1st Service Group
Group
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Military site : airfield
Originally used from 1940 as a small, grass airfield, satellite for nearby RAF Bassingbourn, Steeple Morden was allocated to the Eighth Air Force in August 1942 as a potential bomber base. It was used briefly by the 3rd Photographic Group during the Autumn of 1942, and was then developed with three runways, 55 concrete hardstandings, one T2 hangar and seven blister hangars. Re-allocated to the Ninth Air Force in April 1943 as a fighter base, it was returned to the Eighth Air Force and occupied by the 355th Fighter Group from July 1943 to July 1945. Returned to the RAF in 1945, the station closed in 1946 and was abandoned. Most of the site was sold back to its original owners plus Cambridgeshire County Council during 1960-61. It has largely returned to agriculture after demolition of the runways, Control Tower and the majority of other wartime buildings. A 355th Fighter Group Memorial wall stands near the wartime station entrance off the Litlington Road.
Not yet known
A former World War Two military airfield. It began in 1940 as a satellite airfield for Bassingbourn, operated by the Royal Air Force. Initially the main user was 11 Operational Training Unit. They took part in the first "thousand bomber raid" to Cologne. They were followed by American reconnaissance units in 1942 and by 17 Operational Training Unit. The airfield was then selected for expansion and was redeveloped within the parameters of local topography. The redeveloped airfield consisted of three concrete runways, an aircraft hangar (Type T2) and a number of Blister aircraft hangars. There was a technical site with a control tower at the northern edge of the airfield. The airfield was then primarily used by the United states Army 8th Air Force 355th Fighter Group: Steeple Morden was designated USAAF Station 122. Their main role was to attack German airfields and infrastructure. The airfield closed in 1946 and was sold mostly to the pre-war landowners for agriculture in 1960-1961.
Group
Group
Where the 353rd Fighter Group had pioneered ground strafing techniques, it was the 355th Fighter Group who destroyed more enemy aircraft by ground strafing than any other Eighth Air Force Group. Based at Steeple Morden from July 1943 to July 1945, the...
Group
The 3rd Photographic Group were stationed only briefly in Britain and flew no missions from either Membury or Steeple Morden. They were reassigned to the Twelfth Air Force and undertook photographic reconnaissance in support of operations in the...
Group
Some of the pilots of the 4th Fighter Group had seen many hours of combat by the time they joined the 4th Fighter Group as they had volunteered with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Air Force. The three 'Eagle Squadrons' of RAF Fighter...
Squadron
Browse 18th Weather Squadron photographs and other documents in the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library digital archive here: www.2ndair.org.uk/digitalarchive/Dashboard/Index/60
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Headquarters
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 355th Fighter Group
Assigned to 358FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) from free lance mission, A/C developed coolant system failure, A/C abandoned and crashed near Elsten on 15-Dec-44 in P-51D 44-15014 Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 11310.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 355th Fighter Group
Assigned to 354FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. On a fighter support mission to Munster on 11-Mar-44, P-51B 43-6849 lost oil pressure due to heavy flak and crashed at Essen- Altenessen after the pilot bailed out. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 3054.
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 354th Fighter Group
Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 2nd Scouting Force. Transferred to 358FS, 355FG 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 354FG. Ended Tour Duty (ETD).
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 355th Fighter Group
Assigned to 358FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Ended Tour of Duty (ETD).
Awards: WWII Victory.
Post War: Joined Caterpillar Tractor Co. where he worked as a research engineer until his retirement.
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Fighter Pilot | 355th Fighter Group
Assigned to 358FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 358FG, 8AF USAAF. A Career Air Force Officer and a decorated WWII fighter pilot who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Remained in the USAF until retiring in 1970 at the rank of Lt Colonel.
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 355th Fighter Group
Assigned to 343FS, 55FG, 8AF USAAF.
Transferred to 354FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF.
Completed (End) Tour of Duty (ETD).
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 355th Fighter Group
Assigned to 354FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 496FTG, 8AF USAAF. Completed (End) Tour of Duty (ETD).
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 355th Fighter Group
Assigned to 357FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF.
ETD.
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 20th Fighter Group
Assigned to 357FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 77FS, 20FG, 8AF USAAF.
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Fighter Pilot | 355th Fighter Group
Assigned to 358FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Credited with 2 kills, 1 damaged. ETD.
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Middleton AD 9/7/42; Bolling 28/7/42; Westover 3/10/42; Assigned 15PRS/3PRG Membury, Wilt. 7/9/42; Steeple Morden, UK 27/12/42; transferred 12AF La Senia, Alg. 6/12/42; Algiers 25/12/42; Le Kroub, Alg. 5/6/43; La Marsa, Tun. 28/6/43; Returned...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered MAD 9/7/42; with Franklin Gillespie, at Duncan Fd, TX 25/7/42; with E.L. Chrisman force landed Lowry, CO 39/7/42; Bangor 3/8/42; Colorado Springs 29/8/42; Assigned 15PRS/3PRG Membury, UK. 7/9/42; Steeple Morden, UK. 27/10/42; transferred 12AF...
P-51 Mustang
Assigned to 354FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) strafing mission Lechfield A/D. Hit by flak crashed SW Lechfield. Pilot Lt Peter M Sawchuck KIA (KIA). 24-Jul-44 MACR 7730.
P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
Assigned to 354FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) escort to Neuberg A/D on 2nd strafing pass hit by flak crashed into wood near Boenfeld pilot 1st Lt Robert M White Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 12398.
P-51 Mustang
Assigned to 358FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) strafing mission to Metz. 28-Aug-44. Pilot Lt William W Tolby Evaded (EVD). MACR 8398.
P-51 Mustang
Assigned to 354FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Rodeo mission to Montdidier. Engine showing low oil pressure, pilot turned for home, escorting fighters lost contact in vicinity of Abbeville, belly landed in vicinity of Verchocq. Lt Robert A...
P-51 Mustang
Assigned to 358FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Personal aircraft of Lt Lawrence J Dissette. Failed to Return (FTR) Ramrod Southern France last seen spiralling away from formation through bad weather. Pilot Lt Ralph L Coleman Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 5964
P-51 Mustang
Assigned to 358FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) strafing mission to Château-Theirry. Hit by flak whilst strafing a train, glycol streaming from the A/C belly landed near St Etienne 18-Aug-44, pilot Lt Cleveland J Brien Evaded (EVD). MACR 8129.
P-51 Mustang
Assigned to 354FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) ramrod Beziers, France crashed near Chateauroux pilot Lt Victor E Denti Killed in Action (KIA) 5-Jul-44 MACR 6791.
Date | Contributor | Update |
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03 September 2019 13:42:33 | Emily | Changes to english heritage description |
Sources | ||
Historic England National Monument Record TL 34 SW 120 |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:02:18 | AAM | AAM ingest |
Sources | ||
Barry Anderson, Army Air Forces Stations (Alabama, 1985) / Roger Freeman, Airfields of the Eighth Then And Now (London, 1978) Roger Freeman, Airfields of the Ninth Then and Now (London, 1994) Roger Freeman, Mighty Eighth War Manual (London, 2001) Michael Bowyer, Action Stations 1: Wartime Military Airfields of East Anglia 1939-1945 (Cambridge, 1979) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Steeple_Morden http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Cambridgeshire/SteepleMorden355thFighterGr... |