352nd Fighter Group

Group

media-14381.jpeg UPL 14381 Bodney, England 1945

From the Squadron history '486th Mustang Jockeys, Bodney Airfield, England - June 1945'
(note also that the pilot on the far right (as you look at the photo) has been cut out of this version)

486th Fighter Squadron History (Soham-Wherry Press, Norwich, 1945), p.19

Object Number - UPL 14381 - Bodney, England 1945 From the Squadron history '486th Mustang Jockeys, Bodney Airfield, England - June 1945' (note also that the pilot on the...

The 352nd Fighter Group were based at Bodney, Norfolk from July 1943 until November 1945 but in the winter months of 1944/1945 detachments moved to bases in Belgium to provide extra air support to ground forces during the Battle of the Bulge and to assist with the airborne assault across the Rhine. The 487th Fighter Squadron was the only Eighth Air Force Squadron to be awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation, usually an award reserved to Groups. The Squadron was given the DUC for destroying 23 enemy aircraft in a single mission on 1 January 1945. Major George Preddy, the highest scoring P-51 Mustang in Eighth Air Force, flew with the 352nd Fighter Group.

Connections

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

Unit stations

Station	Location	Date
Based	Bodney	8 July 1943 - 7 February 1945
Based	Asch	23 December 1944 - 27 January 1945
Based	Bodney	13 April 1945 - 3 November 1945

Encompassing

1st Air Service Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Supply

328th Fighter Squadron

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

Pilot Lieutenant-Colonel Luther H. Richmond with his aircraft, P-47 Thunderbolt (PZ-R, serial number 42-8412), named "Sweetie", at Bodney air base, winter 1943 - 1944. Pin-up artwork by Alberto Vargas. 1943 - 1944. Lieutenant-Colonel Richmond flew with the 486th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group.

486th Fighter Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force

487th Fighter Squadron

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

Headquarters (352nd Fighter Group)

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

People

Albert R Barrows

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 487th Fighter Squadron
Service Numbers: 31201040
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Role/Job: Armorer

Charles J Bennette

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron
Service Numbers: T-060973 / O-2045126
Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

Adolf Bielok

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 487th Fighter Squadron
Service Numbers: 16089438 / O-693099
Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
Role/Job: Fighter pilot

Charles J Cesky

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron
Service Numbers: 13050834 / O-796084
Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Role/Job: Pilot

Andrew Chasko

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 361st Fighter Group 56th Fighter Group 374th Fighter Squadron 62nd Fighter Squadron
Service Numbers: 15070395 / O-659252
Highest Rank: Major
Role/Job: Fighter pilot

Aircraft

42-103290

Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron

42-103312

Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
Nicknames: Channel Belle Miss Cherokee
Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 487th Fighter Squadron

42-103316

Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
Unit: 352nd Fighter Group Headquarters (352nd Fighter Group)

42-103336

Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
Unit: 352nd Fighter Group

42-103787

Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron

Mission

896

Date: 19 March 1945
Official Description:

687FB

Date: 24 October 1944
Official Description:

A P-51 Mustang (PZ-R) of the 352nd Fighter Group at Debden. Image via Ed Ritchie. Written on slide casing: 'PZ-R, Debden 6/44.'

8th Air Force 428

Date: 21 June 1944

402

Date: 8 June 1944

8th Air Force Field Order 322

Date: 1 May 1944

Revisions

Date17 Jun 2018 18:16:51

Contributorajgoebel

ChangesChanges to motto

Sources

Added Motto June 17, 2018

Date30 Dec 2017 00:54:20

ContributorPEP.1956

ChangesChanges to motto

Sources

http://www.veterantributes.org/352nd.php (Motto)

Date31 Mar 2015 07:23:00

ContributorLindawright01

ChangesChanges to mission associations

Sources

Linda Salvesen Wright

Date19 Mar 2015 11:42:42

Contributorrossingtonj

ChangesChanges to nicknames, aircraft types, mission associations and stations

Sources

Nickname and aircraft types added. Dates for Bodney added.
Source: http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/352ndfg.php

Date13 Mar 2015 15:13:14

Contributorrossingtonj

ChangesChanges to type and mission associations

Sources

Type added.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:42:45

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)

352nd Fighter Group: Gallery (209 items)

A 328th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group P-51 Mustang (PE-X, serial number 44-14111) is at the front of a line of fighter aircraft of various Groups. Behind PE-X is a P-47 Thunderbolt (LM-S) of the 62nd Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group; behind that is a P-51 Mustang (CL-P, serial number 44-14291) of the 338th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group; and behind that is a P-47 Thunderbolt (PI-T) of the 360th Fighter Squadron, 356th Fighter Group. The line of fighter aircraft continues beyond. Handwrit

Object number: FRE 10770 -

Two ground crew add the finishing touches to the nose art of a 352nd Fighter Group P-47 Thunderbolt nicknamed "Dallas Blonde". Handwritten on slide casing: 'P-47, 352nd F.G.'

