Leiston
AirfieldIWM, English Heritage Collection
Leiston's location only three miles from the North Sea Coast made it ideal as a Fighter Group air base whose job would be to escort bombers across the sea and over occupied Europe. The air base also witnessed the arrival of many very damaged Allied aircraft who were just grateful to make landfall in Britain. The 358th Fighter Group were replaced by the 357th Fighter Group early in 1944, flying P-51 Mustangs rather than P-47 Thunderbolts. These Mustangs were able to fly greater distances in escorting bombers to eastern German targets like sites in Berlin and Leipzig.
Connections
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People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 55th Fighter Group 338th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: 14003604 / O-750521
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Fighter pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 357th Fighter Group 363rd Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: 19050337 / O-742834
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Role/Job: Fighter pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 357th Fighter Group 363rd Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: 19066788 / O-740335
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Fighter pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 357th Fighter Group 364th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-706345
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 357th Fighter Group 364th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: 14100768 / O-807140
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Fighter pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Dangerous Dan
- Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Salvage Queen
- Unit: 546th Bomb Squadron 384th Bomb Group
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Hell's Messenger
- Unit: 2nd Strategic Air Depot 364th Fighter Group 544th Bomb Squadron 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Unit: 358th Fighter Group 367th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Unit: 358th Fighter Group 367th Fighter Squadron
Revisions
Barry Anderson, Army Air Forces Stations (Alabama, 1985) / Roger Freeman, Airfields of the Eighth Then And Now (London, 1978)