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2nd Air Division

Division

  • MGEN William B. Kepner (Left) - Commander of the 2nd Air Division - 8th AF COL Elvin S. Ligon - Commander of the 466th BG - 2nd Air Division - 8th AF Photo taken on the occasion of the 466th BG's 200th mission party.

    MGEN William B. Kepner (Left) - Commander of the 2nd Air Division - 8th AF COL Elvin S. Ligon - Commander of the 466th BG - 2nd Air Division - 8th AF Photo taken on the occasion of the 466th BG's 200th mission party.

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  • A B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23809) used as a flight assembly ship by the 448th Bomb Group. Image via Colonel James R Patterson, Executive Officer 448th Bombardment Group (H). Printed caption on reverse: '

    A B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23809) used as a flight assembly ship by the 448th Bomb Group. Image via Colonel James R Patterson, Executive Officer 448th Bombardment Group (H). Printed caption on reverse: '"Weather Ship" B-24-B. 448th Bombardment Group (heavy) 20th Combat Wing, 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force USAAF. Station 146, Seething Norfolk, England, 1943-1945.'

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  • Overview of the commemorative plaque on a Locomotive on the Bure Valley Railway, Norfolk, UK. Dedicated by Earl E Wassom.

    Overview of the commemorative plaque on a Locomotive on the Bure Valley Railway, Norfolk, UK. Dedicated by Earl E Wassom.

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  • Detail of the inscription related to the commemorative plaque on a Locomotive on the Bure Valley Railway, Norfolk, UK.

    Detail of the inscription related to the commemorative plaque on a Locomotive on the Bure Valley Railway, Norfolk, UK.

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    1-5 of 33
  • Overview of the inscription related to the commemorative plaque on a Locomotive on the Bure Valley Railway, Norfolk, UK. Dedicated by Earl E Wassom.

    Overview of the inscription related to the commemorative plaque on a Locomotive on the Bure Valley Railway, Norfolk, UK. Dedicated by Earl E Wassom.

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    1-5 of 33
  • 2nd Bombardment Wing Substitution Unit (precursor of USAAF 2nd Air Division) was formed in Old Catton (see above). The HQ then moved to Horsham St Faith, then Ketteringham Hall.

    2nd Bombardment Wing Substitution Unit (precursor of USAAF 2nd Air Division) was formed in Old Catton (see above). The HQ then moved to Horsham St Faith, then Ketteringham Hall.

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  • Page 1 of 2 Letter from the MOD confirming that the 2nd Bombardment Wing Substitution Unit (precursor of the USAAF 2nd Air Division) was formed at 'RAF Old Catton'. Contemporary documents refer to 'Old Catton' and this has usually been interpreted as the locality of Norwich known as 'Old Catton' or as the adjacent airfield at 'Horsham St Faith'. References to 'Old Catton' in wartime documents will have been understood at the time by all concerned as referring to 'RAF Old Catton'.

    Page 1 of 2 Letter from the MOD confirming that the 2nd Bombardment Wing Substitution Unit (precursor of the USAAF 2nd Air Division) was formed at 'RAF Old Catton'. Contemporary documents refer to 'Old Catton' and this has usually been interpreted as the locality of Norwich known as 'Old Catton' or as the adjacent airfield at 'Horsham St Faith'. References to 'Old Catton' in wartime documents will have been understood at the time by all concerned as referring to 'RAF Old Catton'.

    Show caption About this image
    1-5 of 33
  • Page 2 of 2 Letter from the MOD confirming that the 2nd Bombardment Wing Substitution Unit (precursor of the USAAF 2nd Air Division) was formed at 'RAF Old Catton'. Contemporary documents refer to 'Old Catton' and this has usually been interpreted as the locality of Norwich known as 'Old Catton' or as the adjacent airfield at 'Horsham St Faith'. References to 'Old Catton' in wartime documents will have been understood at the time by all concerned as referring to 'RAF Old Catton'.

    Page 2 of 2 Letter from the MOD confirming that the 2nd Bombardment Wing Substitution Unit (precursor of the USAAF 2nd Air Division) was formed at 'RAF Old Catton'. Contemporary documents refer to 'Old Catton' and this has usually been interpreted as the locality of Norwich known as 'Old Catton' or as the adjacent airfield at 'Horsham St Faith'. References to 'Old Catton' in wartime documents will have been understood at the time by all concerned as referring to 'RAF Old Catton'.

