Colonel Budd J. Peaslee
Commanding Officer
Jan. 1943-Sept. 1943
384th Bombardment Group (Heavy)

Serial Nr O-17061
Missions credited 384th BG - 8
Participated in 37 air battles as Task Force Commander / Formation Leader with the 8th Air Force.

Mission Commander on infamous 2nd Schweinfurt raid 'Black Thursday' - 14th Oct. 1943.

Budd was born 26th May 1902 in New York, his parents Geoff & Zella having a further three children. The family was to settle in California's Salinas Valley.
On 2nd July 1927 Budd enlisted to the military. In 1930 he was to marry Nettie Caroline Phelps. Unfortunately Nettie was to die in 1940, with Budd remarrying Evelyn Davis in 1941.

On the 1st January 1943, the 384th Bombardment Group appointed it's first Commanding Officer. He was to oversee the training of this new unit, and their deployment to the UK during May 1943 to Grafton Underwood with Budd assuming command of the base on 29th May 1943.He was to fly 8 combat missions with the 384th. Much of his time was devoted to developing the new unit as an effective force, although losses mounted rapidly.
Budd was to leave the 384th in Sept. 1943 to develop his idea of the 'Scouting Force' - the utilisation of fast, mobile fighters to range ahead of the bomber formations, sending back information to help lessen the early, crippling losses suffered.

With kind thanks to the 384th Bomb Group website (384thbombgroup.com) for permission in using material from their records in the making of this story. It holds a wealth of information, documents and photographs of their activities during World War 2.