334th Fighter Squadron

Squadron
Personnel talk to Lieutenant-Colonel Oscar Coen of the 334th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Groupin the cockpit of his P-47 Thunderbolt after a mission over Paris, 15 October 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'American Thunderbolt fighters are proving a terror to the German pilots (former members of the R.A.F.). Flying their high altitude fast diving fighters, that have accounted for many enemy planes. In the raid over Paris the fighters of this station accounted for 17 down, 5 probables and one damaged. 1 media-401067.jpg FRE 2268 Personnel talk to Lieutenant-Colonel Oscar Coen of the 334th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Groupin the cockpit of his P-47 Thunderbolt after a mission over Paris, 15 October 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'American Thunderbolt fighters are proving a terror to the German pilots (former members of the R.A.F.). Flying their high altitude fast diving fighters, that have accounted for many enemy planes. In the raid over Paris the fighters of this station accounted for 17 down, 5 probables and one damaged. 15/10/43.' Printed damaged caption on reverse: 'O.P.S. Lt. Col. Oscar Coen of Illinois is an Ace and one of [the...] original Eagle Squadron. He has won both the British and Ameri[can...] D.F.C. He is here seen seated in his plane with fellow pilot[s...] around him.' On reverse: Daily Sketch [Stamp]. Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 2268 - Personnel talk to Lieutenant-Colonel Oscar Coen of the 334th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Groupin the cockpit of his P-47 Thunderbolt after a...

The 334th Fighter Squadron was the successor to No. 71 Eagle squadron of the Royal Air Force when the 4th Fighter Group was activated on 12 September 1942. They were based at Debden Field, Essex. The "Fighting Eagles" as they were called, flew Spitfires until the arrival of P-47 Thunderbolts in 1943. A year later they changed to P-51 Mustangs, which they kept until the end of the war. The 334th was the top scoring squadron of the three squadrons in the 4th Fighter Group, with 395 kills.

Connections

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Unit stations

Station Location Date

Based

Debden 12 September 1942

Previously was

People

Bernard L Anderson

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 334th Fighter Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ground Personnel

Andre J Andreu

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 495th Fighter Training Group 4th Fighter Group 334th Fighter Squadron 336th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: T-190559
  • Highest Rank: Flight Officer
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

Calvin H Beason

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 334th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 15343079 / O-829923
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Fighter pilot

Anthony Bernardi

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 334th Fighter Squadron
  • Role/Job: GP

Arthur Reid Bowers

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 334th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-721332
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

41-6587

  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 334th Fighter Squadron

42-103292

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 334th Fighter Squadron

42-103791

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 334th Fighter Squadron

42-106441

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 334th Fighter Squadron

42-106636

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 334th Fighter Squadron

Revisions

Date11 Mar 2015 20:19:25
Contributorapollo11
ChangesChanges to unit part of associations, unit encompassing associations and unit previously was association
Sources

'Eighty-One Aces of the 4th Fighter Group' by Frank Speer.

Date2 Mar 2015 20:01:42
Contributorapollo11
ChangesChanges to type, nicknames, description, aircraft types and stations
Sources

Personal research & information collected from 'Eighty-One Aces of the 4th Fighter Group' by Frank Speer.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:42:48
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 / 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)

334th Fighter Squadron: Gallery (277 items)