VIII Fighter Command
Command![](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/media/media-32487.jpeg)
Object Number - UPL 32487 - "Nazi aerial strategy has been defeated; Germany is to get raids of greater intensity until resistance is shattered, so said Maj Gen William E...
VIII Fighter Command was established as VIII Interceptor Command at Selfridge Field on 2 February 1942.
Commanding Officers
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Service Numbers: O-018714
- Highest Rank: Colonel
![Brigadier-General Francis Griswold stands on the wing of a P-51 Mustang (VM-?) of the 495th Fighter Training Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Brig Gen Francis Griswold P-51B-1-NA 43-12406 8th F.C.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/max_650x650/public/freeman/media-377331.jpg?itok=ZhPOIV6P)
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: VIII Fighter Command 2nd Air Division
- Service Numbers: O-17959
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant General
- Role/Job: Pilot; Commanding Officer; Chief of Staff 8th Fighter Command
![United States Air Chiefs of the European Theatre of Operations stand with a B-17 Flying Fortress of the 97th Bomb Group. Left to right these are: Major-General Frank, Brigadier-General Ira Eaker, Brigadier-General Robert Candee, Brigadier-General Frank O'Driscoll Hunter, Major-General Karl Spaatz and Lieutenant-General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 2 Aug 1942.' [stamp] 'USA (BRI) CCC: STF.' [written annotation] and '213540.' [Censor no](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/max_650x650/public/freeman/media-379317.jpg?itok=mT8jK6wQ)
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: VIII Fighter Command
- Service Numbers: O-9597
- Highest Rank: Major General
- Role/Job: Commanding General
![Brigadier General Woodbury, Commanding Officer of the 66th Fighter Wing, talks to senior officers. The 78th Fighter Group was a component of the wing. To the right of the photograph, is the General’s car. The red backing for the white star denotes the rank of the car’s occupant . Handwritten on slide:"Gen Woodbury parade gnd Mason Barnard"](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/max_650x650/public/freeman/media-388354.jpg?itok=1ORC-tu8)
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 3rd Air Division 66th Fighter Wing Headquarters (66th Fighter Wing)
- Service Numbers: O-17421
- Highest Rank: Brigadier General
- Role/Job: Fighter Wing Commander; Commanding General
![](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/max_650x650/public/media/media-23999.jpeg?itok=p-EGULo0)
- 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
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Unit stations
Station | Location | Date |
---|---|---|
Established |
1 February 1942 | |
Based |
High Wycombe | 12 May 1942 |
Based |
Bushey Hall | 27 July 1942 |
Based |
Charleroi | 12 January 1945 |
Based |
High Wycombe | 17 July 1945 |
Based |
Honington | 26 October 1945 |
Encompassing
- Unit Hierarchy: Company
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
![A P-61 Black Widow (serial number 42-39533) nickinamed "Markey" of the 417th Night Fighter Squadron, 12th Air Force. Image via R Woolner. Written on slide casing: '415 NFS?? Germany '45.](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/max_650x650/public/freeman/media-394896.jpg?itok=xKa1gS4M)
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Company
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
![British and American personnel hold up flags at the 496th Fighter Training Group base in Goxhill. Printed caption on reverse: 'P.H.T GREEN COLLECTION PLACE: Goxhill, DATE: 44.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/max_650x650/public/freeman/media-377332.jpg?itok=UjbnMi9k)
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: VIII Fighter Command
- Service Numbers: 12045388
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
![](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/max_650x650/public/media/media-32093.jpeg?itok=bNzHDlb5)
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: VIII Fighter Command 56th Fighter Group 63rd Fighter Squadron Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron (VIII Fighter Command)
- Service Numbers: O-424733
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Fighter pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: VIII Fighter Command
- Service Numbers: 33475455
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Laboratory Technician; Cameraman
![](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/max_650x650/public/media/media-13332.jpeg?itok=1NgscIVx)
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: VIII Fighter Command 56th Fighter Group 61st Fighter Squadron Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron (VIII Fighter Command) Headquarters (56th Fighter Group)
- Service Numbers: O-397528 ; O-366788
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Role/Job: Pilot
![First Lieutenant Don Bodenhammer and First Lieutenant James Stokes of the 78th Fighter Group, with a P-47 Thunderbolt at Duxford , 29 September 1943. Passed for publication 29 Sep 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'Thunderbolt Pilots In Britain. Associated Press Photo Shows:- Two Thunderbolt pilots, First Lieut. Don Bodennamer (left) of Mathis, Texas and First Lieut. James Stokes, of 134-56-232 Street, Laurelton, Long Island, N.Y., at an 8th Air Force Fighter Command Station "somewhere in England". GLE 26](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/max_650x650/public/freeman/media-401503.jpg?itok=CXpJaziw)
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: VIII Fighter Command 78th Fighter Group 83rd Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12052505 / O-793551
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
Mission
Revisions
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 / 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)