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356th Fighter Squadron

Squadron

  • TSgt Clint Thompson 356th FS

    TSgt Clint Thompson 356th FS

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  • First Lieutenant Arthur Vincent Mares of the 354th Fighter Group.

    First Lieutenant Arthur Vincent Mares of the 354th Fighter Group.

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  • Major James H Howard of the 354th Fighter Group waits for take-off in his P-51 Mustang. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 25 Jan 1944.' [stamp] and '301685.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Associated Press Photo Shows: Major Howard waiting to take off in his new 'plane. Painted on the fuselage can be seen the record of his Jap and Nazi

    Major James H Howard of the 354th Fighter Group waits for take-off in his P-51 Mustang. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 25 Jan 1944.' [stamp] and '301685.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Associated Press Photo Shows: Major Howard waiting to take off in his new 'plane. Painted on the fuselage can be seen the record of his Jap and Nazi "kills".'

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  • Major James H Howard of the 354th Fighter Group watches Staff-Sergeant Marcus Hanson paint a

    Major James H Howard of the 354th Fighter Group watches Staff-Sergeant Marcus Hanson paint a "kill" onto his new P-51 Mustang. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 25 Jan 1944.' [stamp] and '301687.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'NEW SHIP FOR MAJOR HOWARD. American Fighter Ace Major James H Howard of St Louis, MO, has now taken over a new ship- one of the crack P-51Bs which have been making aerial history recently. Major Howard has the following decorations DFC, Air Medal, Oak leaf Clusters, White Cloud Banner, and two star Medal of China. Associated Press Photo Shows: Seated in the cockpit of his new 'plane Major Howard watches S/S Marcus Hanson from Millburn NJ, the squadron painter, puts the finishing touches to a Nazi "Kill" emblem on the fuselage.'

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  • Lieutenant-Colonel James H Howard, of the 354th Fighter Group in the cockpit of his P-51 Mustang. Image stamped on reverse: 'Central Press Ltd.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 25 Apr 1944.' [stamp] and '317270.' [Censor no.] A printed press story was previously attached to the reverse however this has been removed. Printed caption on reverse: 'Lt col Howard, a famous pilot with US IXth Fighter Command, has six Japs and Six Nazis to his list of kills whilst on a recent mission to Berlin [annotated: 11/1/44], he attacked 30 enemy machines single-handed and shot down three, with one probably and two damaged.' Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Howard in own P-51B at Boxted, 25/4/44 not AC in which he won MOH, lt Col James Howard was awarded only Medal of Honour (highest US Award) to go to a fighter pilot flying in the ETO. Action on 11/1/44.'

    Lieutenant-Colonel James H Howard, of the 354th Fighter Group in the cockpit of his P-51 Mustang. Image stamped on reverse: 'Central Press Ltd.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 25 Apr 1944.' [stamp] and '317270.' [Censor no.] A printed press story was previously attached to the reverse however this has been removed. Printed caption on reverse: 'Lt col Howard, a famous pilot with US IXth Fighter Command, has six Japs and Six Nazis to his list of kills whilst on a recent mission to Berlin [annotated: 11/1/44], he attacked 30 enemy machines single-handed and shot down three, with one probably and two damaged.' Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Howard in own P-51B at Boxted, 25/4/44 not AC in which he won MOH, lt Col James Howard was awarded only Medal of Honour (highest US Award) to go to a fighter pilot flying in the ETO. Action on 11/1/44.'

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  • "Col James H Howard, former leader of the 9th AF pioneer mustang group, received the Congressional Medal of Honor from Lt Gen Carl A Spatz for his single handed defense of heavy bombers against 30 threatening German fighters."

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  • "A formation of powerful North American P-51 Mustang fighter planes over France." - From the top AJ-D, P-51B 'Bo-Yo' AJ-E, 44-15622 'Short Fuse Sallee' AJ-T, AJ-J, AJ-N and AJ-O 356FS, 354FG, 9AF.

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  • "A formation of powerful P-51 Mustangs of the 9th AF, headed for another devastating blow to Nazi-held objectives behind the front lines. FRANCE." - Trio of P-51s of 356th FS 354th, 9th AF. AJ-Y leads AJ-J and AJ-O or AJ-Q.

