Murray Clarke Woodbury

Military
Brigadier General Woodbury, Commanding Officer of the 66th Fighter Wing, talks to senior officers. The 78th Fighter Group was a component of the wing. To the right of the photograph, is the General’s car. The red backing for the white star denotes the rank of the car’s occupant . Handwritten on slide:"Gen Woodbury parade gnd Mason Barnard" media-388354.jpg FRE 5623 Brigadier General Woodbury, Commanding Officer of the 66th Fighter Wing, talks to senior officers. The 78th Fighter Group was a component of the wing. To the right of the photograph, is the General’s car. The red backing for the white star denotes the rank of the car’s occupant . Handwritten on slide:"Gen Woodbury parade gnd Mason Barnard" Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 5623 - Brigadier General Woodbury, Commanding Officer of the 66th Fighter Wing, talks to senior officers. The 78th Fighter Group was a component of the...

Murray C. Woodbury was born in 1899 in Burlington, Vt. He graduated from the Florida Military Academy in 1917, and attended Norwich University, Vt. He served as a private and private first class, Aviation Section, Signal Reserve, from Jan. 31, 1918, to Dec. 14, 1918. He was appointed a first lieutenant, Cavalry Reserve, on June 15, 1923, and was transferred to the Air Reserve Nov. 6, 1923. He was promoted to captain, Air Reserve, on July 8, 1926, and was called on extended active duty as a first lieutenant, Air Reserve, on July 1, 1928. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Corps, Regular Army, on Feb. 2, 1929.



Upon being called to extended active duty in July 1928, he was assigned to Maxwell Field, Ala., where he joined the 22nd Observation Squadron. He served at Maxwell Field after he was commissioned in the Regular Army until September 1929, when he went to Brooks Field, Texas, where he graduated from Air Corps Primary Flying School in March 1930. He then graduated from Air Corps Advanced Flying School, Kelly Field, Texas, in June 1930, and returned to Maxwell Field, Ala., to rejoin the 22nd Observation Squadron.



His next assignment was to Luke Field, Hawaii, where he became Assistant Squadron Operations Officer, 4th Observation Squadron, in January 1932. He moved to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, in February 1932, and the following month became Assistant Engineering Officer, 19th Pursuit Squadron. From July 1932 until October 1934 he served as Assistant Engineering and Operations Officer, 75th Service Squadron at Schofield Barracks, and then joined the 6th Pursuit Squadron at the same post. In March 1935 he transferred to the 50th Observation Squadron as Flight Commander, Luke Field, until November 1935, when he returned to the United States.



He proceeded to Selfridge Field, Mich., and served as Recreation Officer and Station Supply Officer until July 1937, when he became Flight Commander, 27th Pursuit Squadron, General Headquarters Air Force, at Selfridge Field.



In July 1939 he proceeded to Wright Field, Ohio, for duty in the Field Service Section, and served additionally as Commanding Officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, 10th Transport Group. He was assigned to the Air Corps Tactical School, Maxwell Field, Ala., in January 1940, and graduated the following April.



He then returned to Wright Field, Ohio, where he became Executive Officer, 10th Transport Group, and in addition assumed command of Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, 10th Transport Group. He moved to Patterson Field, Ohio, as Commanding Officer of the 10th Transport Group in July 1940, and the following December assumed command of the 1st Transport Squadron at the same post. He again assumed command of the 10th Transport Group at Patterson Field in July 1941, and served in this capacity until the following September, when he became Station Inspector at Barksdale Field, La. While serving as Station Inspector he was in command of the 6th Air Base Group and also was Post Operations Officer from November 1941 until January 1942.



He then became Post Executive Officer and Commanding Officer of the 52nd Air Base Group at Kaye Field, Miss., serving until 1942 when he was designated to command the 50th Fighter Group in Orlando, Fla. In September 1942 he moved to Norfolk, Va., in command of the Norfolk Air Defense Wing, and in March 1943 was named Commander of the 5th Air Defense Wing in Norfolk, Va., and Camp Kilner, N.J. In June 1943 he became a Fighter Wing Commander in the European Theater of Operations.



He is rated a Command Pilot, Combat Observer, and Aircraft Observer.



His decorations include Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star and Air Medal with oak leaf cluster.



AM w/ Oak Leaf Cluster/ AD/ ATO/ ETO/ WW I VM

Connections

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Units served with

  • Unit Hierarchy: Division
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: Piccadilly Pete III

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Burlington, Vermont 7 October 1899

Died

25 June 1978

Other

Graduated

San Antonio, TX, USA U.S. Air Corps Primary Training School - Brooks Field

Buried

H. Warren Smith Memorial Cemetery Jacksonville Beach, Duval County, Florida

Revisions

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Contributordecwriter
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Sources

Newspaper article lists his decoration and foreign awards on Find a Grave. He was also awarded the WW I Victory Medal. His personnel records would list the campaign stars on the EAME Campaign Medal, but it was at least one.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/222847817/murray-clarke-woodbury

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
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Sources

usaf.mil

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
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Chris Brassfield

Date
ContributorAAM
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Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list / Who's Who in the Eighth Air Force and/or Biographical Directory Command & Staff Officers Eighth Air Force 1942-45

Murray Clarke Woodbury: Gallery (17 items)