20th Fighter Group

Group

media-395174.jpg FRE 5231 Official emblem of the 20th Fighter Group, approved 26 November 1942 Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 5231 - Official emblem of the 20th Fighter Group, approved 26 November 1942

In August 1943, the 20th Fighter Group arrived in Clyde, Scotland, before travelling to Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire, which was to be their base for the rest of the war. The Group flew 312 missions before their last mission on 25 April 1945. The pilots escorted bombers and strafed ground targets as well as engaging enemy aircraft. The success with which the Group hit locomotive targets earned them the nickname of the "Loco Busters".

Commanding Officers

Barton M Russell

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 20th Fighter Group 77th Fighter Squadron Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron (20th Fighter Group)
Service Numbers: O-357600
Highest Rank: Colonel
Role/Job: Fighter Pilot 1056 multi-engine. Group Commander

Cy Wilson

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 20th Fighter Group 55th Fighter Squadron 77th Fighter Squadron
Service Numbers: O-21538
Highest Rank: Colonel
Role/Job: Fighter Pilot Squadron/Group Commander

Edward Wharton Anderson

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 65th Fighter Wing 4th Fighter Group Headquarters (4th Fighter Group) Headquarters (65th Fighter Wing)
Service Numbers: O-17932
Highest Rank: Brigadier General
Role/Job: Commanding General

Harold J Rau

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 65th Fighter Wing 20th Fighter Group 356th Fighter Group Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron (20th Fighter Group)
Service Numbers: O-22623
Highest Rank: Colonel
Role/Job: Fighter Pilot 1056 multi-engine/Group Commander

Herbert E Johnson

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 20th Fighter Group 77th Fighter Squadron
Service Numbers: O-421109
Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Role/Job: Fighter Pilot 1056 twin engine deputy group commander

Jack C Price

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 20th Fighter Group 55th Fighter Squadron 84th Fighter Squadron
Service Numbers: O-429947
Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

Jesse D Auton

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 65th Fighter Wing Headquarters (65th Fighter Wing)
Service Numbers: O-17938
Highest Rank: Brigadier General
Role/Job: Commanding General

Mark E Hubbard

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 20th Fighter Group Headquarters (20th Fighter Group)
Service Numbers: O-393137
Highest Rank: Colonel
Role/Job: Fighter Pilot 1056 twin engine group commander

Robert P Montgomery

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 20th Fighter Group 77th Fighter Squadron Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron (20th Fighter Group) Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron (VIII Fighter Command)
Service Numbers: O-396297
Highest Rank: Colonel
Role/Job: Fighter Pilot/Group Commander

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Unit stations

Station	Location	Date
Based	Kings Cliffe	26 August 1943 - 11 October 1945

Encompassing

446th Air Service Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group

Pilots of the 79th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Group, stand around a map at Kings Cliffe air base before mission over northern France, October 1943. L to R: First Lieutenant Merle B. Nichols, Seattle, Wash.; Major Nathaniel H. Blanton, Earlsboro, Oklahoma and First Lieutenant Richard P. Gatterdam, Columbus, Ohio. Censor has drawn lines across the map. Each of these pilots went on to command one of the squadrons of the 20th Fighter Group. Gatterdam commanded the 55th Fighter Squadron, Nichols the 77th a

55th Fighter Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Fighter

77th Fighter Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Fighter

79th Fighter Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Fighter

97th Service Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force

People

Albert H Basnett

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 20th Fighter Group 18th Weather Squadron

Alfred Biller

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 20th Fighter Group 77th Fighter Squadron
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Role/Job: Supply

Albert D Blanchette

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 20th Fighter Group
Highest Rank: Corporal
Role/Job: Communications

Albion D Brackett

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 20th Fighter Group 55th Fighter Squadron
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Ground Crew

Adais S Bransteitter

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 20th Fighter Group 55th Fighter Squadron
Highest Rank: Corporal
Role/Job: Ground Crew

Aircraft

42-104067

Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
Nicknames: Little Bug
Unit: 20th Fighter Group 77th Fighter Squadron

42-104086

Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
Nicknames: Strictly Stella's Baby Lucky Lady
Unit: 20th Fighter Group 370th Fighter Group 402nd Fighter Squadron 79th Fighter Squadron

42-104289

Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
Unit: 20th Fighter Group 79th Fighter Squadron

42-104308

Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
Nicknames: Bob Cat III
Unit: 20th Fighter Group 79th Fighter Squadron

42-104314

Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
Unit: 20th Fighter Group 55th Fighter Squadron

