1st Fighter Group
Group
P-38J-15-LO #43-28650 Code: #5
1st FG - 27th FS - 15th AF Roger Freeman Collection
Object Number - FRE 7564 - A P-38 Lightning (serial number 43-28650) of the 1st Fighter Group, 15th Air Force. Written on slide casing: '27 FS, 1 FG.' P-38J-15-LO #43-28650...
The 1st Fighter Group were initially deployed to Britain in the summer of 1942 as part of Operation Bolero. After shuttling through a number of different bases in the UK, the Group was reassigned to the Twelfth Air Force in September 1942 and supported the Allied invasion of North-West Africa as part of Operation Torch. After the fall of Tunis in May 1943, the Group escorted bombers in missions over Sicily and Italy and in the summer of 1944 supported the invasion of southern France (Operation Dragoon).
Commanding Officers
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 1st Fighter Group
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Role/Job: Commanding Officer, 1st
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 1st Fighter Group
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Commanding Officer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: Australian
- Unit: 1st Fighter Group
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Commanding Officer, 1st
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Unit stations
| Station | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
|
Based HQ and 71st FS Based |
Goxhill | 10 June 1942 - 24 August 1942 |
|
Based 94th FS Based |
Kirton-in-Lindsey | 10 June 1942 - 24 August 1942 |
|
Based HQ, 71st FS and 94th FS Based |
Ibsley | 24 August 1942 - 14 November 1942 |
|
Based 27th FS Based |
High Ercall | 27 August 1942 - 15 September 1942 |
|
Based 27th FS Based |
Colerne | 15 September 1942 - 6 November 1942 |
|
Based |
Nouvion | 20 November 1942 - 14 December 1942 |
|
Based |
Mateur | 29 June 1943 - 31 October 1943 |
|
Based |
Gioia del Colle | 8 December 1943 - 8 January 1944 |
|
Based |
Salsola | 8 January 1944 - 8 January 1945 |
|
Based |
Vincenzo | 8 January 1945 - 21 February 1945 |
|
Based |
Salsola | 21 February 1945 |
|
Based |
Chateaudun-du-Rhumel | 29 June 1943 |
|
Other Assigned 8th Air Force |
||
|
Other Assigned 12th Air Force |
||
|
Other Assigned 15th Air Force |
Encompassing
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 1st Fighter Group 27th Fighter Squadron 84th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-728967
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Fighter pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 1st Fighter Group
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Commanding Officer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 1st Fighter Group 27th Fighter Squadron
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Fighter Pilot 1056 twin engine
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 1st Fighter Group 20th Fighter Group 79th Fighter Squadron 94th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-431223
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Fighter Pilot / Squadron Commander
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 1st Fighter Group 94th Fighter Squadron
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Fighter Pilot/Bomber Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
- Nicknames: Bat Out Of Hell
- Unit: 1st Fighter Group 94th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
- Nicknames: Dear John
- Unit: 1st Fighter Group 27th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
- Unit: 71st Fighter Wing 1st Fighter Group
![A P-38 Lightning (serial number 41-7580) of the 1st Fighter Group. Image stamped on reverse: 'London News Agency.' [stamp]. A printed caption was previously attached to the reverse, however this has been removed. Handwritten caption on the reverse: '29-7-42, Via PNA, A21019.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-456763.jpg.webp?itok=vRRJ3mW3)
- Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
- Unit: 1st Fighter Group
- Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
- Unit: 1st Fighter Group 94th Fighter Squadron
Mission
- Date: 9 October 1942
- Date: 2 October 1942
- Date: 26 September 1942
- Date: 17 September 1942
- Date: 16 September 1942
Revisions
Unit associations and unit ‘BASED’ locations and dates added from “The Mighty Eighth- A History of the U.S. Army Air Force”, Roger A. Freeman
Unit ‘BASED’ locations and dates added from “The Mighty Eighth- A History of the U.S. Army Air Force”, Roger A. Freeman
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / The Mighty Eighth. A History of the Units, Men and Machines of the US 8th Air Force.' by Roger A. Freeman (1989). 'Air Force Combat Units of World War II' compiled by the Department of the US Air Force, edited by Maurice Maurer (1983).
![P-38 Lightnings, including (serial number 41-7631) of the 1st Fighter Group at Goxhill. Image stamped on reverse: 'Not to be published 20 Jul 1942.' [stamp] and '213031.' [censor no]. Printed caption on the reverse is damaged and is illegible.](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-456762.jpg.webp?itok=pYkOSGk2)
![Colonel B S Kelsey, Colonel JK Gerhart, Major J O Zahn, Major CS Hough and Colonel N Stone of the 1st Fighter Group. Image stamped on reverse: 'Daily Sketch.' [stamp], 'Not to be published 30 Jun 1942.' [stamp]. Printed caption on reverse: 'FIRST FIGHTER GROUP USA FLYING THE LOCKHEED P-38 LIGHTING. American Fighter-bombers are arriving in this country in ever increasing numbers for America's Air War on Germany. The P-38 Lightning is a double-fuselage fighter-bomber, the wtwo bodies give plenty of carrying](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-456797.jpg.webp?itok=7L-GcLpA)
