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366th Fighter Group

Group

  • 366th Fighter Group emblem , WW2

    366th Fighter Group emblem , WW2

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  • 1LT Melvyn R. Paisley Fighter Pilot 366th FG - 390th FS - 9th AF

    1LT Melvyn R. Paisley Fighter Pilot 366th FG - 390th FS - 9th AF

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  • Control Tower at Fritzlar Airfield - Y-86

    Control Tower at Fritzlar Airfield - Y-86

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  • United States Military Academy Yearbook (1942) Though Fergie went by way of Hawaii to come from West Point, Georgia to West Point, New York. He found that going directly to his academics meant less trouble. His spare time he spent sounding his A for the choir or playing his trumpet in the cadet orchestra. His hard work has made him a candidate for the engineers – his good nature and bubbling moods, a candidate for any branch. He'll plod with the infantry.

    United States Military Academy Yearbook (1942) Though Fergie went by way of Hawaii to come from West Point, Georgia to West Point, New York. He found that going directly to his academics meant less trouble. His spare time he spent sounding his A for the choir or playing his trumpet in the cadet orchestra. His hard work has made him a candidate for the engineers – his good nature and bubbling moods, a candidate for any branch. He'll plod with the infantry.

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  • Phillips Abbott Jr. - Since 14 July 2006, a place of Tresson with his name.

    Phillips Abbott Jr. - Since 14 July 2006, a place of Tresson with his name.

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  • William Fincher, Memphis, TN American Pilot

    William Fincher, Memphis, TN American Pilot

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  • Capt. Eber E. Simpson

    Capt. Eber E. Simpson

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  • United States Military Academy West Point - Howitzer Yearbook (West Point, NY) - Class of 1943 Name: Laurence Ronald MacDonnell Page No': 397

    United States Military Academy West Point - Howitzer Yearbook (West Point, NY) - Class of 1943 Name: Laurence Ronald MacDonnell Page No': 397

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  • Reading High School - Arxalma Yearbook (Reading, PA) - Class of 1940 Page: 63 Homer Schaeffer I matched the names of Homer's parents, and his home address (215 Cedar St.) that appears in the ARXALMA yearbook of 1940, with information that listed in the 1930 U.S. Federal Census.

    Reading High School - Arxalma Yearbook (Reading, PA) - Class of 1940 Page: 63 Homer Schaeffer I matched the names of Homer's parents, and his home address (215 Cedar St.) that appears in the ARXALMA yearbook of 1940, with information that listed in the 1930 U.S. Federal Census.

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  • Olney High School - Trojan Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA) - Class of 1939 Name: Saul Faktorow Page:48

    Olney High School - Trojan Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA) - Class of 1939 Name: Saul Faktorow Page:48

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The Group moved in England over the New Year of 1944, setting up home first at Membury and then at Thruxton. The pilots' first mission was a fighter sweep of the French coast in March 1944 and from then until D-Day that June the ground supported Allied preparations for the invasion of France, taking out German military sites and equipment in northern France. The Group were awarded a DUC for quite a singular action: when supporting infantry in the St. Lo area on 11 July 1944, the pilots discovered a column of enemy tanks as yet unknown to the infantry. Despite coming under intense fire, the Group, as well as striking nearby pillboxes, the intended target of the mission, attacked this column. This put many of the German tanks out of action before they engaged the infantry. The Group carried out armed reconnaissance missions during the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944-January 1945) and escorted bombers during the assult across the Rhine river. The Group's last mission saw them attacking harbors at Kiel and Flensburg on 3 May 1945. The Group remained in Germany after the war and, as part of United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), were part of the occupation force.

Structure

Part of
Encompassing
Previously was
Not yet known
Became
Not yet known

Missions

Stations

Station Location Date
Based Membury 10 January 1944 – 1 March 1944
Based Thruxton 1 March 1944 – 12 June 1944
Based Saint-Pierre-du-Mont 13 June 1944 – 24 August 1944
Based Dreux 24 August 1944 – 8 September 1944
Based Laon /Couvron 8 September 1944 – 19 November 1944
Based Asch 19 November 1944 – 11 April 1945
Based Handorf 11 April 1945 – 25 June 1945

Connections

People

  • James Aageberg

    Military | Captain | Pilot | 366th Fighter Group
    Killed in Action on 21 January 1945 in P-47 Thunderbolt 44-20424. ...

