Two. Stiles enlisted in the Air Force almost immediately after Pearl Harbor, and served as a Second Lieutenant in the 401st Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group, and later in the 505th Fighter Squadron, 339th Fighter Group.
Coffin Corner Boys: One Bomber, Ten Men, and Their Harrowing Escape from Nazi-Occupied France by Carole Engle Avriett
This is the incredible true story of a B-17 bomber crew shot down over France during World War II and their desperate struggle to evade capture. With the help of the French Resistance, the surviving airmen embark on a perilous journey to freedom.
Ted’s Travelling Circus: 93rd Bombardment Group (H), United States Army Air Force, World War II by Carroll Stewart
Four months after Peal Harbor, the 93rd Bombardment Group existed only on paper. It would become the pioneer B-24 Liberator unit in the Eighth Air Force and history’s most traveled, most colorful and, arguably, most efficient fighting machine.
Lingering Contrails of The Big Square A: A History of the 94th Bomb Group (H) 1942-1945 by Harry E. Slater
B-17s Over Berlin: Personal Stories from the 95th Bomb Group (Memories of War) by Ian L. Hawkins
This is the book that compelled me to start researching the life of Flight Officer Joseph H. Noyes. This is a compelling collection of firsthand accounts from those who served in the 95th Bomb Group during World War II. Through personal narratives, the book captures the intense experiences of B-17 bomber crews, and offers a vivid tribute to their courage and resilience.
No Foxholes in the Sky by Harry M. Conley
I was lucky to have had the opportunity to personally speak with Harry Conley, who knew Joe Noyes very well, because Joe was his co-pilot for a time. This remarkable book is Harry’s personal memoir, providing fascinating wartime insights, interspersed with letters home to his mother. Of special interest to me, Harry mentions Joe on page 105, 109, and 133.
Tailspin by John Armbruster
World War II tail gunner Gene Moran fell four miles through the sky without a parachute and lived. Captured by the Germans, he survived a harrowing eighteen months as a prisoner of war, including a six-hundred-mile death march in 1945 across Central Europe.
A Wing and a Prayer: The “Bloody 100th” Bomb Group of the US Eighth Air Force in Action Over Europe in World War II by Harry H. Crosby
This compelling firsthand account is written by Harry Crosby, the lead navigator of the 100th Bomb Group, famously known as the “Bloody 100th” based at Thorpe Abbotts. Harry was notably portrayed in the recent Apple TV series Masters of the Air.
Luck of the Draw: My Story of the Air War in Europe by Frank Murphy
This is the incredible, inspiring story of Frank Murphy, one of the few survivors from the 100th Bombardment Group, who cheated death for months in a German POW camp after being shot out of his B-17 Flying Fortress.
Damn Lucky: One Man’s Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History by Kevin Maurer
Second Lieutenant Luckadoo was assigned to the 100th Bomb Group stationed in Thorpe Abbotts, England. Luckadoo piloted through Luftwaffe machine-gun fire and antiaircraft flak while enduring subzero temperatures to complete his twenty-five missions.
Hell’s Angels: The True Story of the 303rd Bomb Group in World War II by Jay A. Stout
Based on extensive research and firsthand accounts, this book tells the story of the airmen who served with the 303rd Bomb Group, showcasing the remarkable bravery of the “Hell’s Angels” during World War II. Their intense and harrowing air battles played a crucial role in shaping the outcome of the war.
Wrong Place, Wrong Time: The 305th Bomb Group & the 2nd Schweinfurt Raid by George C. Kuhl
This book, another of my old school favorites, chronicles the harrowing experiences of the 305th Bomb Group during the infamous Second Schweinfurt Raid, highlighting the mission’s strategic importance, the devastating losses suffered by the Mighty Eighth, and the remarkable resilience of the aircrews involved.
