![A P-47 Thunderbolt (VM-A, serial number 41-6530) of the 495th Fighter Training Group. Image by Robert Astrella. Written on slide casing: '496 FTG [sic], Atcham.'](https://www.americanairmuseum.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/freeman/media-395731.jpg?itok=PSaQqEFw)
![2nd Lt John Woods [O-795010] 551st FTS, 495FTG, 8th AF, killed in flying accident [KIFA, DNB] when Spitfire AD564 stalled and nosed in at Atcham/Sta 342, England. 26-5-43.
Pictured here, possibly at Napier Field, Dothan, AL, USA, where he was awarded his wings and commissioned Dec 42.](https://www.americanairmuseum.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/media/media-17344.jpeg?itok=SNiCsagh)
6th Fighter Wing
Wing
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Atcham
Military site : airfield
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Aerial photograph of Atcham airfield, looking north west, the fuel store is in the upper centre of the image, 9 September 1944. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7GR/LOC416. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).
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![A P-47 Thunderbolt (VM-A, serial number 41-6530) of the 495th Fighter Training Group. Image by Robert Astrella. Written on slide casing: '496 FTG [sic], Atcham.'](https://www.americanairmuseum.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/freeman/media-395731.jpg?itok=61Jzu4M9)
A P-47 Thunderbolt (VM-A, serial number 41-6530) of the 495th Fighter Training Group. Image by Robert Astrella. Written on slide casing: '496 FTG [sic], Atcham.'
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Aerial photograph of the south end of Atcham airfield, looking north west, the control tower and technical site - with T2 hangars- are left of where the runways cross, 9 September 1944. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7GR/LOC416. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).
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Aerial photograph of the west end of Atcham airfield, looking north west, the control tower and technical site -with T2 hangars- are left of the runway intersection, 9 September 1944. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7GR/LOC416. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).
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Aerial photograph of the north end of Atcham airfield, looking north east, the fuel store is in the upper left of the image, 9 September 1944. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7GR/LOC416. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).
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Aerial photograph of the south west of Atcham airfield, looking south east, the control tower and technical site- with T2 hangars- is to the right, 9 September 1944. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7GR/LOC416. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).
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Aerial photograph of the east end of Atcham airfield, looking north east, 9 September 1944. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7GR/LOC416. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).
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![2nd Lt John Woods [O-795010] 551st FTS, 495FTG, 8th AF, killed in flying accident [KIFA, DNB] when Spitfire AD564 stalled and nosed in at Atcham/Sta 342, England. 26-5-43.
Pictured here, possibly at Napier Field, Dothan, AL, USA, where he was awarded his wings and commissioned Dec 42.](https://www.americanairmuseum.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/media/media-17344.jpeg?itok=q06_M9S3)
2nd Lt John Woods [O-795010] 551st FTS, 495FTG, 8th AF, killed in flying accident [KIFA, DNB] when Spitfire AD564 stalled and nosed in at Atcham/Sta 342, England. 26-5-43. Pictured here, possibly at Napier Field, Dothan, AL, USA, where he was awarded his wings and commissioned Dec 42.
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Fl Lt Hubert Layton Stewart 334th FS, 4th FG, 8AF USAAF, formerly of 71 and 121 Eagle Sqn's RAF in the cockpit of his Spitfire.
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Crashed P-47 Thunderbolt code VM-J 41-6237 of the 551st FTS, 495th FTG.
Atcham, at some remove from other American Air Force bases in Shropshire, was used by USAAF to train pilots from June 1942, several months before the American Eagle Squadrons were combined to form the 4th Fighter Group. Pilots here were mainly trained to fly P-47 Thunderbolts although a few also learnt to fly P-38 Lightnings. Atcham continued to see use as a training base until it was returned to the RAF in March 1945.
