Military site : airfield
The lounge of the Officers Club at Raydon air base. When the 353rd Fighter Group were stationed there, it was known as "The Auger Inn".
On the left, Colonel Glenn E. Duncan, Commanding Officer of the 353rd Fighter Group, and a second officer in an 'Ike jacket', at a party held by the group at Raydon air base, in recognition of the second anniversary of the group's arrival to England. 9 - 10 June 1945.
Four pilots of the 353rd Fighter Group at Raydon air base, November 1944. Second from the right is Lieutenant Robert C. Strobell of the 351st Fighter Squadron. Left to right looking at the picture are 351st Fighter Squadron pilots Lt. Hardy L. Biddy of Hobart, OK, Lt. Robert E. Banchard of Chicago, Il, Lt Robert C. Strobell of Fairfox Village, Washington D.C., and Lt. Henry J Carbonneau of Dover, NH. The photo was taken at Raydon sometime before the end of August 1944 as Strobell completed his tour by this time. I believe the photo originally came to Roger via Strobell who cooperated with him on his book 'Experiences of War - The American Airman in Europe (Weidenfield, 1991).
Ground crew of the 357th Fighter Group winch a P-51 Mustang (G4-H, serial number 43-12474) following a landing accident at Raydon 21 January 1944. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Olmsted, Raydon.'
"Lieutenant Ray C. Gordon* of the 350th Fighter Squadron, 353rd Fighter Group. This photograph was probably taken at Raydon air base where the 353rd Fighter Group were stationed between 12 April 1944 and 10 October 1945. Late 1944 - 1945." * Mae West shows LT A.S ?ARTLEY with ASN finishing with 95 - Alex S. Hartley ASN O-696695, flew with 351FS, 353FG
"Lieutenant Ray C. Gordon* of the 350th Fighter Squadron, 353rd Fighter Group. This photograph was probably taken at Raydon air base where the 353rd Fighter Group were stationed between 12 April 1944 and 10 October 1945. Late 1944 - 1945." * Mae West shows LT A.S ?ARTLEY with ASN finishing with 95 - Alex S. Hartley ASN O-696695, flew with 351FS, 353FG
Reunion after VE Day of US Eighth Air Force officers at Raydon air base where the 353rd Fighter Group were stationed. Left to right they are: Captain William J. Maguire, Lieutenant-Colonel William B. Bailey (elbow bent), Colonel Glenn E. Duncan, Major James R. Carter, Lieutenant-Colonel Loren G. McCollom, Lieutenant-Colonel Wayne K. Blickenstaff and Captain Giles B. Cook Jr. Lieutenant-Colonel Bill Bailey was the Commanding Officer (CO) of between 353rd Fighter Group 9 September 1945 and 24 September 1945. He took over as CO from Colonel Glenn Duncan. Major Jim Carter was a pilot with the 61st Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group between 10 January 1945 and 8 May 1945. Lieutenant-Colonel Loren McCollom was a pilot with the 56th Fighter Group before joining the 353rd Fighter Group as CO in August 1943. In November of that year he was captured as a POW. Captain Giles Cook was a ground officer with the 61st Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group.
Three Group commanders of the 353rd Fighter Group, 1945. Left to right they are: Colonel Ben Rimerman, Lieutenant-Colonel Loren G. McCollom and Colonel Glenn E. Duncan. Former Prisoner of War McCollom visited the Group on 17th May 1945.
The scene is set at Raydon air base for the 353rd Fighter Group's 2nd anniversary party of the group's arrival to the ETO. 9 - 10 June 1945. Printed caption reads: '2nd. Anniv. Party June 9-10, 1945' This was taken at the 353rd Fighter Group's 2nd Anniversary Party in the main hangar at Raydon.
P-47 Thunderbolt, LH-L, serial number 42-26455, of the 353rd Fighter Group, 1943-1944. This aircraft was flown by Lieutenant Kenneth Chetwood. It was nicknamed "Maggie V".
Although never used as such, Raydon was built during 1942-43 as an Eighth Air Force bomber base, with three concrete runways, 50 loop and one pan hardstandings, and two dispersed T2 hangars. Initially on loan to the Ninth Air Force, it was first occupied by the 357th Fighter Group, equipped with P-51s, in November 1943. An exchange of aircraft types and bases was arranged, so in January 1944 the 357th transferred to the Eighth Air Force at Leiston, and the 358th Fighter Group, equipped with P-47s, transferred to the Ninth Air Force at Raydon. The 358th Fighter Group moved to High Halden in April 1944, when Raydon was handed back to the Eighth Air Force as the home of the 353rd Fighter Group, equipped with P-47s, which remained until October 1945. Handed over to the RAF in December 1945, the station closed in 1958 and mostly sold during 1960-62 for return to agriculture. The western T2 hangar remains in private ownership as a farm store. The eastern T2 hangar and other wartime buildings near it were retained by the Home Office for emergency vehicle storage until the 1980s, and remain in use as Notley Industrial Park.
Film footage of American airmen at Raydon is available through the East Anglian Film Archive: http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/933
Not yet known
A World War Two military airfield, opened in 1943 and closed in 1958. The airfield was equipped with three concrete runways and two aircraft hangars (Type T2), one on each of the east and west sides. There were bomb stores and an ammunition dump on the north side of the airfield, the technical site was on the east side. Barracks sites were dispersed in fields further to the east. During World War Two, although constructed as a bomber airfield, the airfield was used by 357th and 358th Fighter Groups of the United States Army Air Force as Station 157. After the war flying ceased, part of the airfield was sold in 1954 and the rest of the airfield followed in 1958. The runways were mostly broken up in the 1960s. Thereafter most of the site has been used for agriculture though the technical site area was a Home Office motor transport park for emergency vehicles in the 1970s.
