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Wing
Squadron Leader Boles?aw "Mike" G?adych of the Polish Air Force (attached to the 61st Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group) being awarded an American medal by Brigadier-General Jesse Auton, the Commander of the 65th Fighter Wing of the Eighth Air Force.
Squadron Leader Boles?aw "Mike" G?adych of the Polish Air Force (attached to the 61st Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group) being awarded an American medal by Brigadier-General Jesse Auton, the Commander of the 65th Fighter Wing of the Eighth Air Force.
The operations room of the 65th Fighter Wing at Saffron-Walden. Printed caption on reverse: '60493 AC- Plotting table in the operations room of the 65th Fighter Wing, Saffron-Walden, Essex, England. US Air Force photo.'
Montie Weaver
My father, Sherwood "Joe" Burnett, in Saffron Walden in 1944. At the time he was a Major and weather officer with the 65th Fighter Wing at Debden, Essex. Later, he became a staff weather officer with the 4th Fighter Group. On July 4, 1945, he and my mother, Janet Frances Palmer, were married at the base.
![Lt later Capt Frank R Boyles. 121 [Eagle] Sqn RAF later 335th FS, 4th FG, 8AF,](https://www.americanairmuseum.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/media/media-18281.jpeg?itok=x5QGh3l1)
Lt later Capt Frank R Boyles. 121 [Eagle] Sqn RAF later 335th FS, 4th FG, 8AF,
In the foreground, the Republic P-47D-5-RE "Thunderbolt" 42-8496 named "Galloping Catastrophe" coded 5F-X. In the background, the Republic P-47D-11-RE Thunderbolt 42-75528 named "Diane III" coded 5F-H.
Brig Gen Jesse Auton of the 65th Fighter Wing at the celebration of the freedom of Saffron-Walden Essex England. NARA Ref 342-FH-3A07854-A60475AC.
Brig Gen Jesse Auton of the 65th Fighter Wing at the celebration of the freedom of Saffron-Walden Essex England. NARA Ref 342-FH-3A07853-60475AC.
Brig Gen Jesse Auton of the 65th Fighter Wing at the celebration of the freedom of Saffron-Walden Essex England. NARA Ref 342-FH-3A07853-60475AC.
Browse 65th Fighter Wing photographs and other documents in the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library digital archive here: www.2ndair.org.uk/digitalarchive/Dashboard/Index/51
Constituted as 4th Air Defense Wing on 25 Mar 1943 and activated on 27 Mar Moved to England, May-Jun 1943, for duty with Eighth AF. Redesignated 65th Fighter Wing in Jul 1943. Served in combat in the European theater from Jul 1943 to late in Apr 1945. Inactivated in England on 21 Nov 1945.
Military | Brigadier General | Commanding General
Deployed to ETO with 65th Fighter Wing, 8AF USAAF. 12 combat missions. Killed in a plane crash at Offutt AFB, Omaha, 30-Mar-52, while returning on a flight from California.
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Command
Command
VIII Fighter Command was established as VIII Interceptor Command at Selfridge Field on 2 February 1942.
Division
In December 1944, the 2nd Bomb Division was redesginated the 2nd Air Division.
Group
The 78th Fighter Group was initially based at Goxhill but moved to Duxford in April 1943 and stayed there until October 1945. The 78th FG flew each of the three US built principal fighters of the AAF in the ETO. In their Thundetbolts, the 78th FG ...
Group
Where the 353rd Fighter Group had pioneered ground strafing techniques, it was the 355th Fighter Group who destroyed more enemy aircraft by ground strafing than any other Eighth Air Force Group. Based at Steeple Morden from July 1943 to July 1945, the...
Group
The 356th Fighter Group flew 413 missions between 15 October 1943 and 7 May 1945 and suffered the highest ratio of losses to enemy aircraft claims of any Eighth Air Force Group. This gave the Group the reputation of being the 'hard luck' outfit. The...
Group
The 361st Fighter Group was the last P-47 Thunderbolt Group to join the Eighth Air Force. Between 21 January 1944 and 20 April 1945, the Group flew 441 missions, the majority in an escort role in support of bombers flying over occupied Europe. The...
Group
Group
The 479th was the last Fighter Group to join the Eighth Air Force, which they did on 14 May 1944. Known as "Riddle's Raiders", after their first Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Kyle L. Riddle, the Group flew escort and fighter sweep missions before D-Day....
Group
Some of the pilots of the 4th Fighter Group had seen many hours of combat by the time they joined the 4th Fighter Group as they had volunteered with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Air Force. The three 'Eagle Squadrons' of RAF Fighter...
Group
Flying P-47 Thunderbolts throughout their time stationed in England, the Group, known as "the Wolfpack", had more ace pilots than any other Eighth Air Force Fighter Group. The 56th Fighter Group also destroyed more enemy aircraft in air combat than any...
Squadron
Squadron
| Station | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Based | Debden | 4 June 1943 |
| Based | Saffron Walden | 17 June 1943 |
| Established | Elveden Hall | 1 September 1945 |
| Based | Troston | 21 October 1945 – 21 November 1945 |
Military | Brigadier General | Fighter Pilot | 56th Fighter Group
Assigned to 63FS, 56FG, 8AF USAAF. 101 x combat missions. Transferred after promotion to HQ Sqn 65th Fighter Wing.
Awards: DFC (2OLC), AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (3 x Battle Stars).
Military | Brigadier General | Commanding General | 4th Fighter Group
Assigned to HQ Sqn, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Commanding Officer, from 27 September 1942 to 20 August 1943.
...
Military
Military | Brigadier General | Commanding General
Deployed to ETO with 65th Fighter Wing, 8AF USAAF. 12 combat missions. Killed in a plane crash at Offutt AFB, Omaha, 30-Mar-52, while returning on a flight from California.
...
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter pilot | 355th Fighter Group
Assigned to 354FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to HQ Sqn, 65FW, 8AF USAAF. Completed Tour of Duty (ETD).
Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Sergeant | Cryptographer
EAME w/ 4 battle stars
Military | Captain | Pilot
Joined RAFVR, service pilot training in US, shipped overseas to ETO, operational training at OTU, assigned to 121 [Eagle] Sqn RAF, transferred to 335 FS, 4th FG, 8AF USAAF 16-9-42, promoted to 1st Lieutenant 26-10-42, promoted to Captain 1-9-43,...
Military | Major | Weather Officer
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter pilot | 356th Fighter Group
Assigned to 361FS, 356FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to HQ Sqn, 65FW, 8AF USAAF. Ended Tour of Duty (ETD).
Awards: DFC (OLC), AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (1 x Battle Star).
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter pilot | 355th Fighter Group
Assigned to 62FS, 56FG, 8AF USAAF.
Transferred to HQ Sqn, 65FW, 8AF USAAF.
Transferred to 383FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF.
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 376FS, 361FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron, 65 Fighter Wing, 8AF USAAF War Weary. Personal aircraft of 1st Lt Richard R Akard Jr.
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 5th ERS, 65FW, 8AF USAAF. Lost 13-Mar-45. Lt Thomas E Barket killed following mid-air collision with B-24 42-50359 'TARFU' from Seething.
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 83FS, 78FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 63FS, 56FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred War Weary to 65FW.
None
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 05 September 2019 10:08:07 | Emily | Changes to us air force combat units of world war ii description, commanding officers associations and stations |
| Sources | ||
Air Force Combat Units of World War II |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 09 March 2018 15:55:32 | 2nd Air Division Memorial Library | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
2nd Air Division Memorial Library |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:42:44 | 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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