| Commanding Officer |
Group Markings |
Arrived Station # Place |
Moved | Remarks | ||||||
| Type | Code | |||||||||
| 9th US Air Force | Lt. Gen. Lewis Brereton |
 |
6 Oct 1943 Bushey Hall, Watford Hertfordshire |
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The 9th US Air Force was set up in England specifically to provide tactical air support for the D-Day (Operation Overlord, 6 Jun 1944) invasion of Europe and beyond. |
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| 9th Bomber Command | Maj. Gen. Samuel Anderson |
16 Oct 1943 460 Marks Hall Essex |
Moved to France 18 Sep 1944 |
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Bomber Command's role was to soften up the German defences along the French coast in preparation for the invasion. This included destroying air fields, major road and rail bridges in northern France to prevent swift movement of the German armies. |
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| 97th Bombardment Wing (Light) | Capt. Donald Moloney |
26 Nov 1943 460 Marks Hall Essex |
13 Mar 1944 165 Little Walden Essex |
Moved to France 13 Sep 1944 |
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| 409th Bomber Group | Col. Preston Pender |
 |
07 Mar 1944 165 Little Walden Essex |
Moved to France 18 Sep 1944 |
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| 640th Bomber Squadron | A-20 | W5 | ||||||||
| 641st Bomber Squadron | A-20 | 7G | ||||||||
| 642nd Bomber Squadron | A-20 | D6 | ||||||||
| 643rd Bomber Squadron | A-20 | 5I | ||||||||
| 410th Bomber Group | Col. Ralph Rhudy |
 |
04 Apr 1944 149 Birch Essex |
16 Apr 1944 154 Gosfield Essex |
Moved to France 27 Sep 1944 |
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| 644th Bomber Squadron | A-20 | 5D | ||||||||
| 645th Bomber Squadron | A-20 | 7X | ||||||||
| 646th Bomber Squadron | A-20 | 8U | Changed to A-26 May 1945 |
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| 647th Bomber Squadron | A-20 | 6Q | ||||||||
| 416th Bomber Group | Col. Harold Mace |
 |
1 Feb 1944 170 Wethersfield Essex |
Moved to France 21 Sep 1944 |
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| 668th Bomber Squadron | A-20 | 5H | ||||||||
| 669th Bomber Squadron | A-20 | 2A | ||||||||
| 670th Bomber Squadron | A-20 | F6 | ||||||||
| 671st Bomber Squadron | A-20 | 5C | ||||||||
| 98th Bombardment Wing (Medium) | Col. Carl Storrie |
1 Nov 1943 358 Earls Colne Essex |
18 Jul 1944 408 Beaulieu Hampshire |
Moved to France 23 Aug 1944 |
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| 323rd Bomber Group | Col. Wilson Wood |
 |
16 Oct 1943 358 Earls Colne Essex |
21 Jul 1944 408 Beaulieu Hampshire |
Moved to France 26 Aug 1944 |
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| 453rd Bomber Squadron | B-26 | VT | Transferred from 8th Air Force 3rd Bomber Wing |
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| 454th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | RJ | ||||||||
| 455th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | YU | ||||||||
| 456th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | WT | ||||||||
| 387th Bomber Group | Col. Jack Caldwell |
 |
1 Jul 1943 162 Chipping Ongar Essex |
21 Jul 1944 452 Stoney Cross Hampshire |
Moved to France 1 Sep 1944 |
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| 556th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | FW | Transferred from 8th Air Force 3rd Bomber Wing |
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| 557th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | KS | ||||||||
| 558th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | KX | ||||||||
| 559th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | TQ | ||||||||
| 394th Bomber Group | Col. Thomas Hall |
 |
11 Mar 1944 161 Boreham Essex |
24 Jul 1944 455 Holmsley South Hampshire |
Moved to France 20 Aug 1944 |
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| 584th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | K5 | ||||||||
| 585th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | 4T | ||||||||
| 586th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | H9 | ||||||||
| 587th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | 5W | ||||||||
| 397th Bomber Group | Col. Richard Coiner |
 |
15 Apr 1944 168 Rivenhall Essex |
4 Aug 1944 492 Hurn Hampshire |
Moved to France 30 Aug 1944 |
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| 596th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | X2 | Changed to A-26 Feb 1945 |
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| 597th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | 9F | ||||||||
| 598th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | U2 | ||||||||
| 599th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | 6B | ||||||||
| 99th Bombardment Wing (Medium) | Brig. Gen. Herbert Thatcher |
12 Nov 1943 164 Great Dunmow Essex |
Moved to France 25 Sep 1944 |
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| 322nd Bomber Group | Col. Glenn Nye |
 |
12 Jun 1943 485 Andrews Field Essex |
Moved to France 25 Sep 1944 |
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| 449th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | PN | Transferred from 8th Air Force 3rd Bomber Wing |
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| 450th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | ER | ||||||||
| 451st Bomber Squadron | B-26 | SS | ||||||||
| 452nd Bomber Squadron | B-26 | DR | ||||||||
| 344th Bomber Group | Col. Reginald Vance |
 |
9 Feb 1944 169 Stansted Essex |
Moved to France 30 Sep 1944 |
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| 494th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | K9 | ||||||||
| 495th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | Y5 | ||||||||
| 496th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | N4 | ||||||||
| 497th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | 7I | ||||||||
| 386th Bomber Group | Col. Richard Sanders |
 |
29 Sep 1943 164 Great Dunmow Essex |
Moved to France 2 Oct 1944 |
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| 552nd Bomber Squadron | B-26 | RG | Changed to A-26 Jan 1945 |
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| 553rd Bomber Squadron | B-26 | AN | Changed to A-26 Sep 1944 |
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| 554th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | RU | Changed to A-26 Jan 1945 |
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| 555th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | YA | Changed to A-26 Jan 1945 |
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| 391st Bomber Group | Col. Gerald Williams |
 |
26 Jan 1944 166 Matching Green Essex |
Moved to France Sep 1944 |
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| 572nd Bomber Squadron | B-26 | P2 | Changed to A-26 Apr 1944 |
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| 573rd Bomber Squadron | B-26 | T6 | ||||||||
| 574th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | 4L | ||||||||
| 575th Bomber Squadron | B-26 | O8 | ||||||||
Enjoying this? Why not read John Hamlin's book called Support and Strike! |
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| Back | Last Updated : 18 August 2000 |
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