Service
Units
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333rd Service Group
Group
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42nd Service Group
Group
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495th Fighter Training Group
Group
The 495th Fighter Training Group, which operated in England from December 1943, trained P-47 Thunderbolt pilots. These pilots, who had received the basic training in the USA would be assigned to a training group to practise ETO operational procedures... -
14th Fighter Group
Group
The 14th Fighter Group (USAAF) was a P-38 Lightning Group that fought in Tunisia and the Italian campaign, as well as providing bomber escorts for attacks across southern Europe. ... -
31st Fighter Group
Group
The 31st Fighter Group only flew missions from England between June and September 1942 but during this period they supported the Dieppe raid, the assault on occupied Europe, predominantly by the Canadian army. The attack was forced into early retreat... -
18th Weather Squadron
Squadron
Browse 18th Weather Squadron photographs and other documents in the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library digital archive here: www.2ndair.org.uk/digitalarchive/Dashboard/Index/60 -
356th Service Squadron
Squadron
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551st Fighter Training Squadron
Squadron
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552nd Fighter Training Squadron
Squadron
People
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Luther Abel
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 495th Fighter Training Group
Assigned to 84FS, 78FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 552FTS, 495FTG 8AF USAAF as instructor. P-47C 41-6234 lost engine on local training flight on 9 Jan 1944. A/C broke out of undercast too low and crashed into a plowed field near Loughborough,... -
William Aggers
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 495th Fighter Training Group
Assigned to 61FS, 56FG, 8AF USAAF. Baled out during navigation mission when visual contact with leader was lost in overcast in P-47 41-6401 31-Dec-43. Returned to Duty RTD. Transferred to 495FTG 8AF USAAF. Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME. -
Robert Alexander
Military | Flight Officer | Fighter Pilot | 356th Fighter Group
Assigned to 495FTG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 361FS, 356FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 3rd Gunnery & Tow Target Flight. Transferred to 368FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. Ended Tour of Duty (ETD). Awards: AM (OLC), PH, WWII Victory, EAME. -
Fred Allison
Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 352nd Fighter Group
Assigned to 487FS, 352FG, 8AF USAAF. 118 combat missions flown from mid 1943 to Oct-44. Credited 9 aerial kills. Transferred to 496FTG. Completed Tour of Duty (ETD). ... -
William Anderson
Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 479th Fighter Group
Assigned to 555FTS, 496FTG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 436FS, 479FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 435FS, 479FG, 8AF USAAF. End of War (EOW). Awards: DFC, AM (9OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (2 x Battle Stars). -
Andre Andreu
Military | Flight Officer | Fighter Pilot | 495th Fighter Training Group
Assigned to 334FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 495FTG, 8AF USAAF. Awards: WWII Victory, EAME. -
John Aranyos
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 495th Fighter Training Group
Assigned to 63FS, 56FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 495FTG, 8AF USAAF. Awards: DFC, AM (2OLC), WWII Victory, EAME. -
Sherman Armsby
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 361st Fighter Group
Assigned to 495FTG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 375FS, 361FG, 8AF USAAF. Credited with 5.5 destroyed, 2 damaged. Destroyed 3 x Bf109's on a single mission dated 20-Jul-44. Brought down strafing rail carriages, ammunition carriage exploded as he flew over... -
Richard Atckison
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 14th Fighter Group
Assigned to 37FS, 14FG, 12AF USAAF. Transferred to 338FS, 55FG, 8AF USAAF. ... -
Robert Barnhart
Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 356th Fighter Group
August 1944-April 1945; P-5l PIá? /Margie Darling/ ...
Aircraft
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41-6538 WELA KAHAO!, Flak Bait
P-47 Thunderbolt
This aircraft was the mount of Captains Walter J. Hollander and Stanley M. M. Anderson of the 334th fighter Squadron whilst it was with the 4th Fighter Group. ... -
EN784
Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire EN784 Mk Vb, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory. ... -
42-8442
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 551FTS, 495FTG, 8AF USAAF. W/W Hack for 61FS, 56FG, 8AF USAAF. Formation monitor for the 91st Bomb Group at Bassingbourn. -
41-6195
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 334FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 551st Fighter Training Squadron 495th Fighter Training Group 8AF USAAF. During formation immelman manoeuvre, aborted manoeuvre and in recovery A/C stalled and 'flicked' into a spin. Pilot baled out from... -
42-7936 "Pistol Packin Mama"
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. One-time personal aircraft of (then) Lt. Fonzo "Snuffy" D. Smith. Transferred to 551FTS, 495FTG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 493FS, 48FG, 9AF USAAF. -
BL722 'Sondra Lee IX'
Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire BL722 Mk Vb, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory. ... -
41-6217
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47C Thunderbolt initially with 82FS, 78FG, 8AF transferred to 551FTS, 495FTG, 8AF. ... -
41-6585
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to the 351FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. On 7-Sep-43 the aircraft, piloted by 1LT Vernon A. Leatherman, made a crash landing at Westleton, Suffolk, UK when it ran out of gas returning from an mission escorting B-17s in the attack on the German airfield... -
AD564
Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire AD564 Mk Vb, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory. ... -
AD511
Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire AD511 Mk Vb, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory. ...
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
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| 27 September 2014 18:02:16 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Barry Anderson, Army Air Forces Stations (Alabama, 1985) / Roger Freeman, Airfields of the Eighth Then And Now (London, 1978) |
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