Group
The 353rd Fighter Group was assigned to the Eighth Air Force on 7 June 1943. The group flew P-47 Thunderbolts, and from October 1944, P-51 Mustangs, as escorts for bombing missions across occupied Europe and to strafe targets on the ground. Tactical...
Group
Group
The 357th Fighter Group was the first P-51 Mustang Group in the Eighth Air Force, training with them from November 1943 at Raydon, England and entering combat with them in the February of the following year from their new base at Leiston. The Group was...
Group
The 358th Fighter Group flew seventeen missions with the Eighth Air Force from Leiston air base. At the beginning of February 1944 the Group were transferred to the Ninth Air Force in exchange for the 357th Fighter Group. With the Ninth, the Group went...
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 353rd Fighter Group
Assigned to 350FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) bombing mission to Brussels, one of five A/C bombing Diest aerodrome, failed to rejoin after attack, cause unknown 29-Aug-44. 1st Lt Aal Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 8312.
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Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 353rd Fighter Group
Assigned to 350FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Five confirmed victories. Ended Tour of Duty (ETD).
Awards: DFC, AM (12 OLC).
Military | Major | Fighter Pilot | 353rd Fighter Group
Assigned to 555FTS, 496FTG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 38FS, 55FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 350FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Ended Tour of Duty (ETD). Walter Achramowicz also went on to serve in the Korean War. He retired from the US Air Force in 1964 with the...
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 353rd Fighter Group
Assigned to 350FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 338FS, 55FG, 8AF USAAF. Flew 70+ combat missions. Credited 1 probable. Killed in Mid Air Collision in P-51 44-15598 2 miles SW Kaufbuern/ R-70. 5-Aug-45. Killed in Action (KIA).
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Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 353rd Fighter Group
Enlisted USAAC Nov-39. Posted to A-20 light bomber squadron. Qualified for pilot training Nov-40. Entered Aviation Cadets Jan-42. Presented wings Nov-42. Advanced pilot training Sep-42. Married Sep-42. Joined 351FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF nucleus Dec-42....
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 353rd Fighter Group
First lieutenant in the Air Force during World War II, assigned to 352FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron. Flew 90 European missions and received both the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal (5 OLC), as well as...
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 353rd Fighter Group
Assigned to 350FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Mid Air Collision when his P-51 42-14422 collided with P-51 42-14791 and crashed at Wilden, Worcestershire, England.
Killed in Flying Accident KIFA 27-Oct-44.
Awards: DFC, AM (2OLC), PH.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 353rd Fighter Group
Assigned to 350FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) dive bombing mission to Plantlunne aerodrome in P-47D 42-76268, hit by flak, A/C abandoned Almelo when oil pressure hit zero. Crashed near Oldenzaal. Parachute failed to open. Killed in Action...
Military | Captain | 353rd Fighter Group
Assigned to 350FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Completed[End] Tour Duty (ETD).
Military | Flight Officer | Fighter Pilot | 353rd Fighter Group
Assigned to 352FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return(FTR) area patrol to St Quentin. Failed to pull out in time from diving strafing pass at Couvron/Laon aerodrome in P-47D 42-26533, flew into ground, bounced up 50ft and exploded. Killed in Action ...
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 352FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) strafing mission to Paris area 12-Aug-44. Strafing a train, hit by exploding debris. Belly landed on fire. Pilot Lt James M Tuttle Evaded (EVD). 12-Aug-44 MACR 7605.
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 351FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) strafing mission Nijmegen last seen pursuing a Fw190 down through the overcast over Arnhem. Shot down, Capt Lloyd G Hally Killed in Action (KIA). 21-Sep-44 MACR 9003.
P-47 Thunderbolt
Flown by Lieutenant Donald J Corrigan who flew it operationally three times between 30 April and 20 May 1944. He gave it the nickname 'Agony Wagon'. He had one recorded 'victory' and this was marked on the aircraft.
...
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 375FS, 361FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 350FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) bomber escort to Gottbus, Germany. Hit by flak whilst strafing aerodrome and crashed near Quackenbruck, Germany. Pilot 1st Lt Arthur C Bergeron Killed...
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 352FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Personal aircraft of Lt Col William B Bailey. Re-assigned to Lt Edward C Andrews. Transferred to 361FS, 356FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 509FS, 405FG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) local test flight crashed...
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 352FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return(FTR) area patrol to St Quentin. Failed to pull out in time from diving strafing pass at Couvron/Laon aerodrome, flew into ground, bounced up 50ft and exploded. Pilot Lt Kenneth Ames Killed in Action...
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 350FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 361st FS, 356th FG, 8AF USAAF.
...
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 351FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) escort mission to NW Germany, on return with section looking for targets to strafe, hit by flak and crashed Bielefeld, Germany. Lt Joseph R Farley KIA 28-May-44 MACR 5027.
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 351FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 63FS, 56FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) dive bombing mission to Bonn, Germany. Letting down over Bonn, hit by flak, hit by further ground fire attempting to egress at low level crashed at Liblar...
P-47 Thunderbolt
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 01 November 2019 11:23:41 | Emily | Changes to english heritage description |
| Sources | ||
Historic England, National Monument Record number TM 03 NE 28 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 20 August 2018 11:37:05 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to media associations |
| Sources | ||
Associated media provided by Pete Mangold, son of T/Sgt. Carl Mangold |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 23 February 2016 16:30:30 | Lucy May | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Source: http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/933 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:02:18 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Barry Anderson, Army Air Forces Stations (Alabama, 1985) / Freeman (3 books) + Bowyer |
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