Headquarters (Eighth Air Force)
Headquarters
Image credit: United States Army Air forces, 381st Bomb Group. Harry S. Truman Library & Museum
Object Number - UPL 34822 - Lieutenant General Ira Clarence Eaker, commander of the United States Army Air Forces in Britain and the Mediterranean.
8th Air Force Headquarters opened in London under the command of General Carl A Spaatz on 19 June 1942. It oversaw all Commands, Wings and Groups engaged in the Strategic Bombing Campaign until February 1944, when it became US Strategic Air Forces in Europe (USSTAF).
Commanding Officers
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: US Strategic Air Forces Headquarters (Eighth Air Force)
- Highest Rank: General
- Role/Job: Commanding General, 8th Air Force
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: Headquarters Squadron (VIII Bomber Command) Headquarters (Eighth Air Force) United States Army Forces in the British Isles
- Service Numbers: O-7478
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant General
- Role/Job: Commanding General, 8th Air Force
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: Eighth Air Force
- Service Numbers: O-005142
- Highest Rank: Brigadier General
- Role/Job: 8th Air Force Chief of Staff
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Unit stations
| Station | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
|
Established |
19 January 1942 | |
|
Based |
London | 18 June 1942 - 25 June 1942 |
|
Based |
Bushey Hall | 26 June 1942 |
|
Other Redesignated |
22 February 1944 |
Encompassing
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Transport
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Troop Carrier
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Reconnaissance
- Unit Hierarchy: Wing
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: Headquarters (Eighth Air Force)
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: Headquarters (Eighth Air Force)
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Civilian
- Nationality: American
- Unit: Headquarters (Eighth Air Force)
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: Headquarters (Eighth Air Force)
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Civilian
- Nationality: American
- Unit: Headquarters (Eighth Air Force)
Aircraft
![French countryside, photographed through the nose of a P-38 Lightning of the 367th Fighter Group on landing. Image stamped on reverse: 'Not to be published 30 Aug 1944.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 31 May 1945.' [stamp] and '354528 .' [censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'P-38s over the Seine. No.1 of a series of pix taken through the nose of the P-38 as it comes in to land. Scherschel LIFE.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-456843.jpg.webp?itok=vyT98_c0)
Revisions
Air Force Combat Units of World War II
Bowman, USAAF Handbook 1939-1945, Group Assignments of the 8th Air Force, England 6 June 1943
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / 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)
