Captain Robert L. Johnson, U.S. Army Air Corps on duty in Flying Control

Captain Robert L. Johnson, U.S. Army Air Corps (on left in photo) was on duty in what was then called Flying Control in the Molesworth Tower the night in 1944 when the hangar where B-17s Flying Fortresses were repaired was accidentally bombed by the Royal Air Force. That same hangar now is temporary home to the Intelligence Fusion Centre in support of NATO. (Photo courtesy 303rd Bomb Group Association and Mary Johnson Hemminger)

Damage from a 5 pound practice bomb to the aircraft hanger at Molesworth

The damage from a 5 pound Royal Air Force practice bomb to the floor of the aircraft hanger at Molesworth on July 4th, 1944. A U.S. quarter coin shows perspective on the approximaely 1 foot wide hole. The bomb was accidentially dropped by the RAF during a nighttime practice bombing sortie intended for a target field about 15 miles away. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Jocelyn L. Rich)

The hole in the roof of the aircraft hanger at Molesworth

The hole in the roof of the aircraft hanger at Molesworth caused by a 5 pound Royal Air Force practice bomb on July 4th, 1944. The bomb was accidentially dropped by the RAF during a nighttime practice bombing sortie intended for a target field about 15 miles away. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Jocelyn L. Rich)

Dr. Robert L. Johnson is shown reflected in the mirror

Dr. Robert L. Johnson who 56 years earlier had been on duty in the Molesworth Tower the night his base was bombed, is shown reflected in the mirror of a car as he and other 303rd Bomb Group (Heavy) Veterans arrive for the Group's "365th Mission" in June2000. (Photo courtesy 303rd Bomb Group and Mary Johnson Hemminger)

The aircraft repair hangar which was accidentally bombed on July 4th, 1944

The aircraft repair hangar at RAF Molewworth, England which was accidentally bombed on July 4th, 1944. The hangar still stands today and serves as the temporary home of the Intelligence Fusion Centre in support of NATO at RAF Molesworth, England. An early model B17-F is shown under repair of battle damage in this 1943 photo. (Photo courtesy of the 303rd Bomb Group Association)

JAC Heritage: The Night Molesworth Was Bombed

Published Feb. 27, 2008
By Peter G. Park
JIOCEUR Joint Analytic Center

ROYAL AIR FORCE MOLESWORTH, England -- Molesworth was bombed one night in July 1944 during the Second World War - but not by the Luftwaffe.

The 303rd Bomb Group (Heavy), a B-17 Flying Fortress unit stationed at what is now RAF Molesworth, had an air defense unit when it arrived in October 1942. By 1944, the need for this protection was considered remote as air superiority over Great Britain had long since been secured by the brave pilots of the Royal Air Force, and the 303rd's air defense unit had been disbanded.

But that all changed on the night of the 4th of July 1944. The story is best told by then U. S. Army Air Corps Captain Robert L. Johnson who was on duty that night in Flying Control in the Molesworth tower. After the war, Captain Johnson gained his doctorate in divinity and served as a minister and later as chaplain for the 303rd Bomb Group association. He returned to Molesworth in June 2000 for what the group called their "365th Mission."

"One night I was on duty, two or three days before the 6 July 1944, visit of the King and Queen and then Princess Elizabeth to Molesworth. In the tower we always monitored the radio frequency used by the Royal Air Force when they were executing their practice night bombing runs. The bombing range was apparently 15 miles or so northwest of our airfield. When the bombs were released the RAF bombardier would transmit 'Number one bomb gone,' 'number two bomb gone,' etc. We were accustomed to hearing that almost every time we were on duty.

"On this occasion we had two of our 303rd Bomb Group (Heavy) B-17s doing some night flying so we had our runway lights on as well as our circle of identification lights directly in front of the tower. After I heard 'Number one bomb gone' I heard an explosion and 'Whoom.' 'Number two bomb gone' followed by another explosion and 'Whoom.' The first RAF practice bomb hit behind the tower and a little toward the main hanger. The second bomb went through the roof of the main hanger.

"The British Bombardier had mistaken our Identification lights in front of the tower as their night bombing range target. I immediately called the RAF Operations people and advised them of the rather serious "deviation from course" of their aircraft. They apologized and sent someone to investigate the incident two days later on the same day when the King and Queen were visiting our base. I should be thankful that the RAF bombardier missed the tower by about 50 feet."

If you visit Hangar 84 today and you find someone who knows the story, they will point out to you the hole still showing in the inner roof with a rubber plug in it, the bent roof beam that the bomb glanced off, and the small area of broken concrete on the floor where it hit that has been left intact over the years (see photos).

Today that same hangar serves as the temporary home of the Intelligence Fusion Centre in support of NATO. American, RAF and Luftwaffe officers work together with counterparts from nineteen other NATO member countries only a few feet from where the RAF practice bombs landed almost sixty-four years ago.