Air Force Combat Units of WWII

274 AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS OF WORLD WAR I11943; Snetterton Heath, England, 3 Jun1943; Boxted, England, 10 Jun 1943;Great Dunmow, England, 3 Sep 1943;Beaumont-sur-Oise, France, 2 Oct 1944; St-Trond, Belgium, g Apr-Jul1945; SeymourJohnson Field, NC, 7 Aug 1945; WestoverField, Mass 30 Sew Nov 1945. BunkerHill AFB, Ind, 8 Apr 1956.COMMANDERS. Col Lester J Maitland, c.I Dec 1942; Col Richard C Sanders, 18 Nov1943; Col Joe W Kelly, 22 Jan 1944; ColThomas G Corbin, c. 25 Aug 1944-1945.Capt Amos B Leighton, 8 Apr 1956.CAMPAIGNS. Air OAensive, Europe ;Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland;Ardennes-Alsace ; Central Europe.DECORATIONS. Distinguished Unit Citation:ETO, 30 Jul 1943-30 Jul 1944.INSIGNE. None.387th BOMBARDMENT GROUPConstituted as 387th BombardmentGroup (Medium) on 25 Nov 1942. Adpatedon I Dec 1942. Trained with B-26aircraft. Moved to England in Jun 1943.Served with Eighth AF until assigned toNinth in Oct 1943. Began combat in Aug1943 and concentrated its attacks on airdromesduring the first months of operations.Made numerous strikes on V-weapon sites in France in the winter of1943-1944. Hit airfields at Leeuwardenand Venlo during Big Week, 20-25 Feb1944, the intensive campaign against theGerman Air Force and aircraft industry.Helped to prepare for the invasion ofNormandy by attacking coastal batteriesand bridges in France during May 1944.Bombed along the invasion coast on 6 Jun1944 and supported ground forceisthroughout the month by raiding railroads,bridges, road junctions, defendedareas, and fuel dumps. Moved to the Continentin Jul 1944 and participated in attackson the enemy at St Lo in the latterpart of the month and on German forcesat Brest during Aug and Sep. Extendedoperations into Germany by fall of 1944.Received a DUC for action during the Battleof the Bulge when the group hitstrongly defended transportation andcommunications targets at Mayen andPrum. Supported the Allied drive intothe Reich by attacking bridges, communicationscenters, marshalling yards, storageinstallations, and other objectives. Endedcombat operations in Apr 1945, Returnedto the US in Nov. Inactivated on 17 Nov1945.SQUADRONS.556th: 1942-1945. 557th.’1942-1945. 558th: 1942-1945. 559th:1942-1945-STATIONS. MacDill Field, Flay I Dec1942; Drane Field, Fla, 12 Apr 1943; GodmanField, Ky, c. 11 May-Io Jun 1943;Chipping Ongar, England, 25 Tun 1943;Stony Cross, England, 18 Jul 1944; Maupertuis,France, 22 Aug 1944; Chateaudun,France, 18 Sep 1944; Clastres, France, 30Oct 1944; Beek, Holland, 29 Apr 1945;Rosieres-en-Santerre, France, 24 May-c.Nov 1945; Camp Kilmer, NJ, 14-17 Nov1945-COMMANDERS. Maj David S Blackwell,20 Dec 1942; Col Carl R Storrie, c. 19 Jan