Ninth Air Force

media-36283.jpeg INS 7305 Second World War formation badge for the United States 9th Air Force (United States Army Air Force). The shoulder sleeve insignia was approved by the US Quartermaster General on 16 September 1943. Formation note: the 9th Air Force (US Army Air Force, Ninth Air Force) was formed on 8 April 1942 at the New Orleans Army Air Base in Louisiana. The Force served as the US Army Middle East Air Force. Medium bombers and fighters of 9th Air Force supported the British 8th Army (Eighth Army) across North Africa. It served in the Italian campaign and was transferred to England in October 1943 where it provided tactical support for the campaigns in North West Europe. It was disbanded 2 December 1945.

© IWM (INS 7305) IWM collections

Object Number - INS 7305 - Second World War formation badge for the United States 9th Air Force (United States Army Air Force). The shoulder sleeve insignia was approved by the...

Commanding Officers

William Ellsworth Kepner

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: VIII Fighter Command 2nd Air Division
Highest Rank: Lieutenant General
Role/Job: Commanding General, 8th Air Force Fighter Command

Lewis Hyde Brereton

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron (9th Air Force) US Army Middle East Air Force
Service Numbers: O-3132
Highest Rank: Lieutenant General
Role/Job: Commanding General

Hoyt S Vandenburg

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: Ninth Air Force
Highest Rank: General
Role/Job: Commanding General 9th Air Force

Connections

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

Previously was

US Army Middle East Air Force

Type Category: Combat organisation

Encompassing

14th Liaison Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Ninth Air Force
Type Category: Transport

2014th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon

Unit Hierarchy: Platoon
Air Force: Ninth Air Force
Type Category: Air base

Ground personnel of the 44th Bomb Group inspect a battle damaged B-24 Liberator after a mission over Ploesti, 1944. First handwritten caption on reverse: '44 BG Liberator damaged over Ploesti 8/1/44.' Second handwritten caption on reverse: '41-11817 98 BG.'

415th Bomb Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Ninth Air Force Twelfth Air Force Fifteenth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

563rd Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion

Unit Hierarchy: Battalion
Air Force: Ninth Air Force
Type Category: Other

9th Bombardment Division

Unit Hierarchy: Division
Air Force: Ninth Air Force
Type Category: Combat organisation

People

Donovan A Astle

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: Ninth Air Force
Service Numbers: O-678663
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant

Julius A Baca

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: Ninth Air Force
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Gunner

George L Clark

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: Ninth Air Force
Highest Rank: Lieutenant
Role/Job: Co Pilot

Valex Colon

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: Ninth Air Force
Service Numbers: 38186096
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Gunner

Gregory B Crock

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: Ninth Air Force
Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
Role/Job: Flight Engineer / Top Turret

Aircraft

41-11767

Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
Nicknames: Shanghi Lil
Unit: 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron Ninth Air Force

41-11774

Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
Nicknames: Chief
Unit: Ninth Air Force

41-23782

Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
Nicknames: Boiler Maker II
Unit: Ninth Air Force

41-24023

Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
Nicknames: Fertile Myrtle
Unit: Ninth Air Force

41-24197

Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
Nicknames: Tagalong
Unit: Ninth Air Force

Revisions

Date7 Jun 2022 08:33:55

ContributorEmily

ChangesChanges to aircraft associations

Sources

Regular removal of erroneous people and aircraft associations to record- individual people and aircraft were never directly assigned to the USAAF's Combat Air Forces.

Date1 Jun 2022 13:06:09

ContributorEmily

ChangesChanges to person associations

Sources

Regular removal of erroneous people and aircraft associations to record- individual people and aircraft were never directly assigned to the USAAF's Combat Air Forces.

Date26 May 2022 08:05:04

ContributorEmily

ChangesChanges to person associations and aircraft associations

Sources

Regular removal of erroneous people and aircraft associations to record- individual people and aircraft were never directly assigned to the USAAF's Combat Air Forces.

Date23 May 2022 11:31:14

ContributorEmily

ChangesChanges to person associations and aircraft associations

Sources

Regular removal of erroneous people and aircraft associations to record- individual people and aircraft were never directly assigned to the USAAF's Combat Air Forces.

Date20 May 2022 11:15:58

ContributorEmily

ChangesChanges to person associations, aircraft associations and media associations

Sources

Regular removal of erroneous people and aircraft associations made to record- individual people and aircraft were never directly assigned to the USAAF's Combat Air Forces.

Date6 Aug 2021 19:33:55

ContributorKickapoo

ChangesChanges to type, nicknames and aircraft types

Sources

98th Bombardment Group - Wikipedia

Date12 Nov 2019 22:22:05

Contributorihanson7

ChangesChanges to person associations

Sources

My Grandfather

Date3 Sep 2019 14:25:52

ContributorEmily

ChangesChanges to type, category, insignia, us air force combat units of world war ii description, unit part of associations and commanding officers associations

Sources

Air Force Combat Units of World War II

Date11 Jun 2019 19:54:59

ContributorClaiborne Stokes

ChangesChanges to type and air forces

Sources

CMS

Date29 Sep 2016 15:02:15

ContributorAl_Skiff

ChangesChanges to person associations

Sources

Added Gordon E Batdorf.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:42:43

ContributorAAM

ChangesAAM ingest

Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia

Ninth Air Force: Gallery (1266 items)

Object number: UPL 16649 -

Object number: UPL 16654 -

Object number: UPL 37389 -

The nose art of a P-38 Lightning (serial number 43-26659) nicknamed "Viking 2" of the 367th Fighter Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '392nd FS, 367th FG, 9th Air Force.'

Object number: FRE 10045 -

Object number: FRE 10046 -

A modified P-38 Lightning of the 474th Fighter Group. First handwritten caption on reverse: 'P-38? "Pathfinder"!' Second handwritten caption on reverse: '428th FS, 474th FG, 9th Air Force.'

Object number: FRE 10050 -

A P-38 Lightning (serial number 42-68004) nicknamed "Moonlight Cock-tail" of the 367th Fighter Group, flown by Lieutenant Clark "Doc" Livingston. Handwritten caption on reverse: '392nd FS, 367th FG, 9th Air Force.'

Object number: FRE 10055 -

An airman of the 367th Fighter Group with his P-38 Lightning. Handwritten caption on reverse: '392nd FS, 367th FG, 9th Air Force.'

Object number: FRE 10056 -

A P-38 Lightning (serial number 42-67402) of the 474th Fighter Group.

Object number: FRE 10058 -

A droop snoot P-38 Lightning (E6-Z) of the 370th Fighter Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '370 FG, 402 FS, 9th AF, E6-Z.'

Object number: FRE 10083 -

A P-38 Lightning of the 474th Fighter Group takes off in France. Image stamped on reverse: 'Passed for publication 15 Aug 1944.' [stamp]. Printed caption on reverse: '9th AAF in France: P-38 takes off. Dust is a great problem. D146-3-X-9-120 Scherschel Life.'

Object number: FRE 10093 -

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.'

Object number: FRE 10110 -