15th Bomb Squadron
Squadron![A bomber crew of the 301st Bomb Group with their A-20 Havoc after being awarded medals. From left to right, they are Sergeant B.B. Cunningham of Tupelo, Missouri; Sergeant R.L. Golay of Fredonia, Kansas; Second Lieutenant M. Dorton of Long Beach; and Major Charles C. Kegelman. Image stamped on reverse: 'Passed for Publication 11 Jul 1942.' [stamp], 'Not to be published until 12/7/42.' [stamp], 'Keystone Press.' [stamp], 'USA (NIR)CCC.' [written annotation] and '209807.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on rev](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/wysiwyg_x2/public/freeman/media-378782.jpg.webp?itok=nqB6cN1k)
Image stamped on reverse: 'Passed for Publication 11 Jul 1942.' [stamp], 'Not to be published until 12/7/42.' [stamp], 'Keystone Press.' [stamp], 'USA (NIR)CCC.' [written annotation] and '209807.' [Censor no.]
Printed caption on reverse: 'Members of the crew of the Boston Bomber, photographed after they they had been decorated, in front of a Boston Bomber. (L to R) Sgt B B Cunningham of Tupelo, Miss; Sgt R L Golay of Fredonia ,Kansas; Second-Lieut M Dorton of Long Beach and Major Charles C Kegelman, U.S. Air Chief decorates first American airmen to operate in Europe. 11.7.42. Major General Spaatz, chief of American Air Forces in this country, today decorated a crew of a Boston bomber which took part in the 4th of July (American independence day) daylight raid on Holland.' Roger Freeman Collection
Associated depicted people and mission.
Additional caption information from Freeman, The Mighty Eighth War Diary.
Considering that the aircraft was in RAF service at the time of the image, it would have been designated a Douglas Boston rather than an A-20 Havoc
Object Number - FRE 913 - A bomber crew of the 15th Bomb Squadron, 301st Bomb Group with an RAF Douglas Boston of No 226 Squadron, after being awarded medals, 4 July 1942....
The 15th Bomb Squadron was the first US bomb unit sent to UK. Flying personnel arrived at Newport without aircraft on 13 May 1942.
The 15th Bomb Squadron flew five light bombing missions in DB-7 A-20 Bostons from the UK before being reassigned to the Twelfth Air Force at Mediouna, Algeria from 15-Oct-1942 to 1-Oct-1943. They were later absorbed by the 47th Bomb Group.
Connections
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Unit stations
| Station | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
|
Other Arrived in UK |
Newport | 13 May 1942 |
|
Based |
Grafton Underwood | 14 May 1942 - 9 June 1942 |
|
Based |
Molesworth | 9 June 1942 - 13 September 1942 |
|
Based |
Podington | 13 September 1942 - 15 October 2042 |
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: VIII Fighter Command 4th Fighter Group 15th Bomb Squadron 335th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12027636 / O-431272
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Fighter pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 97th Bomb Group 15th Bomb Squadron 414th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
![A bomber crew of the 301st Bomb Group with their A-20 Havoc after being awarded medals.
Image stamped on reverse: 'New York Times Photograph.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 12 July 1942.', 'USA(NIR)CCC.'[written annotation] and '209852.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'After receiving awards for U.S. Independence Day raid on Holland New York Times Photo shows: Major Charles C Kegelman (second from right) with his bomber crew after he had received the American D.S.C. for part he took in th](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-378784.jpg.webp?itok=gZFfb_bf)
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 301st Bomb Group 15th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-22412
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 15th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11019157
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
- Role/Job: Dorsal Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 15th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-432079
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
Mission
- Date: 2 October 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 6 September 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 5 September 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 12 July 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 29 June 1942
- Official Description:
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 7-Nov-2014. Added station info. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15th_Bombardment_Squadron
Lee Cunningham 26-Oct-2014. "USAAF Combat Chronology" Jack McKillop, "Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / The Mighty Eighth. A History of the Units, Men and Machines of the US 8th Air Force.' by Roger A. Freeman (1989). 'Air Force Combat Units of World War II' compiled by the Department of the US Air Force, edited by Maurice Maurer (1983).
![A bomber crew of the 301st Bomb Group with their A-20 Havoc after being awarded medals. From left to right, they are Sergeant B.B. Cunningham of Tupelo, Missouri; Sergeant R.L. Golay of Fredonia, Kansas; Second Lieutenant M. Dorton of Long Beach; and Major Charles C. Kegelman. Image stamped on reverse: 'Passed for Publication 11 Jul 1942.' [stamp], 'Not to be published until 12/7/42.' [stamp], 'Keystone Press.' [stamp], 'USA (NIR)CCC.' [written annotation] and '209807.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on rev](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-378782.jpg.webp?itok=FT8VDEz4)