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  • "Fformation of North American P-51 Mustang fighter planes over France." - P-51's of 356FS 354FG 9AF. Discernible are P-51B AJ-V and P-51D's AJ-D, AJ-Q, AJ-A.

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  • "Formation of North American P-51 Mustang fighter planes over France." - 8 ship of 356FS P-51's, two of which are Olive Drab B models, the rest are D models.

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Commanding officers

  • James Howard

    Military | Brigadier General | Fighter Pilot 1055 single engine/Group Commander | 354th Fighter Group
    USN 1939-1941 flew F3Fs with VF-6 USS Enterprise CV-6 ...

  • Richard Turner

    Military | Lieutenant Colonel | fighter pilot-1055 single engine/squadron commander | 354th Fighter Group
    CO 356th FS 354th FG Feb 12, 1944 - Oct 2, 1944 & May 20, 1945 - Jun 12, 1945 ...

Structure

Part of
  • 354th Fighter Group

    354th Fighter Group

    Group
    The Group moved to England in the autumn of 1943 and was assigned to the Ninth Air Force in December 1943. The Group were the first to fly P-51 Mustangs operationally and in their bomber escort missions pushed to find the long-range limits of the...

Encompassing
Not yet known
Previously was
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Became
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Connections

People

  • William Aney

    Military | Technical Sergeant | GN | 354th Fighter Group
    Prisoner of War (POW)

  • Hayes Appell

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot, Pilot | 354th Fighter Group
    Prisoner of War (POW) when he baled out at about 18000ft he struck the tail with his legs and was taken to local hospital at Saarburg. Had mid-air collision.

  • Richard Asbury

    Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Fighter Pilot-1055 single engine | 354th Fighter Group
    1st tour Wingman/Element leader 382nd FS 363rd FG Aug. 1943 - Aug. 1944. ...

  • Richard Boes

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Fighter pilot | 354th Fighter Group
    Assigned to 555FTS, 496FTG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 356FS, 354FG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) armed recon to Bockingen, Germany in P-51D 44-13561 'Short Fuze Sally' lagging behind was bounced by Me109's and shot down. Killed in Action (KIA)....

  • Floyd Brandt

    Military | Captain | fighter pilot-1055 single engine | 354th Fighter Group
    Flight leader 356th FS 354th FG (2 combat tours) 1942-45 134 missions 3 air kills + 1 ground kill

  • Cecil Buchanan

    Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot-1055 single engine | 354th Fighter Group
    wingman-element leader-flight leader 356th FS 354th FG 1944-45

  • William Bush

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 354th Fighter Group
    Assigned 356FS, 354FG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR), shot down by flak strafing a road convoy, crashed Prum, Germany 25-Dec-44 Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 11424 Awards: AM (3OLC), PH

  • James Carl

    Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot | 354th Fighter Group
    Born in Fayetteville, AR in 1921. Grew up in Quapaw,OK. Graduated Quapaw HS in 1941. Entered AAC Dec 27, 1941. Married Wilma Joyce Phillips April 8, 1944 in Tallahasse, FL. Flew 86 Combat missions in France and Germany. Lives in Catoosa, OK.

  • Jack Carr

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 354th Fighter Group

  • Young Davis

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 354th Fighter Group
    Killed in Action

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Aircraft

  • 42-102997

    P-51 Mustang

  • 42-106935

    P-51 Mustang
    Assigned to 370FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 356FS, 354FG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Periers, France. Strafing horse drawn convoy, hit telegraph and attempted to belly land. Pilot Lt William J Walbrecker Killed in Action (KIA), 26-Jun-44...

  • 43-12196

    P-51 Mustang

  • 43-12199

    P-51 Mustang

  • 43-12205

    P-51 Mustang

  • 43-12206

    P-51 Mustang

  • 43-12223

    P-51 Mustang

  • 43-12309

    P-51 Mustang

  • 43-12418

    P-51 Mustang

  • 43-12441

    P-51 Mustang

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Citations

None

Air Force
9th
Type
Combat
Type category
Fighter
Nicknames

Red Asses

Motto
Not yet known
Insignia
Not yet known

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
25 March 2017 20:10:36 fugari Changes to nicknames, commanding officers associations, stations and media associations
Sources

cook
Date Contributor Update
13 March 2015 15:43:07 rossingtonj Changes to type
Sources

Type added.
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:42:48 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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