Mission

8th Air Force

Date: 13 September 1944

401

Date: 8 June 1944

8th Air Force Field Order 342

Date: 19 May 1944

8th Air Force Field Order 338

Date: 13 May 1944

8th Air Force Field Order 337

Date: 12 May 1944

Revisions

Date24 Dec 2019 08:15:49

ContributorSOLIDKREATE

ChangesChanges to motto. Changes to Encompassing Units

Sources

https://www.americanairmuseum.com/unit/229 - Corrected to emblem text

Date12 Dec 2018 13:01:22

Contributorgeneral ira snapsorter

ChangesChanges to us air force combat units of world war ii description

Sources

https://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001330256/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-044…

Date15 Jan 2016 20:10:43

ContributorNomad20th

ChangesChanges to motto and mission associations

Sources

Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, AL

Date30 Jun 2015 09:11:44

ContributorEmily

ChangesChanges to mission associations

Sources

Changed Key Image

Date19 Mar 2015 11:31:06

Contributorrossingtonj

ChangesChanges to nicknames, citations, description, aircraft types and mission associations

Sources

Nicknames and aircraft type added. Nickname amended in description. Citations moved to citation section.
Sources:
http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/20thfg.php

Date13 Mar 2015 15:11:54

Contributorrossingtonj

ChangesChanges to type and mission associations

Sources

Type added.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:42:44

ContributorAAM

ChangesAAM ingest

Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / 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). / Units in the UK from ETOUSA Station List, as transcribed by Lt. Col. Philip Grinton (US Army, Retired) and extracted by IWM; air division data from L.D. Underwood, based on the 8th Air Force Strength Report of 6th August 1944, as published in 'The 8th Air Force Yearbook' by Lt. Col. John H Woolnough (1980)

20th Fighter Group: Gallery (256 items)

Armorers of 55th Fighter Squadron of the 20th Fighter Group at Kings Cliffe air base. The building on the right with the stove pipe chimney was the Armament Office. The two men on the far right of the photograph were ground officers with the 55th Fighter Squadron. The man on the far right of the photograph is First Lieutenant Thomas N. Godfrey of Waupaca, Wisconsin, and second on the right is Major Mathew P. Cicero of Rockford, Illinois.

Object number: FRE 100 -

A P-38 Lightning of the 20th Fighter Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'P-38J-10-LO, KI-P, 20th FG.'

Object number: FRE 10053 -

Pilot and ground crew of P-38J Lightning, named by the crew "Betsy VI". Pilot of the aircraft was 1/Lt. Russell W. Bebout of the 79th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Group, which was based at Kings Cliffe air base.

Object number: FRE 10082 -

Some of the armory tents and temporary buildings at Kings Cliffe air base where the 20th Fighter Group were stationed between 26 August 1943 and 11 October 1945. The two tents on the left hand side of the photograph were ammunition tents. The one on the left stored 0.50 inch calibre ammunition for the P-38 Lightning's machine guns, and the one on its right stored 20mm calibre ammunition for the P-38 Lightning's cannon.

Object number: FRE 101 -

The wreck of a P-38 Lightning (serial number 42-68177) of the 20th Fighter Group that has crash landed at Sudbury, home of the 486th Bomb Group. Official caption on image: '(GAD-39-2-486)(22-6-44)(42-68177) Crash.' Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Sudbury, 486 BG, LC_C 20th FG, Sudbury.'

Object number: FRE 10117 -

Airmen of the 20th Fighter Group stand outside the Mess area at Kings Cliffe.

Object number: FRE 102 -

Tents, blister hangar and, in the centre, an engineers hut, at Kings Cliffe air base where the 20th Fighter Group were stationed between 26 August 1943 and 11 October 1945.

Object number: FRE 103 -

A F-51 Mustang (serial number 44-74550) of the 20th Fighter Group between January 1947 and June 1948. Printed caption on reverse: 'F-51 20th FG taken between Jan 47-Jun 48.'

Object number: FRE 10361 -

Roger Freeman and Edgar Schmued at the 20th Fighter Group Reunion, Los Angeles, 7 October 1984. Handwritten caption on reverse: '20FGA/8AFHQ Reunion Los Angeles Ca. Bonaventure Hotel Sun Oct. 7th 1984. Gen. James H. Doolittle Award Banquet. Edgar Schmued - Designed the P-51. Roger Freeman - 8AF Historian.'

Object number: FRE 10363 -

Muddy scene at Kings Cliffe air base where the 20th Fighter Group were stationed between 26 August 1943 and 11 October 1945.

Object number: FRE 104 -

Captain Jack M. Ilfrey, CO of the 79th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Group, at Kings Cliffe air base, July 1944. He stands beside P-38J Lightning (MC-O, serial number 43-28431), called "Happy Jack's Go Buggy".

Object number: FRE 105 -

Pilot of the 20th Fighter Group, which was based at Kings Cliffe air base between 26 August 1943 and 11 October 1945.

Object number: FRE 106 -