"Thumper" Jacket "Thumper" was a 9th Air Force B-26 Marauder with the 587th Bomb Squadron, 394th Bomb Group, based in England and then in western Europe. Eventually, three of the unit's B-26's carried the nickname, for it was transferred to subsequent aircraft as the previous "Thumper" was lost. The numbers after the Roman numerals on the design indicate the number of missions each "Thumper" flew. The donor, pilot of these aircraft, recorded 65 bombing missions on his jacket, plus two "decoy" flights to help divert enemy fighters from the main bombing formation. The red bomb represents two missions flown against gun positions and railroad yards in support of the D-Day invasion of France on June 6, 1944. This jacket was donated by Lt. Col. (Ret.) Warren E. Buhler, Rushville, Ind. Click here to return to the WWII Aviator Jackets Overview. Find Out More Related Fact Sheets Martin B-26G Marauder Note: The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the National Museum of the USAF, the U.S. Air Force, or the Department of Defense, of the external website, or the information, products or services contained therein.