Shot Down: The true story of pilot Howard Snyder and the crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth by Steve Snyder
This is a riveting account of a B-17 crew shot down over Nazi-occupied Belgium. Blending historical research with firsthand accounts, the book follows the author’s father, B-17 pilot Howard Snyder, and his crew’s harrowing experiences, including evasion, capture, and survival. This book recounts the individual stories of each crew member, and those of the courageous Belgian people who risked their lives to help them.
The 351st Bomb Group in WWII: The Duty to Remember, 1942-1945 by Ken Harbour
Valor at Polebrook : The Last Flight of Ten Horsepower by Rick School and Jeff Rogers
An Innocent at Polebrook: A Memoir of an 8th Air Force Bombardier by Charles N. Stevens
Screwball Express, A meaningful Tribute to the 8th Air Force, the 379th Bomb Group & the Screwball Express by Kenneth H. Cassens
379th Bomb Group (H) Anthology (2 Volume Set) by Turner Publishing
Bomb Group: The Eighth Air Force’s 381st and The Allied Air Offensive Over Europe by Paul Bingley and Major Mike Peters
This book tells the story of just one “Bomb Group” – the 381st, which crossed the Atlantic in May 1943. Arriving at RAF Ridgewell on the Essex-Suffolk border, its airmen quickly found themselves thrown into the hazardous and attritional air battle raging in the skies over Europe. The 381st’s path led from its formation in the Texan desert, to its 297th and final bombing mission deep into the heart of Hitler’s Third Reich.
Ridgewell’s Flying Fortresses: The 381st Bombardment Group (H) in World War II by Ron Mackay
Dancin’ with Dollies: A Memoir of World War II by Edwin Dwight Ledbetter
Rain of Iron: Biography of Major Frank Stetson and the Heroes of the 385th Bomb Group in the Eighth Air Force by Ted Stetson
In the cold, blue and lethal skies over Europe during World War II, few combat roles were as perilous as that of a bombardier aboard a B-17 Flying Fortress. Rain of Iron tells the gripping, true story of one such hero, my dad, who completed 34 harrowing missions against the dark Nazi forces.
Fuses and Firepower: Stories of George and Marie Menkoff and the 385th Bomb group in WW2 by James Harris
A Bomber Crew Mystery: The Forgotten Heroes of 388th Bombardment Group by David Price
The Sky Scorpions: The Story of the 389th Bomb Group in World War II by Ron Mackay
The 390th Bomb Group Anthology: by Members of the 390th Bombardment Group (H) 1943-1945 by Wilbert H. Richarz
The anthology includes 83 stories written by 45 members of the 390th Bomb Group relating their personal adventures during the World War II years. of 1943, 1944, and 1945. The stories include combat briefs, mission stories, humor in the midst of war, evasion, and imprisonment after being shot down.
My Combat Diary With Eighth Air Force B-17s 390th Bomb Group by Andrew Anzanos
Over 26 missions, Anzanos was credited with destroying an Me-110 and damaging an Me-109. His memoir details challenges such as engine failures, a massive rocket attack, and the loss of all his roommates and their aircraft, “Liberty Bell-e.”
35 Missions to Hell and Back: A Mighty 8th Air Force, 390th Bomb Group (H) History by Charles J Chuck Richardson
Written by a radioman and gunner from the 390th Bomb Group (H), 571st bomb Squadron, this is the compelling story of young airmen from across the country who were bound together by faith, courage, blood, sweat, and tears.
Last To Die: Remembering Donald A. Kight – The Final Combat Casualty of the 392nd Bomb Group by Mark Holmes
A short story of World War II, remembering the sacrifice of Staff Sgt. Donald A. Kight, the last warrior of the 392nd Bomb Group (H) to die on a combat mission.
