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409th Bomb Squadron

Squadron

  • The insignia of the 409th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group.

    The insignia of the 409th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group.

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  • 409th

    409th

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  • Official USSAF photo. Original caption : Left to right : 1st Lt. Frank R. Hodges, Kosciusko, Miss.; 1st Lt. William E. Keefer, Torrance, Calif.; 1st Lt. Harold K. Kendall, Chariton, Iowa; 1st Lt. Earl C. Kent, Keene, Calif. And 1st Lt. Leland J. Rath, Almond, Wis., all of whom received Air Medals.” [ Awards ceremony in North Africa – photo sent on 3 March 1943 through Evaluation Unit, AAF from 9th Combat Camera Unit, Cairo, Egypt. Lieutenants Hodges, Keefer, Kendall, Kent and Rath were all members of the 93rd Bomb Group. ]

    Official USSAF photo. Original caption : Left to right : 1st Lt. Frank R. Hodges, Kosciusko, Miss.; 1st Lt. William E. Keefer, Torrance, Calif.; 1st Lt. Harold K. Kendall, Chariton, Iowa; 1st Lt. Earl C. Kent, Keene, Calif. And 1st Lt. Leland J. Rath, Almond, Wis., all of whom received Air Medals.” [ Awards ceremony in North Africa – photo sent on 3 March 1943 through Evaluation Unit, AAF from 9th Combat Camera Unit, Cairo, Egypt. Lieutenants Hodges, Keefer, Kendall, Kent and Rath were all members of the 93rd Bomb Group. ]

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  • Lt Harold K. Kendall

    Lt Harold K. Kendall

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  • T/Sgt Louis B. Kirkpatrick - March 1943 Egypt - Awards ceremony

    T/Sgt Louis B. Kirkpatrick - March 1943 Egypt - Awards ceremony

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  • Lt Jacob (Jake) B. Epting Jr ( photo from http://www.ploesti.com/Kuroki%20Book%202-10.pdf )

    Lt Jacob (Jake) B. Epting Jr ( photo from http://www.ploesti.com/Kuroki%20Book%202-10.pdf )

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  • Original USAAF photo caption : “23096 AC – Left to right : Capt. Edwin C. Baker, Pasadena, Calif., Capt. Philip R. Ziegler, Seattle, Wash., 1st Lt. Jacob B. Epting, Tupelo, Miss., 1st Lt Frank R. Hodges, Kosciusko, Miss.” (Awards ceremony in Egypt – photo sent on 3 March 1943 by Lt. Tom Prideaux, from 9th Combat Camera Unit, Cairo, Egypt.) NOTE : Captain Baker, Lt Upting and Lt Hodges were members of the 93rd Bomb Group / 409th Bomb Squadron.

    Original USAAF photo caption : “23096 AC – Left to right : Capt. Edwin C. Baker, Pasadena, Calif., Capt. Philip R. Ziegler, Seattle, Wash., 1st Lt. Jacob B. Epting, Tupelo, Miss., 1st Lt Frank R. Hodges, Kosciusko, Miss.” (Awards ceremony in Egypt – photo sent on 3 March 1943 by Lt. Tom Prideaux, from 9th Combat Camera Unit, Cairo, Egypt.) NOTE : Captain Baker, Lt Upting and Lt Hodges were members of the 93rd Bomb Group / 409th Bomb Squadron.

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  • The B-24-D-5-CO - 41-23754, named, Teggie Ann, later, Little Lady, was in the 8th Air Force, the 93rd Bomb Group, and the 409th Bomb Squadron, TDY to the 9th Air Force. It was too damaged over Ploesti by anti aircraft flak hits to make it to home base in Libya on Operation Tidal Wave. The pilots crash landed the heavily damaged airplane successfully in Turkey. The crew was interned by the Turks. 10 INT-Turkey. 1 Aug, 1943.

    The B-24-D-5-CO - 41-23754, named, Teggie Ann, later, Little Lady, was in the 8th Air Force, the 93rd Bomb Group, and the 409th Bomb Squadron, TDY to the 9th Air Force. It was too damaged over Ploesti by anti aircraft flak hits to make it to home base in Libya on Operation Tidal Wave. The pilots crash landed the heavily damaged airplane successfully in Turkey. The crew was interned by the Turks. 10 INT-Turkey. 1 Aug, 1943.

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  • Second from left is Murray Fant

    Second from left is Murray Fant

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US Air Force Combat Units of World War II Description

Constituted 19th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 1 Mar 1942. Redesignated 409th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 22 Apr 1942. Inactivated on 6 Jul 1945. Redesignated 409th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 5 Aug 1945. Activated on 20 Aug 1945. Inactivated on 1 Oct 1946

Commanding officers

  • William Musselwhite

    Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot | 93rd Bomb Group
    William Musselwhite served as a pilot with the 97th Bomb Group out of Grafton Underwood. He flew in the first all-American raid on Europe on 17 August 1942.