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  • Plan of RAF Old Catton as it was before it closed in 1963, after which it was demolished.

    Plan of RAF Old Catton as it was before it closed in 1963, after which it was demolished.

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  • Plan of the site of Old Catton as it aligns with the current layout of the Norwich Outer Ring Road.

    Plan of the site of Old Catton as it aligns with the current layout of the Norwich Outer Ring Road.

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In December 1944, the 2nd Bomb Division was redesginated the 2nd Air Division.

US Air Force Combat Units of World War II Description

Constituted as 2d Bombardment Division on 30 Aug 1943....Redesignated 2d Air Division in Dec 1944. Served in combat in the European theater from Sep 1943 until Apr 1945. Moved to the US in Jun 1945. Disbanded on 28 Aug 1945.

Commanding officers

  • Walter Peck

    Military | Brigadier General | Pilot; Commanding Officer | 458th Bomb Group
    BRIGADIER GENERAL WALTER R. PECK ...

  • William Kepner

    Military | Lieutenant General | Commanding General, 8th Air Force Fighter Command
    From 1909 to 1913, Kepner served in the US Marine Corps. By 1916 he was a second lieutenant in the Indiana National Guard. After a short spell in the US cavalry, in 1917 he transferred to the infantry as a captain and commanded a company at the Battle...

Structure

Part of
  • 8th Air Force

    8th Air Force


    Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945. ...

Encompassing
Previously was
  • 2nd Bomb Division

    2nd Bomb Division

    Division
    The groups under the command of the 2nd Bomb Wing came under the command of the 2nd Bomb Division in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 2nd Air Division.

Became
Not yet known

Missions

  • 8th Air Force 851

    27 February 1945
    1,107 bombers and 745 fighters are dispatched to hit road and rail communications at Halle and Leipzig using H2X radar

  • 896

    19 March 1945

  • 896

    19 March 1945

  • 896

    19 March 1945

  • 896

    19 March 1945

  • 8th Air Force 926

    4 April 1945

Stations

Station Location Date
Based Ketteringham Hall December 1944 – 22 June 1945
Redesignated December 1944
Disbanded 28 August 1945

Connections

People

  • Emmaretta Adamson

    Military | Women's Army Corps

  • Joan Affronte

    Military | Women's Army Corps

  • Sarah Allen

    Military | Women's Army Corps

  • Eleen Alrom

    Military | Women's Army Corps

  • Ruth Andrews

    Military | Women's Army Corps

  • Virginia Armacost

    Military | Women's Army Corps

  • Milton Arnold

    Military | Brigadier General | Wing Commander | 389th Bomb Group
    Overseas 1942 to establish ATC Atlantic Ferry Route as staff meteorologist; assisted in planning secret route for Allied Chiefs' Casablanca Conference, January 1943. Commander of the 389th Bomb Group. SS/ DFC/ AM w/ 2 Oak Leaf Cluster

  • Lela Ash

    Military | Women's Army Corps

  • Bernita Baker

    Military | Women's Army Corps

  • Bernt Balchen

    Military | Colonel | Commander
    Norwegian Bernt Balchen was America's greatest Arctic expert of modern times, most notably he was the first pilot to fly across the South Pole. In WWI he served as a cavalryman in the Finnish Army, which fought against the Russians. In 1921, he became...

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Aircraft

Citations

None

Air Force
8th
Type
Combat
Type category
Combat organisation
Nicknames
Not yet known
Motto
Not yet known
Insignia
Not yet known
Aircraft used
  • B-24 Liberator

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
04 September 2019 13:36:15 Emily Changes to type, us air force combat units of world war ii description, description, unit part of associations, commanding officers associations and stations
Sources

Air Force Combat Units of World War II
Date Contributor Update
05 June 2015 13:09:25 rossingtonj Changes to mission associations and stations
Sources

Associated to 2nd Air Division Memorial Library
Date Contributor Update
02 January 2015 17:18:10 jkeeffe389 Changes to type and aircraft types
Sources

Lt. Col. James H Keeffe Jr documents.
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:42:44 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

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