404th Fighter Group
Group
A unit history of the 404th Fighter Group is available online as a pdf:
http://www.winkton.net/Leap%20Off/LeapOffPdf3.pdf
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Military site : airfield
Air Base Brustem/St.Truiden (Dutch: vliegveld Brustem/St.Truiden, also known as Air Base St.Trond and ALG A-92 St.Trond, ICAO: EBST) was a military airfield operated by the Belgian Air Force
During World War II Brustem was the base of one of the most famous Luftwaffe Night Fighter squadron, NJG1, with units II/NJG1 and IV/NJG1 operating Junkers Ju88 and Heinkel He219 aircraft from here in 1944. Its most highest scoring German night fighter pilot, Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer (121 air victories, most of them on night) was referred to as "the Ghost of St. Trond" by British Bomber crews that flew over Germany on night attacks raids.
After the war, the population of the area told a story about the Spook Pilot of Brustem, a story that supposedly really happened. The story (as told in a war time poem (in Dutch) tells of an Allied pilot that wreaked havoc at Brustum. In a PS at the end of the poem lies the clue: In reality the Spook was not one, but two pilots, actually twin pilots from Poland, both flying with the RAF. The first Spook died in action near Osnabruck, wearing his brothers RAF watch. The second Spook was killed by the suicide attack of a Luftwaffe ace who wearing the first Spooks watch, over Air Base Brustem.
On 15 August 1944 the airfield was bombed by a bomber strike force of 1000 bombers that was to deal with 6 air bases in the Low Countries (gearthhacks.com).
When the Allies liberated the airfield it was taken into service as Advanced Landing Ground Y-92. As Y-92 St. Trond it served as a base for:
48th Fighter Group, 30 September 1944-26 March 1945 (A-20 Havocs).
404th Fighter Group (508th Squadron), 4 October 1944-30 March 1945 (P-47 Thunderbolts).
386th Bombardment Group, 9 April-27 July 1945 (B-26 Invaders).
Not yet known
Group
A unit history of the 404th Fighter Group is available online as a pdf:
http://www.winkton.net/Leap%20Off/LeapOffPdf3.pdf
Group
The Group moved to England in March 1944 and were stationed at Ibsley where the pilots trained in P-47s in preparation for the Allied invasion of Normandy. The wartime motto was in Latin 'vulneratus non victus' (Unconquered even though wounded).
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Group
The 386th Bomb Group flew B-26 Marauders for the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces. Whilst with the Eighth, the Group developed the formation release procedure for the B-26 on missions that targeted aerodromes, marshalling yards and V-weapon sites along the...
Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 404th Fighter Group
Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 404th Fighter Group
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 404th Fighter Group
Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 404th Fighter Group
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 404th Fighter Group
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 404th Fighter Group
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 404th Fighter Group
Military | Sergeant (Technician Fourth Grade) | Chief Photo Technician | 404th Fighter Group
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 404th Fighter Group
Army Air Force 1st Lt. Robert G. Fenstermacher, of Scranton, was a P-47D pilot who crashed in Belgium in December 1944 during an armed-reconnaissance mission against targets in Germany. He was 23.
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Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 404th Fighter Group
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Hit by Flak during a sweep on the Koblenz airfield, oil and water systems out; crash-landed 22 Februry 1945 near Anhausen, 10km NE of Neuwied (North of Koblenz), Germany. Pilot George R. Knittle safe, captured the same day. Interned in Germany. Missing...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Hunter 20/2/45; Grenier 2/3/45; Assigned 8AF 7/3/45; Salvaged 9AF Germany 24/12/46; re-ass 30/4/47; Recl Comp 19/11/47.
P-47 Thunderbolt
A-26 Invader
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 464FS, 48FG, 9AF USAAF.
Date | Contributor | Update |
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24 November 2016 12:02:28 | Lucy May | Changes to media associations |
Sources | ||
Associated photos captioned 'St Trond' |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
10 September 2016 02:52:38 | 466thHistorian | Changes to name and history |
Sources | ||
http://www.forgottenairfields.com/belgium/limburg/st-truiden-s99.html |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
08 November 2015 13:28:28 | Hendrik Schoebrechts | Created entry with name, number, known as, latitude, longitude, usaaf from date and usaaf to date |
Sources | ||
Histor Center Airbase Brustem |