Bushey Hall

Military site
Commanding officers of Fighter Groups of the 8th Air Force, 1944. Printed caption on reverse: 'FORMAL PORTRAIT: They are, left to right, front row: Hub Zemke, 479th Grp, Roy Caviness, 361st Grp, Dave Schilling, 56th Grp, Everett Stewart, 355th Grp, Ben Rimermann, 353rd Grp, John Henry, 339th Grp, GT Crowell, Unk. REAR: James Maydon, 352nd Grp, WH Swanson, Unk, Joe McManus, 364th Grp, Calirborn Kinnard, 4th Grp, Philip Tukey, 356th Grp. Fred Gray, 78th Grp, Don Graham, 357th Grp. Date is unknown but it has media-456986.jpg FRE 10014 Commanding officers of Fighter Groups of the 8th Air Force, 1944.
Printed caption on reverse: 'FORMAL PORTRAIT: They are, left to right, front row:
Hub Zemke, 479th Grp,
Roy Caviness, 361st Grp,
Dave Schilling, 56th Grp,
Everett Stewart, 355th Grp,
Ben Rimerman, 353rd Grp,
John Henry, 339th Grp,
Tod Crowell, 55th Grp.

REAR:
James Mayden, 352nd Grp,
WH Swanson, Unk,
Joe McManus, 364th Grp,
Claiborne Kinnard, 4th Grp,
Philip Tukey, 356th Grp.
Fred Gray, 78th Grp,
Don Graham, 357th Grp.
Date is unknown but it has to be from late August 1944 no later than 30 oct when Hub [Zemke] became a POW. On 12 Aug, Hub went to 479th and Dave Schilling took over 56th. Don Graham gave up 357th on 10 Oct, so it has to be before that. Missing are COs from 20th (Col Harold Rau, and 359th, Colonels Jacon or Randolph.) Now, one would guess that they were not available and maybe their deputy comdr sat in for them, whic would mean Swanson or Crowell. However, neither man is on the 30th Grp rosters (I have complete one) and I cannot find either name anywhere in the records. So that will remains a mystery for now. I have not used any ranks, but all would be Lt Col or Colonel. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do trying to solve these 50 plus year old mysteries!! PS Forgot to mention, I do not know location. I have a note that it might have been Bottisham, but I don't know where I got that.'

Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Bushey Hall Library.' Roger Freeman Collection

55th FG Records

Object Number - FRE 10014 - Commanding officers of Fighter Groups of the 8th Air Force, 1944. Printed caption on reverse: 'FORMAL PORTRAIT: They are, left to right, front row:...

Requisitioned in 1942 and handed over to the Eighth Air Force later that year; USAAF used it as the Headquarters VIIIth Fighter Command due to its proximity to RAF Fighter Command headquarters at Bentley Priory. After the Berlin Airlift (1948-49) it was returned to the owners Spiers and Pond who soon sold it off. Now the site of a hotel and golf club.



The house and a small parcel of land was bought by the War Department and subsequently used by the US during the Cold War; the house itself was demolished to ground level in 1955.



Not to be confused with Bushy Park, Teddington, London.

Connections

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People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 334th Fighter Squadron No 71 'Eagle' Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-?
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 334th Fighter Squadron No 71 'Eagle' Squadron No 121 'Eagle' Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-885115
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Squadron Commander
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: Headquarters (Eighth Air Force)
  • Role/Job: Chief Mail Clerk

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: Spitfire
  • Unit: 67th Observation Group 109th Observation Squadron Headquarters (VIII Fighter Command) 1st Gunnery & Tow Target Flight
  • Aircraft Type: Spitfire
  • Unit: VIII Fighter Command 350th Fighter Group 495th Fighter Training Group 67th Observation Group Headquarters Squadron (495th Bomb Group) 109th Observation Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: Lysander
  • Unit: Headquarters Squadron (8th Air Force) Headquarters (Eighth Air Force)

Revisions

Date
ContributorSavvyGA
Changes
Sources

Amended title of VIIIth Fighter Command (to include Roman numeral designation of USAAF command-level organisations).

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Barry Anderson, Army Air Forces Stations (Alabama, 1985) / Office of History, Headquarters Third Air Force, United States Air Forces in Europe; Installations and USAAF Combat Units in the United Kingdom 1942-1945, Revised and Expanded Edition (February1967, Revised October 1980).
http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1416014&sort=4&search=all&cā€¦ hall&rational=q&recordsperpage=10
http://www.fortiesexperience.co.uk/busheyhallhistory.html

Bushey Hall: Gallery (6 items)