398th Bomb Group Remembrances by Allen Ostrom
Portrait of a Flying Lady: The Stories of Those She Flew with in Battle (401st Bomb Group) by George Menzel
Pictorial Record Of The 401st Bomb Group by Gordon R Closway
Not As Briefed: Memoirs of a B-24 Navigator/Prisoner of War 1943-1945 by Wright Lee
Two Guys Talkin’ B-24s: at a Cracker Barrel in Battle Creek, Mich. by Aaron Elson
Gene Crandall was a propeller specialist and all-around mechanical troubleshooter in the 445th Bomb Group in World War II. Floyd Ogilvy was a waist gunner who flew 30 missions on a B-24. In 1999, while researching the ill-fated Kassel Mission of Sept. 27, 1944, author Aaron Elson met Crandall and Ogilvy at a Cracker Barrel in Battle Creek, Michigan, and the three men talked well into the night. From colorful stories about Jimmy Stewart, who was an original squadron commander in the 445th, to dramatic accounts of crashes at the base and an explosion at a bomb dump, “Two Guys Talkin’ B-24s” presents a side of life in World War II that is often left on the cutting room floor of documentaries.
THE HISTORY OF THE 446TH BOMB GROUP 1943-1945 by Harold E. Jansen
The World War II Diary of Roy Lee Fielder, 8th Air Force, 446th Bomb Group, 707th Bomb Squadron: A Digital Preservation of a Historic Family Heirloom by Roy Lee Fielder
Roy Lee Fielder was a Texas orphan who joined the Army Air Force during the World War II era. This is a digital recreation of his Army issued daily diary, which he kept during his service from 1941 through 1945. Roy Lee completed an operational tour of duty of over 30 missions in B-24 aircraft.
History: 447th Bomb Group Hardcover by Doyle Shields Jr. and Marvin Lubinsky
The 448th Bomb Group (H): Liberators over Germany in World War II by Jeffrey E. Brett
The 448th Bomb Group from its inception at Gowen Field, Idaho, in 1943 until the cessation of hostilities in Europe in 1945. An in-depth, personal look into the men who carried the war to the heart of the German Reich. Although the 448th Bomb Group never received the notoriety of some of the more famous Groups of the Eighth Air Force, it was one of the many units that successfully completed its mission every day. Among the unsung heroes of World War II were these normal men who completed their missions, day after day.
Missing Planes of the 452nd Bomb Group by Edward Hinrichs
Deopham Green: The Saga of the 452nd Bomb Group (H) in World War II not a book, but a documentary about the men of the 452nd Bomb Group and the British families who lived on or near their base at Deopham Green in World War II England.
Fait Accompli III: A Historical Anthology of the 457th Bomb Group (H)- The Fireball Outfit by James L. Bass
Mission to Germany: William ‘Bud’ Gassen and the 457th Bomb Group by Sean J. Flynn
Liberators over Norwich: The 458th Bomb Group (H), 8th USAAF at Horsham St. Faith, 1944-1945 by Ron Mackay
The 458th Bomb Group (H) entered combat with the 8th Air Force early in 1944. Based at Horsham St. Faith in England, the combat crews participated in the decisive Campaigns – ‘Big Week’, ‘Big B’, D-Day and the assault on Germany’s oil industry – waged by the USAAF up to VE-Day. The group also tested the operational use of ‘Azon’ radio-controlled bombs. The 458th flew a total of 240 missions, during which over 13,000 tons of ordnance was dropped, and was achieved at the cost of sixty-five crews MIA or involved in operational accidents. This is their complete history.
Wings Of Morning: The Story Of The Last American Bomber Shot Down Over Germany In World War II by Thomas Childers
This book offers a deeply moving and thoroughly researched account of the last American bomber shot down over Germany in World War II. Combining personal narratives, historical records, and the author’s own family connection to the crew, it provides a powerful and immersive perspective. It was one of the classic books that first sparked my interest in the role of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, alongside B-17s Over Berlin.
A comprehensive unit history published in 1996. Rare and out-of-print.
Gentlemen from Hell: Men of the 487th Bomb Group: Leaders of the Largest Eighth Air Force Mission of World War II by C.C. Neal
The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H) by Ivo De Jong
“The Fortunes of War”: The 492nd Bomb Group on Daylight Operations by Allan G. Blue
