Page 39 - World Airshow News Autumn 2024

If you watched the mini-series, or
read Dr. Miller’s book, you know the Chance Encounter:
th
100 Bomb Group became known as TSgt Louis A. Wiley
the “Bloody Hundredth” because of the
massive casualties they suffered in 1943
and 1944. Over a tragic three-day stretch During our visit to the Cambridge action on August 3, 1944, and accord-
th
in October 1943 that became known as American Cemetery, our tour host ing to 490th.com, the 490 did suffer
“Black Week”, the Bloody Hundredth lost gave each of us a white rose to place casualties over Belgium in a B-24 on
19 Flying Fortresses and almost 200 crew on the grave site of our choice. As we that date.
either killed, missing, or captured. were leaving the cemetery’s chapel, TSgt Wiley was awarded an Air
th
On October 8, the 100 lost seven my wife Pam suggested it would be Medal and a Purple Heart. We thank
bombers during their mission to Bre- nice if we could find someone from him for his service and his ultimate
men, Germany. While they managed to our home state of North Carolina. sacrifice.
avoid any losses on their October 9 mis- With over 3,800 young men buried
sion to Marienburg, on October 10, the in the cemetary, I assumed finding
target was a large railroad marshaling someone from our state would be a bit
yard in Munster, Germany. Because of like looking for a needle in a haystack.
the losses suffered on the Bremen mis- Much to my amazement, the second
sion and other damaged aircraft, the cross we approached was the grave of
th
100 was only able to put 13 planes in the TSgt Louis A. Wiley. His headstone
air to Munster instead of the typical force said, “North Carolina Aug 3, 1944”.
of up to 21 planes. Tragically, only one of His headstone and a Google search
those 13 planes would make it home to taught us a little more about TSgt
Thorpe Abbotts that afternoon. Twelve Wiley. According to HonorStates.org,
aircraft and 120 men were lost. he was from the eastern part of our
The following year, the Bloody Hun- state, in Pitt County, North Caro-
dredth would sadly have three more mis- lina. He was listed as a tail gunner
st
sions on which they lost at least twelve with the 851 Bomb Squadron of the
th
th
aircraft. Overall, the 100 flew 306 mis- 490 Bomb Group, a B-24 Liberator
sions, losing 229 aircraft and 757 men unit. TSgt Wiley was listed as killed in
killed or missing in action. A total of 939
other men became POWs.
After the war, Thorpe Abbotts closed,
and the land was returned to the original Above: TSgt Louis A.
landowners for agricultural use. Over the Wiley (HonorStates.
years, the remaining buildings fell into org photo).
disrepair and decay. Left: The final
In 1977, a group of British war his- resting place of TSgt
tory enthusiasts saw the value of keep- Louis A. Wiley in the
ing the memory of Thorpe Abbotts alive Cambridge American
and began acquiring artifacts for display Cemetery.
as part of a museum. They painstakingly
renovated the historic Thorpe Abbotts
control tower back to its former glory as
the centerpiece of their new museum. In
May 1981, the 100 Bomb Group Memo-
th
rial Museum opened to the public.
In the years since the museum opened,
volunteers have also restored the original
Engine Shed building and added two au-
thentic Nissen Huts with more artifacts
and memorabilia displays. Several sec-
tions of the original perimeter taxiway
also remain, as do a few of the original
hard stands.
Today, a visit to Thorpe Abbotts al-
lows visitors to step back in time to 1943.
When you stand on the observation deck
of the control tower – where squadron
leaders once scanned the skies, anxiously

World Airshow News 39 Quarter 4, 2024