Object number: FRE 10771 -

P-51 Mustangs (MC-R) nicknamed "Gentle Annie" of the 20th Fighter Group, (PE-X, serial number 44-14111) of the 352nd Fighter Group and (CL-P, serial number 44-14291) of the 58th Fighter Group with P-47 Thunderbolts (LM-S) of the 56th Fighter Group and (PI-I) of the 356th Fighter Group.

Object number: FRE 2385 -

Don McKidden and Luman Morey of the 352nd Fighter Group with a P-47 Thunderbolt (PZ-Y, serial number 42-76323) nicknamed "Sneezy", formerly of the 56th Fighter Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '352nd FG. 16. Ex-56FG? 1-20.' Printed caption on reverse: '"Sneezy" poses for the camera with its crew chief Luman Morey and pilot Don McKibben on wing. Flight Leader Frank Greene strongly encouraged his flight to paint their Thunderbolts as Disney's Seven Dwarves to match his aircraft "Snow White". A full fl

Object number: FRE 2623 -

An airman of the 352nd Fighter Group with a P-47 Thunderbolt nicknamed "Jamie My Boy"

Object number: FRE 2789 -

Lieutenant William T Whisner of the 487th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group with his P-51 Mustang nicknamed "Princess Elizabeth". Handwritten caption on reverse: '487th F.S., 352nd F.G., 8th Air Force, Lt. William T. Whisner.'

Object number: FRE 2791 -

Colonel Mason, of the 352nd Fighter Group in the cockpit of his P-47 Thunderbolt nicknamed "Gena This Is It." Handwritten caption on reverse: 'My P-47, Col Mason. My first P-47.'

Object number: FRE 2792 -

A P-47 Thunderbolt (PZ-W, serial number 42-8377) nicknamed "Little Rebel" and a P-51 Mustang (PZ-W, serial number 43-7022) nicknamed "Little Rebel" of the 352nd Fighter Group, both flown by Captain Alton J Wallace , March 1944. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Courtesy Cyrus Hall, 486th FS/352nd FG. Al Wallace's Aircraft March 1944.' Second handwritten caption obscured by printed caption. Printed caption on reverse: 'A fine shot showing the 486th FS transition from P-47's to P-51's. The aircraft are both

Object number: FRE 2793 -

P-47 Thunderbolts including (PZ-K, serial number 41-6531) nicknamed "The Syracusan" and (PZ-E, serial number 42-8459) nicknamed "Bonnie Lee"of the 352nd Fighter Group line up for take off. Printed caption on reverse: '"Mike" Miklajcyk taxies[sic] P-47C-5RE "The Syracusan" (code PZ-K, s/n 41-6531) southward west of the 486th tree line for a mission. Earl Meyer's P-47D-5RE "Bonnie Lee" (PZ-E, s/n 42-8459) waits its turn to pull out of its revetment at right. The Firing Butts backstop for small arms target p

Object number: FRE 2794 -

P-47 Thunderbolts including (PZ-T, serial number 42-8682) nicknamed "Little Evey" and (PZ-Z, serial number 42-8548)nicknamed "Pistol Packin' Mama" of the 352nd Fighter Group at Bodney. Handwritten caption on reverse: '486th Flight line looking east towards 487th area. PZ-T "Little Evey" of Thomas Colby in foreground, serial 42-8682 P-47D-5RE. PZ-Z "Pistol Packin' Mama" of Robert MacKean next, serial 42-8548, also a D-5-RE. (Courtesy Art Nellen).'

Object number: FRE 2795 -

A P-51 Mustang (PE-F, serial number 44-14882) nicknamed "Katydid" of the 352nd Fighter Group, flown by Lieutenant Lothar Fieg.

Object number: FRE 2796 -

A damaged P-51 Mustang of the 486th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Shows 'P' Type.'

Object number: FRE 2797 -