If anyone has information regarding the Piccadilly Circus, girls, and G.I.s, and/or the 96th Bomb Group, please post here.

JamesLButts:-

96th Bombardment Group

HISTORY:

Constituted as 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 1 Mar 1942. Prepared for combat with B-24's. Engaged in antisubmarine operations over the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, May-Jul 1942.

Constituted as 96th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 15 Jul 1942. Trained with B-17's and also served as an operational training unit. Moved to England, Apr-May 1943, for duty with Eighth AF. Entered combat in May 1943 and functioned primarily as a strategic bombardment organization throughout the war. Attacked shipyards, harbors, railroad yards, airdromes, oil refineries, aircraft factories, and other industrial targets in Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Norway, Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia. Received a DUC for withstanding severe assault by enemy fighters to bomb the vital aircraft factories at Regensburg on 17 Aug 1943. Received another DUC for leading the 45th Wing a great distance through heavy clouds and intense antiaircraft fire to raid important aircraft component factories in Poland on 9 Apr 1944. Other significant targets included airdromes in Bordeaux and Augsburg; marshalling yards in Kiel, Hamm, Brunswick, and Gdynia; aircraft factories in Chemnitz, Hannover, and Diosgyor; oil refineries in Merseburg and Brux; and chemical works in Weisbaden, Ludwigshafen, and Neunkirchen. In addition to strategic operations, missions included bombing coastal defenses, railway bridges, gun emplacements, and field batteries in the battle area prior to and during the invasion of Normandy in Jun 1944; attacking enemy positions in support of the breakthrough at St Lo in Jul 1944; aiding the campaign in France in Aug by striking roads and road junctions, and by dropping supplies to the Maquis; and attacking, during the early months of 1945, the communications supplying German armies on the western front. After V-E Day, flew food to Holland and hauled redeployed personnel to French Morocco, Ireland, France, and Germany. Returned to the US in Dec. Inactivated on 21 Dec 1945.

Redesignated 96th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy). Allotted to the reserve. Activated on 29 May 1947. Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949.

Squadrons:

337th: 1942-1945; 1947-1949
338th: 1942-1945; 1947
339th: 1942-1945; 1947
413th: 1942-1945; 1947-1949
546th: 1947-1949
547th: 1947-1949.

Stations:

Salt Lake City AAB, Utah, 15 Jul 1942
Gowen Field, Idaho, 6 Aug 1942
Walla Walla, Wash, 14 Aug 1942
Rapid City AAB, SD, 30 Sep 1942
Pocatello, Idaho, 30 Oct 1942
Pyote AAB, Tex, Jan-Mar 1943
Great Saling, England, May 1943
Snetterton Heath, England, 12 Jun 1943-12 Dec 1945
Camp Kilmer, NJ, 20-21 Dec 1945
Gunter Field, Ala, 29 May 1947-27 Jun 1949.

Commanders:

Col Archie J Old Jr, 6 Aug 1942
Col James L Travis, c. 6 Sep 1943
Col Robert W Warren, Jun 1944
Lt Col Robert Nolan, c. 27 May 1945-unkn.

Campaigns:

Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.

Decorations:

Distinguished Unit Citations: Germany, 17 Aug 1943; Poznan, Poland, 9 Apr 1944.

Insigne:

Azure a falcon's head erased or, holding in its beak a drop bomb bendwise gules, that portion over the first fimbriated of the second. Motto: E Sempre L'Ora - It Is Always the Hour. (Approved 18 Feb 1943.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Piccadily Circus

Many admit to being scared to death after being approached by the commandos. Many young American airmen were from small town America, and had only the faintest notion of city life, seedy or otherwise. For this reason, many of the girls in Piccadilly were comically brazen, and many a young airman ran for his life to protect his virginity.

Some aircraft, such as this B-24, were even named after the girls of Piccadilly Circus. This plane was called "Piccadilly Commando". Another common name was 'Piccadilly Lily'.(no photo)

'Piccadilly Lily' was a main character in the 'Twelve O'Clock High' TV series in the 1950's.

Piccadilly Circus Today.
This is not to say I haven't heard a few stories that curled my hair. These were red-blooded young men, living one day at a time, drinking liberally, and uncertain of what the next mission would bring. Many were certain that they were living on borrowed time. They'd already watched friends die and figured it was just a matter of time till it was their turn. It is a tribute that so many, despite the odds of survival, stuck to their values and also how many ended up marrying British girls and bringing them back to the States after the war.

Most of the higher ups considered Piccadilly Circus as a "Red Light" District
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This should get you started

Sgtleo

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

As a 20 year old GI in 1944, I visited Piccadilly Circus when on pass to London. It was a frenzy of activity, primarily sexual, after dark.

Prostitutes were present in abundance and propositions were easily overheard. I recall one irritated GI's response, "What do you think you are selling, GOLD?"

In any event, due to the blackout, it was impossible to discern, with any sense of accuracy, the physical attributes of the (young or old) lady with whom one was negotiating. However, this visit was just before D-Day and we all just wanted a good time -- the real risk was still ahead of us!