82nd Fighter Squadron
Squadron
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Jack Junior Oberhansly
Military
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Lt. Colonel Jack Oberhansly.
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Lt. Col. Jack J. Oberhansly.
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Page 84 of the Duxford Diary. Many of the 8th Air Force Groups produced an unofficial unit history in the months after the war ended in Europe but before they were redeployed out of the ETO (‘European Theater of Operations’). The Duxford Diary was the book created by and for the service personnel who were based at Duxford at the end of the war in Europe, as a memento of their time at the airfield. Resembling a college yearbook, unit histories were an unofficial – and often tongue-in-cheek – record of the unit’s time in the UK. They include photo montages showing different aspects of base life. Often the servicemen in the photos are unnamed. The American Air Museum hopes that by adding unit histories to the website as individual pages, the men in the photos will be identified and associated to their person entries.
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Page 95 of the Duxford Diary. Many of the 8th Air Force Groups produced an unofficial unit history in the months after the war ended in Europe but before they were redeployed out of the ETO (‘European Theater of Operations’). The Duxford Diary was the book created by and for the service personnel who were based at Duxford at the end of the war in Europe, as a memento of their time at the airfield. Resembling a college yearbook, unit histories were an unofficial – and often tongue-in-cheek – record of the unit’s time in the UK. They include photo montages showing different aspects of base life. Often the servicemen in the photos are unnamed. The American Air Museum hopes that by adding unit histories to the website as individual pages, the men in the photos will be identified and associated to their person entries.
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Page 105 of the Duxford Diary. Many of the 8th Air Force Groups produced an unofficial unit history in the months after the war ended in Europe but before they were redeployed out of the ETO (‘European Theater of Operations’). The Duxford Diary was the book created by and for the service personnel who were based at Duxford at the end of the war in Europe, as a memento of their time at the airfield. Resembling a college yearbook, unit histories were an unofficial – and often tongue-in-cheek – record of the unit’s time in the UK. They include photo montages showing different aspects of base life. Often the servicemen in the photos are unnamed. The American Air Museum hopes that by adding unit histories to the website as individual pages, the men in the photos will be identified and associated to their person entries.
Lt. Colonel Jack Oberhansly, from Spanish Fork, Utah, was commissioned and received his wings on 12 December 1941 at Luke Field, Phoenix Arizona. He joined the 14th Pursuit Group, 48th Pursuit Squadron. He later transferred to the 78th Fighter Group, 82nd Squadron on 1 May 1942. He became the Commanding Officer of the 82nd Squadron on 7 August 1943 to May 1944. He then became Deputy Commanding Officer of the 78th Fighter Group in August 1944. Assigned to the 4th Fighter Group as Deputy Commanding Officer on 4 December 1944.The next day he became acting Group Commander. He spent the next three months with the 4th Fighter Group during a period of little activity.
In February 1945 he was transferred to the 372nd Fighter Group as Commanding Officer.
Oberhansly, with 150 combat hours in his plane "Iron Ass" had nine victories, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Croix-de-Guerre with Palm.
After the war ended, he served as Commanding Officer of the 191st Fighter Squadron of the Utah Air National Guard from 1946 10 1948.
He died on 6 September 1981.
Service
Units served with
Aircraft
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44-11661 "Iron Ass"
P-51 Mustang
Assigned to 334FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Lost on bomber escort mission to Herford, Germany. On return whilst strafing canal traffic, A/C bellied in Fehndorf, Meppen county, Ger. Pilot F/O Alvin L Hand POW. 24-Feb-45. MACR 12625.
Associated Place
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Debden
Military site : airfield
RAF Debden, construction of which began in 1935, is perhaps most famous as a Battle of Britain fighter airfield, partly responsible for the defence of London in 1940. In 1942 it was also home to three RAF 'Eagle Squadrons’ of volunteer American pilots... -
Duxford
Military site : airfield
RAF Duxford, now a museum and still a working airfield, was operated by the USAAF from 1943 to 1945. The base was briefly the home of the 350th Fighter Group in late 1942, but it was not until April 1943 that it became a fully American station when the...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Died | 6 September 1982 |
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 06 December 2017 02:31:24 | fugari | Changes to middlename, role, biography, awards, events and place associations |
| Sources | ||
JCook Archives |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 16 August 2017 15:35:41 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to service number, unit associations and media associations |
| Sources | ||
Merged with duplicate entry to include details from: |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 01 March 2015 14:53:14 | apollo11 | Changes to biography, awards and events |
| Sources | ||
All information correct as far as I am aware. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:13:51 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia |
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