352nd Fighter Group
GroupFrom 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
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
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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
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Crew Chief
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 487th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-706469
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 486th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-793567
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Civilian
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 352nd Fighter Group
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-830589
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Nicknames: Ilene II
- Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Nicknames: Jean Louise
- Unit: 36th Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron 352nd Fighter Group 23rd Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Nicknames: Prairie Farmer/Spirit of Los Angeles City College
- Unit: 486th Fighter Squadron 352nd Fighter Group 373rd Fighter Group
Mission
- Date: 2 March 1944
- Date: 29 February 1944
- Date: 25 February 1944
Revisions
Nickname and aircraft types added. Dates for Bodney added.
Source: http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/352ndfg.php
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)