479th Fighter Group

Group
The insignia of the 479th Fighter Group. media-395222.jpg FRE 5279 The insignia of the 479th Fighter Group. Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 5279 - The insignia of the 479th Fighter Group.

The 479th was the last Fighter Group to join the Eighth Air Force, which they did on 14 May 1944. Known as "Riddle's Raiders", after their first Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Kyle L. Riddle, the Group flew escort and fighter sweep missions before D-Day. On D-Day itself, the Group patrolled the beachheads and in the months that followed the pilots conducted area patrols across northern France. The Group won a Distinguished Unit Citation for destroying numerous aircraft whilst strafing airfields on 18 August and 5 September, and whilst engaging in air combat near Munster 26 September 1944.

Browse 479th Fighter Group photographs and other documents in the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library digital archive here: www.2ndair.org.uk/digitalarchive/Dashboard/Index/55

Commanding Officers

Colonel Hubert Zemke of the 56th Fighter Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'First Lieutenant Hub Zemke, US Army Air Corps, 8th Pursuit Group, Mitchel Field, Long Island, New York. Taken just before dispersal to England as an Observer to the Royal Air Force.'

Hubert A Zemke

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 479th Fighter Group 56th Fighter Group Headquarters (479th Fighter Group) Headquarters (56th Fighter Group)
  • Service Numbers: O-022353
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Commander; Pilot

Kyle Loyd Riddle

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 479th Fighter Group Headquarters (479th Fighter Group)
  • Service Numbers: O-356174
  • Highest Rank: Brigadier General
  • 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

Wattisham 15 May 1944 - 22 November 1945

Encompassing

People

Alfred H Atwell

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 479th Fighter Group

Albert Anthony Barbieri

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 479th Fighter Group
  • Service Numbers: 31368457

Albert G Bennett

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 479th Fighter Group

Alfred C Boline

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 479th Fighter Group

Amos M Brewer

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 479th Fighter Group

Aircraft

42-104258

  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Unit: 479th Fighter Group 434th Fighter Squadron

42-104397

  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Unit: 479th Fighter Group 436th Fighter Squadron

42-104407

  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Unit: 479th Fighter Group 436th Fighter Squadron

42-104416

  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Unit: 479th Fighter Group

42-104421

  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Unit: 479th Fighter Group

Mission

896

  • Date: 19 March 1945
  • Official Description:

600

  • Date: 2 September 1944

Revisions

Date9 Mar 2018 15:51:12
Contributor2nd Air Division Memorial Library
ChangesChanges to description
Sources
Date3 Oct 2015 10:30:22
ContributorED-BB
ChangesChanges to nicknames, aircraft types, commanding officers associations, mission associations and stations
Sources

Added Group nickname, aircraft types, other details

Date12 Apr 2015 14:53:32
ContributorPyker
ChangesChanges to mission associations
Sources

Changed key image to Group insignia.

Date13 Mar 2015 15:23:02
Contributorrossingtonj
ChangesChanges to type and mission associations
Sources

Type added.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:42:46
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)

479th Fighter Group: Gallery (132 items)