495th Fighter Training Group | American Air Museum in Britain

495th FTG 552nd FTS P-47C 41-6203 DQ-H_ "The Flying Ute" (L) / "Windy" (R). Lt. Lobdell and friend posing for the camera.

Show caption About this image
1-5 of 40
Lieutenant Colonel Hough with a P-38 Lightning of the 495th Fighter Training Group. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 4 Aug 1943.' [stamp] and '277342.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: ' FASTER THAN SOUND PILOT- Associated Press photo shows: Lt. Col. Hough photographed in front of a Lightning aircraft on the nose of which is a picture of his mascot, a skunk.'

Show caption About this image
1-5 of 40
An airman of the 495th Fighter Training Group on the wing of a P-51 Mustang.

Show caption About this image
1-5 of 40
2nd Lt John Woods [O-795010] 551st FTS, 495FTG, 8th AF, killed in flying accident [KIFA, DNB] when Spitfire AD564 stalled and nosed in at Atcham/Sta 342, England. 26-5-43. Pictured here, possibly at Napier Field, Dothan, AL, USA, where he was awarded his wings and commissioned Dec 42.

Show caption About this image
1-5 of 40
Thunderbolt P-47C-2-RE 41-6206 'WD-H' 335th FS, 4th FG, 8th AF. Went on to be transferred to 551st FTS, 495th FTG, 8th AF.

Show caption About this image
1-5 of 40
Three P-38 Lightnings, 42-68184 and two others, of the 495th Fighter Training Group in flight. 1943. 42-68184 a 'Droop Snoot*' was used as a lead bomber for the following formation of P-38's. * The 'Droop Snoot' field conversion entailed the removal of the nose armament and associated equipment to make room for a prone bombardiers position with the installation of a plexiglass nose, a Norden bombsight, side windows and an emergency hatch. The theory was for a formation of P-38's to drop their bombs on the formation lead 'Droop snoots' signal with the precision of the Norden bombsight ensuring the accuracy of the formations bombing. An idea championed by Lt Col Cass Hough and Lt Col Dan Ostrander.

Show caption About this image
1-5 of 40
Close up of Lockheed P-38J Lightning 42-68184 495th Fighter Training Group in flight. 1943. 42-68184 a 'Droop Snoot*' was used as a lead bomber for the following formation of P-38's. * The 'Droop Snoot' field conversion entailed the removal of the nose armament and associated equipment to make room for a prone bombardiers position with the installation of a plexiglass nose, a Norden bombsight, side windows and an emergency hatch. The theory was for a formation of P-38's to drop their bombs on the formation lead 'Droop snoots' signal with the precision of the Norden bombsight ensuring the accuracy of the formations bombing. An idea championed by Lt Col Cass Hough and Lt Col Dan Ostrander.

Show caption About this image
1-5 of 40
2nd Lt James C Shanklin 552FTS, 495th FTG, 8AF USAAF.

Show caption About this image
1-5 of 40
Crashed P-47 Thunderbolt code VM-J 41-6237 of the 551st FTS, 495th FTG.

Show caption About this image
1-5 of 40
495th FTG 552nd FTS P-47C 41-6203 DQ-H_ "The Flying Ute" (L) / "Windy" (R). Seen on the wing is Lt. Warren E "Russell" Lobdell who used this a/c a number of times before being posted to his operational unit (358th FG 366th FS 9th AF). This a/c was previously Capt. Jack D Brown's UN-J with the 56th FG and as can be seen, retained his personal markings.

Show caption About this image
1-5 of 40

The 495th Fighter Training Group, which operated in England from December 1943, trained P-47 Thunderbolt pilots. These pilots, who had received the basic training in the USA would be assigned to a training group to practise ETO operational procedures and gunnery from the UK before being assigned to the Eighth or Ninth Air Forces.

Structure

Part of

VIII Air Force Composite Command

Command
6th Fighter Wing

Wing

Encompassing

551st Fighter Training Squadron

Squadron
552nd Fighter Training Squadron

Squadron
Headquarters (495th Fighter Training Group)

Headquarters

Previously was

Not yet known

Became

Not yet known

Stations

Station	Location	Date
Based	Atcham

Connections

People

Luther Abel

Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 495th Fighter Training Group
Assigned to 84FS, 78FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 552FTS, 495FTG 8AF USAAF as instructor. P-47C 41-6234 lost engine on local training flight on 9 Jan 1944. A/C broke out of undercast too low and crashed into a plowed field near Loughborough,...
William Aggers

Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 495th Fighter Training Group
Assigned to 61FS, 56FG, 8AF USAAF. Baled out during navigation mission when visual contact with leader was lost in overcast in P-47 41-6401 31-Dec-43. Returned to Duty RTD. Transferred to 495FTG 8AF USAAF. Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
Robert Alexander

Military | Flight Officer | Fighter Pilot | 356th Fighter Group
Assigned to 495FTG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 361FS, 356FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 3rd Gunnery & Tow Target Flight. Transferred to 368FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. Ended Tour of Duty (ETD). Awards: AM (OLC), PH, WWII Victory, EAME.
Andre Andreu

Military | Flight Officer | Fighter Pilot | 495th Fighter Training Group
Assigned to 334FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 495FTG, 8AF USAAF. Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
John Aranyos

Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 495th Fighter Training Group
Assigned to 63FS, 56FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 495FTG, 8AF USAAF. Awards: DFC, AM (2OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Sherman Armsby

Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 361st Fighter Group
Assigned to 495FTG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 375FS, 361FG, 8AF USAAF. Credited with 5.5 destroyed, 2 damaged. Destroyed 3 x Bf109's on a single mission dated 20-Jul-44. Brought down strafing rail carriages, ammunition carriage exploded as he flew over...
John Aubin

Military | Staff Sergeant | Military Occupation Specialty 911-Armorer | 384th Bomb Group
Assigned from the 495th Fighter Training Group to the 443rd Sub-Depot effective 16 March 1945 on AAF Station Special Orders #59 dated 17 March 1945.
Andrew Barba

Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 495th Fighter Training Group
Assigned to 84FS, 78FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 6th Fighter Wing. Transferred to 84FS, 78FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 495FTG. EOW. Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
Robert Barnhart

Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 356th Fighter Group
August 1944-April 1945; P-5l PIá? /Margie Darling/ ...
Fred Barrett

Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 495th Fighter Training Group
Theatre familiarisation with 552FTS, 495FTG, 8AF USAAF. Assigned to 61FS, 56FG, 8AF USAAF. End of War (EOW). ...

Aircraft

41-6538 WELA KAHAO!, Flak Bait

P-47 Thunderbolt
This aircraft was the mount of Captains Walter J. Hollander and Stanley M. M. Anderson of the 334th fighter Squadron whilst it was with the 4th Fighter Group. ...
42-8442

P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 551FTS, 495FTG, 8AF USAAF. W/W Hack for 61FS, 56FG, 8AF USAAF. Formation monitor for the 91st Bomb Group at Bassingbourn.
42-26637 Kokomo

P-47 Thunderbolt
42-68184

P-38 Lightning
Built as a P-38J by Lockheed, field modified to 'Droop Snoot*' configuration as the first full prototype of type. Trials A/C, later used operationaly as well. Led formations of 20th and 44th FG P-38's on bombing raid 10-4-44. ...
41-6233

P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned 335th FS, 4th FG, 8th AF. 9-43. Forced Landing Engine Failure Cat 4 damage, pilot Clemens A Fiedler, Debden/Sta 356. 2-9-43. ROS, Assigned 551FTS, 495FTG, 8th AF. 9-44, Mid Air Collision with Thunderbolt 42-74640 Cat 5, pilot 2nd Lt John D...
41-6195

P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 334FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 551st Fighter Training Squadron 495th Fighter Training Group 8AF USAAF. During formation immelman manoeuvre, aborted manoeuvre and in recovery A/C stalled and 'flicked' into a spin. Pilot baled out from...
42-7936 "Pistol Packin Mama"

P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. One-time personal aircraft of (then) Lt. Fonzo "Snuffy" D. Smith. Transferred to 551FTS, 495FTG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 493FS, 48FG, 9AF USAAF.
41-6217

P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47C Thunderbolt initially with 82FS, 78FG, 8AF transferred to 551FTS, 495FTG, 8AF. ...
41-6585

P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to the 351FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. On 7-Sep-43 the aircraft, piloted by 1LT Vernon A. Leatherman, made a crash landing at Westleton, Suffolk, UK when it ran out of gas returning from an mission escorting B-17s in the attack on the German airfield...
AD564

Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire AD564 Mk Vb, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory. ...

Citations

None

Date	Contributor	Update
13 March 2015 15:28:26	rossingtonj	Changes to type
Sources
Type added.
Date	Contributor	Update
27 September 2014 18:42:46	AAM	AAM ingest
Sources
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). / 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)