8th Air Force
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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Bernard Chesler
Military
Assigned to 357FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Suspended from Flying Duty. Assigned to 21st Depot Repair Sqn. Transferred to 357FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. EOW.
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
Service
Units served with
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21st Air Depot Group
Group
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355th Fighter Group
Group
Where the 353rd Fighter Group had pioneered ground strafing techniques, it was the 355th Fighter Group who destroyed more enemy aircraft by ground strafing than any other Eighth Air Force Group. Based at Steeple Morden from July 1943 to July 1945, the... -
21st Depot Repair Squadron
Squadron
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357th Fighter Squadron
Squadron
Associated Place
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Hitcham
Military site : non-airfield
Prior to the move of the 4th Stategic Air Depot to Hitcham in April 1944, this station number had been associated with Wattisham. Exact location unknown. -
Steeple Morden
Military site : airfield
Originally used from 1940 as a small, grass airfield, satellite for nearby RAF Bassingbourn, Steeple Morden was allocated to the Eighth Air Force in August 1942 as a potential bomber base. It was used briefly by the 3rd Photographic Group during the...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Wilmington, DE, USA | 12 January 1928 |
| Enlisted | Columbus, OH, USA | 14 October 1942 |
| Crashed | Punta Gorda Airport, 28000 Airport Rd, Punta Gorda, FL 33982, USA | 24 June 1944 |
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Landing Accident Punta Gorda AAF, FL Cat 3 damage F/O Bernard Chesler, 24-Jun-44. P-40N 43-23547 RTU 3AF |
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| Based | Steeple Morden | December 1944 – 19 March 1945 |
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Assigned to 357FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| Suspended from Flying Duty | Hitcham, Ipswich IP7 7NQ, UK | 19 March 1945 |
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Suspended from Flying Duty. Assigned to 21st Depot Repair Sqn. |
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| Transferred | Steeple Morden, Royston SG8, UK | 19 March 1945 – April 1944 |
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Transferred to 357FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| End of War | Europe | May 1945 |
| Buried | Wilmington, DE 19803, USA | January 1964 |
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Jewish Community Cemetery Wilmington |
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| Died | New Castle County, DE, USA | 15 January 1964 |
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 05 January 2018 21:05:28 | Al_Skiff | Changes to service number, role, biography, events, unit associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/image/539197636?terms=Bernard%20Chesler |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:04:27 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list |
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