Structure

Part of
  • 93rd Bomb Group

    93rd Bomb Group

    Group
    The 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 1 Mar 42 at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. On 15 May 42. the Group moved to Ft. Myers, Florida, to continue advanced flight training and also to fly antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico. They...

Encompassing
Not yet known
Previously was
Not yet known
Became
Not yet known

Missions

  • 548

    13 August 1944
    We led the entire Division in a tactical mission. The target: Roads to Paris. Colonel McKnight flew Pilot; Lt Houser was Co-Pilot. Results of bombing A1.

Stations

Station Location Date
Based Alconbury 7 September 1942
Based Hardwick 6 December 1942 – 15 June 1945
Based Tafaraoui 7 December 1942 – 15 December 1942
Based RAF Gambut 16 December 1942 – 25 February 1943
Based Oudna 18 September 1943 – 3 October 1943

Connections

People

  • Thomas Adams

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
    Crew member of B-24 Liberator 41-23810 'Tarfu', flew on 1-Aug-43 Ploesti raid, returning safely to Libya. ...

  • Richard Adkins

    Military | Captain | Pilot | 93rd Bomb Group
    28 missions: 1943 - Sept 9 St. Omer; Oct 9 Danzig; 18 Diversion; Nov 3 Wilhelmshaven; 5 Munster; Dec 24 Hesdin; 31 Cognac; 1944 - Jan 29 Frankfurt; 30 Brunswick; Feb 13 Siracourt; 20 Gotha; 22 Gotha; 28 Buchy; Mar 5 Bergerac; 6 Berlin; 8 Berlin; 11...

  • Frank Ahman

    Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Waist Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group

  • Robert Allison

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 93rd Bomb Group
    Abandoned the mission to the a/c factory at Gotha, GR due to a fuel leak and crashed in the woods at Bad Kissinger District, Bavaria, GR on 24 Feb 1944 in B-24J #42-100236. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • James Altizer II

    Military | Staff Sergeant | B-24 Waist Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
    James H. Altizer ...

  • James Alttizer

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
    8/1/43 on TDY to 9th AF, was interned in Turkey on Ploesti raid in B24 42-40754 'Little Lady'

  • Robert Andrino

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 93rd Bomb Group
    Killed in Action (KIA) Crashed near Alencon in B-24 The Flying Fol #4294991

  • Louie Angevine

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
    Flew on 1 Aug 43 raid on Ploesti this was his 42nd mission.

  • Albert Austin

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 93rd Bomb Group
    Crew baled out for unknown reasons on mission to Chateaudun, FR on 5 Feb 1944 in B-24H #42-28626 'Thunderbird'. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Kenneth Bailey

    Military | Nose gunner | 93rd Bomb Group

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Aircraft

  • 41-23732 Liberty Lass

    B-24 Liberator

  • 41-24122 "Missouri Sue"

    B-24 Liberator
    Assigned to 409BS, 93BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Over Water (OW). Shot down 16 April 1943 in B-24 41-24122 'Missouri Sue. ' An Fw190A-5 from JG 2/8, flown by Obfw. Josef Bigge, badly damaged the plane, shooting off part of the tail. Plane...

  • 41-24298 - Queenie

    B-24 Liberator
    The B-24D, 41-24298, named, Queenie, was temporarily detached (TDY) from the 8th Air Force from the U.K. to the 9th Air Force in Benghazi, Libya, to assist in Operation Tidal Wave, the large bombing mission to destroy the oil refineries at Ploesti,...

  • 41-28626 'Thunderbird'

    B-24 Liberator
    Assigned 409BS, 93BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Chateaudun A/C left formation and went into controlled dive, reason unknown. Crew baled out before it exploded on the ground. 5-Feb-44. 10 x POW. MACR 2925.

  • 42-100248 Bar Fly

    B-24 Liberator

  • 42-100334 Patches/Old Patches

    B-24 Liberator

  • 42-100336 'Return Engagement'

    B-24 Liberator

  • 42-100345

    B-24 Liberator

  • 42-100416 Baggie Maggie

    B-24 Liberator

  • 42-109815

    B-24 Liberator

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Citations

Distinguished Unit Citations: North Africa, 17 Dec 1942-20 , Feb 1943; Ploesti, Rumania, 1 Aug 1943.

Air Force
8th
Type
Combat
Type category
Bombardment
Nicknames
Not yet known
Motto
Not yet known
Insignia
On a yellow disc, a caricatured panda bear, emitting three drops of perspiration proper and running with a large white aerial bomb, trimmed black, grasped under left forepaw, point to dexter chief (Approved 16 Feb 1943)

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
17 February 2022 09:18:01 Emily Changes to insignia, us air force combat units of world war ii description, citations and stations
Sources

Combat Squadrons of the Air Force
Date Contributor Update
26 March 2015 03:12:44 L2M2 Changes to commanding officers associations
Sources

William B Musselwhite Commanding Officer 10/15/42 thru 3/13/42.
http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=10618
Date Contributor Update
13 March 2015 16:23:07 rossingtonj Changes to type
Sources

Type added.
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:42:49 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

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)

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