In December 1944, the 3rd Bomb Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.

US Air Force Combat Units of World War II Description

Constituted as 3d Bombardment Division on 30 Aug 1943... Redesignated 3d Air Division in Dec 1944. Served in combat in the European theater from Sep 1943 until Apr 1945. Inactivated in England on 21 Nov 1945.

Commanding officers

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  Earle Partridge

  Military | General | Commanding General
  Formerly command pilot. CG 3rd AD 21 June 1944 to May 1945. Retired 31 July 1959. DSCSSLMDFC w/ 2 Oak Leaf ClustersAM w/ 9 Oak Leaf Clusters

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  Norris Harbold

  Military | Major | Chief of Staff
  DFC/ AM/ LOM

Structure

Part of

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  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

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  13th Combat Bomb Wing

  Wing

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  45th Combat Bomb Wing

  Wing

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  4th Combat Bomb Wing

  Wing

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  66th Fighter Wing

  Wing

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  92nd Combat Bomb Wing (II)

  Wing

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  93rd Combat Bomb Wing

  Wing
  Although equipped with B-24 aircraft, I believe that association with 2nd BD/AD is in error. Moreover, the Group had converted to B-17 before the designation of the 2nd Air Division. The Group carried 3rd Bomb Division markings throughout its combat...

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  2019th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon

  Platoon
  Activated at Bradley Field, CT, 1 July 1943, per Order #245 Arrived in Liverpool, England on 20 October 1943. Reorganzied on 24 August 1944 under T/O&E 5-500 w/changes 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 dated 31 July 1944.

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  2027th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon

  Platoon

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  2036th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon

  Platoon
  The 2036th EAFFP was disbanded per par 1, Section 1, Hq 8th Air Force, GO #52, dated 12 April 1945, effective 15 April 1945. ...

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  1st Combat Crew Gunnery School

  Unit
  Established un VIII Bomber Command at Snettisham in Summer 1943 as a detachment of 2901st Combat Crew Replacement Centre Group. ...

Previously was

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  3rd Bomb Division

  Division
  The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.

Became

Not yet known

Missions

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  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

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  896

  19 March 1945
  

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  896

  19 March 1945
  

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  896

  19 March 1945
  

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  8th Air Force 926

  4 April 1945
  

Stations

Station	Location	Date
Based	Honington	December 1944 – 21 November 1945
Redesignated		December 1944
Inactivated		21 November 1945

Connections

People

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  John Barnes

  Military | Lieutenant | Navigator | 95th Bomb Group
  John Barnes was born January 31, 1922 in Philadelphia, PA, the son of Leonard and Gertrude Barnes of Emporium, PA . He received his undergraduate and Ph.D from Penn State University. He served in WWII as the navigator of the “Spirit of Martinez with...

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  Clifton Benderman

  Military | Master Sergeant | Ground Crew
  For meritorious achievement in connection with military operations against the enemy from 30 June 1943 to 1 May 1945 Bronze Star

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  John Bennett

  Military | Major General | Commanding Officer, Director Operational Analysis | 100th Bomb Group
  SS/ DFC/ AM w/ 2 Oak Leaf Cluster

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  Clyde Bible

  Military | Sergeant First Class | Ball Turret Gunner | 34th Bomb Group
  Sgt. Clyde "Bus" E. Bible enlisted into the United Army Air Force April 1944. He completed his basic training at Camp Shelby Mississippi .Then was sent to Flex Gunnery School , Kingman Az.Graduated Nov.1944 as an expert Marksmen receiving 2 stripes for...

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  George Brady

  Military | Master Sergeant | Ground Crew
  for meritorious achievement in connection with militry operations against the enemy from 20 June 1943 to 1 May 1945 bronze star

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  William Brice

  Military | Major | Bombardier
  My father flew 29 missions with the James S. Seamans' Crew. The nickname for the crew was Seamans' Demons. He was lead bombadier on several if not most missions. He was a good man whom I loved very much. He told me stories of his missions and escapades...

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  Frank Calicura

  Military | First Lieutenant | B-17 Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
  Frank Calicura served as a pilot with the 95th Bomb Group. ...

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  Eugene Coler

  Military | Colonel | Surgeon
  LOM/ BDFC/ ETO

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  Robert Collins

  Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Navigator; Statistics | 490th Bomb Group
  AWARDS: ...

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  Alfred D'Alessandris

  Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner/Engineer | 96th Bomb Group
  Shot down 11 April 1944 in B-17 #4297129. His B-17 was shot down at Stutebuell, 3 kms north west of Kappeln, near Schleswig, near the German/Denmark border at 2.15pm. ...

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Aircraft

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  42-102380 Renovation

  B-17 Flying Fortress
  Assigned: 12 April 1944 - 8th AF / 3rd AD / 4th CBW / 94th BG / 331st BS - (RAF Bury St Edmunds) ...

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  44-6131 Fearless Fosdick

  B-17 Flying Fortress
  Delivered Tulsa 10/5/44; Hunter 21/5/44; Grenier 31/5/44; Assigned 413BS/96BG [MZ-J] Snetterton 3/6/44; Aborted mission due to #1 engine failure, Hamm 7/1/45 with Peder Lansen, crash landed base (pilot error); Salvaged. FEARLESS FOSDICK.

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  44-6838 Spirit of Martinez, Cal's Rascals

  B-17 Flying Fortress
  Delivered Hunter 27/11/44; Grenier 16/12/44; Assigned 335BS/95BG [OE-E] Horham 1/1/45; battle damaged Chemnitz 6/2/45 with D.V. Tregoning, force landed B-53, Merville, Bel. then rep; 53m, Returned to the USA Bradley 21/6/45; Sth Plains 23/6/45;...

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  44-8148 Seamans' Demons

  B-17 Flying Fortress
  Delivered Dallas 22/6/44; Langley 27/7/44; Grenier 11/8/44; Assigned PFF as 369BS/306BG [WW-K] Thurleigh 13/8/44; transferred 95BG Horham 14/8/44; 3m, transferred 100BG Thorpe Abbotts 30/10/44; battle damaged Hamm 26/11/44 with ?; force landed St Trond...

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  DM127

  Master
  Miles Master III DM127 assigned to HQ 3rd Air Division, 8th AF USAAF. Crashed on local fight from Elvedon Hall/Sta 116 pilot Lt Lynn H Mokler KIA. 17-Oct-43.

Citations

None