The 11th Bomb Group was at Hickam Field 7 December 1941.
Some B-17s of the unit participated in the Battle of Midway.

It was not until July 1942 that available B-17s were transferred to the South Pacific.
Its four squadrons were based on four islands separated by 3-400 miles.

There is possibility that the first casualty of the Guadalcanal Battle was
a B-17 crew of the 11th Bomb Group on 7 August 1942.

Espiritu Santo was the island closest to Guadalcanal
and search missions were conducted from this base.

The pages from the Operation Report for 13 November 1942 are below.
The quality of print is marginal as it appears that typewriter ribbon
was low on the priority list for the 11th Bomb Group.

In the third page is a paragraph highlighted by two large arrows.
In there is the report from B-17 that received the
blinker transmission from the Helena.

The word BUTTON is the code word for Espiritu Santo.

Below this report are three pages from a book titled Grey Geese Calling,
the history of the 11th Bomb Group 1941 - 1945.

This book is edited by W.M. Cleveland and is more of
an oral first person history than a formal chronological history.

In these pages you will learn that the pilot of the B-17 was Captain Robert L Gill.

Three men who were there present their versions of what took place that fateful November day.

11TH BOMB GROUP DAILY OPERATIONS REPORT
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11TH BOMB GROUP DAILY OPERATIONS REPORT

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