  • Quentin Aanenson

    Military | Captain | Fighter pilot | 366th Fighter Group
    Quentin Aanenson served as a pilot with the 391st Fighter Squadron of the 366th Fighter Group, flying 75 missions in Europe. ...

  • Phillips Abbott

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 366th Fighter Group
    2nd Lt Phillips Abbott Jr., pilot of the P-47 Thunderbolt 42-75412, took off from A-1 at St-Pierre-du-Mont on a mission over Tours. He was flying in the no.4 spot in Blue Section. According to 2nd Lt Herbert G. Stewart, Abbott was hit by flak and...

  • Richard Alderman

    Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 366th Fighter Group
    We attacked a column of tanks and trucks along a road near a castle on the edge of Hurtgen Forest and were shot by flak. ...

  • Roy Alldritt

    Military | P-47 thunderbult pilot | 362nd Fighter Group
    ROY J. ALLDRITT, Bozeman, Montana, enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1940. After a few months of flight line experience helping crew B.18's and B.17's he attended a six months aircraft maintenance training school at Chanute Field, Ill. After...

  • James Ayers

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 366th Fighter Group
    Killed in action.

  • Paul Bade

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Fighter pilot | 366th Fighter Group

  • Rufus Barkley

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 366th Fighter Group
    Lt. Barkley was the pilot of a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and was K.I.A. on 17 November 1944, while on a mission over Deuren, Germany. His ability as a fighter pilot, though, was judged to be superior by his commanding officer.

  • Andrew Calhoun

    Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 366th Fighter Group

  • Charles Carter

    Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter pilot | 366th Fighter Group
    KIA June 13 1944 at St Gabriel France after his P-47D was hit with Anti Aircraft Fire then crashed and exploded. Claimed 2.0 aerial victories.

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Aircraft

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Citations

None

Air Force
9th
Type
Combat
Type category
Fighter
Nicknames

"Hun Hunters"

Motto
Audentes Fortuna Juvat (Fortune Favors the Brave)
Insignia
The original insignia was a yellow lightning bolt set on a bifercated gold/blue background surrounded by a black border set within an arrowhead outline..

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
15 July 2020 13:32:31 Paul Jacob Changes to insignia
Sources

Insignia source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:366th_Fighter_Group_(United_States_Army_Air_Forces)
Date Contributor Update
01 February 2017 13:57:55 general ira snapsorter Changes to type and stations
Sources

Station added with details from:
- "Battle Colors Volume III - Insignia and Tactical Markings of the Ninth Air Force in World War Two' by Robert A. Watkins;
- http://www.ixengineercommand.com/airfields/physical.php
Date Contributor Update
06 July 2016 17:26:06 Lucy May Changes to stations
Sources

http://www.366fightergroupassoc.org/History-WWII.htm
Date Contributor Update
05 June 2016 19:50:47 Paul Jacob Changes to type, motto and insignia
Sources

The patch worn by members of the 366th Fighter Group during WWII is displayed on the 366th Fighter Association web site http://www.366fighterassociation.net/366th-command-patches.html The Association, initially named "366th Fighter Group Association" was formed by a group of WWII veterans of the 366th. The Association was renamed 366th Fighter Association, in 2012, to reflect the fact that membership now includes veterans from the initial Army Air Corps 366th Fighter Group and descendant organizations up to and including the current 366th Fighter Wing based at Mt Home AFB..
Date Contributor Update
08 April 2015 23:42:12 EMBLEMHUNTER Changes to mission associations and media associations
Sources

found online
Date Contributor Update
08 April 2015 23:39:04 EMBLEMHUNTER Changes to mission associations
Sources

Found online
Date Contributor Update
16 January 2015 20:16:37 Gilad_Bashan Changes to nicknames and mission associations
Sources

Gilad Bashan
Date Contributor Update
06 December 2014 22:21:27 Gilad_Bashan Changes to mission associations and media associations
Sources

Gilad Bashan
Date Contributor Update
06 December 2014 21:44:10 Gilad_Bashan Changes to mission associations and media associations
Sources

Gilad Bashan
Date Contributor Update
06 December 2014 16:51:13 Gilad_Bashan Changes to mission associations and media associations
Sources

Gilad Bashan
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:42:45 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / 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). / 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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