9th Air Force

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...

363rd Fighter Group

Group
Equipped with P-51s, the Group entered combat from England in February 1944, flying bomber escort and ground-strafing missions. They took part in the invasion of Normandy, protecting gliders and troop carriers on 6 and 7 June. In September 1944, now...

355th Fighter Squadron

Squadron

382nd Fighter Squadron

Squadron

Anthony Ladas

Military | Second Lieutenant | Fighter pilot | 363rd Fighter Group
Assigned to 382FS, 363FG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) penetration escort Frankfurt head-on mid air collision with P-47 42-26016. A/C destroyed pilot 2Lt Anthony E Ladas Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 5138. Awards: AM(3OLC), PH.

Garland Page

Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot | 354th Fighter Group
Assigned to 355FS, 354FG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Lemons-Dreux, France area 8-Aug-44. Lt Page abandoned A/C Evreux-Chartres area. Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 8499 Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

Lashenden

Military site : airfield
Close to but completely separate from RAF Headcorn, Lashenden was built for the RAF during 1942-43 as an Advanced Landing Ground (ALG), initially as a light bomber base and then as a training base for mobile fighter squadrons. Enlarged and improved for...

Staplehurst

Military site : airfield
Built during 1943 as an Advanced Landing Ground (ALG), Staplehurst was used briefly by RAF fighter squadrons during August to October 1943 and then allocated to the Ninth Air Force. Developed and improved during the winter of 1943-44, the station...