Roger Swain
Military | Captain | Command Pilot, Commanding Officer | 100th Bomb Group
Served as commanding officer of the 1st Gunnery and Tow Target Flight from 7 August 1944- 6 November 1944.
...
Following recent government announcements the museum is currently closed, there is plenty to explore in our online archive.
The American Air Museum is a charity - Find out how you can support us
Flight
Activated on 1 February 1943 as 1st Provisional Gunnery Flight at Atcham as part of VIII Fighter Command's fighter training establishment.
Redesignated 2025th Gunner Flight on 24 February 1943 with a strength of 5 Officers and 34 Enlisted men. The unit was moved to Llanbedr in March 1943 and was a lodger with the RAF.
On 26 August 1943 the unit was redesginated as 1st Gunnery and Tow Target Flight, it was assigned to VIII Composite Command on 14 February 1944.
The unit was reassigned to VIII Fighter Command on 29 September 1944, and then on 19 November 1944 assigned to the 65th Fighter Wing.
Disbanded in May 1945.
Military | Captain | Command Pilot, Commanding Officer | 100th Bomb Group
Served as commanding officer of the 1st Gunnery and Tow Target Flight from 7 August 1944- 6 November 1944.
...
Military | Captain | Commanding Officer
Commanding officer of the 1st Gunnery and Tow Target Flight from January 1943- December 1943.
On 18 February 1943 experienced a taxying accident in Spitfire BL660 at RAF Perton.
Military | Captain
Served as commanding officer of the 1st Gunnery and Tow Target Flight from December 1943- 7 August 1944.
From 24 June- August 1944 Crabtree served with an RAF Typhoon Squadron in France.
Military | First Lieutenant
Served as acting commanding officer of the 1st Gunnery and Tow Target Flight from 27 June 1944- 7 August 1944, while Captain Norman Crabtree was serving with the RAF.
Military | Captain
Served as Commanding Officer of the 1st Gunnery and Tow Target Flight from 9 November 1944- April 1945.
Command
Command
VIII Fighter Command was established as VIII Interceptor Command at Selfridge Field on 2 February 1942.
Wing
Browse 65th Fighter Wing photographs and other documents in the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library digital archive here: www.2ndair.org.uk/digitalarchive/Dashboard/Index/51
Station | Location | Date |
---|---|---|
Based | Atcham | 1 February 1943 – 3 March 1943 |
Based | Llanbedr | 3 March 1943 – 6 July 1943 |
Based | Warton | 6 July 1943 – 14 December 1943 |
Based | Templeton | 14 December 1943 – 8 May 1944 |
Based | Atcham | 8 May 1944 – 10 May 1944 |
Based | Sutton Bridge | 10 May 1944 – 21 November 1944 |
Based | Little Walden | 21 November 1944 – 10 January 1945 |
Based | Halesworth | 10 January 1945 – May 1945 |
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 56th Fighter Group
Gene Beason served as a fighter pilot with the 62nd Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group, flying missions out of Boxted, England. He flew a total of 65 missions and was credited with five victories. In January 1945, he was transferred to the 1st...
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Right Waist Gunner and Aircraft Mechanic
TSGT James Orman Burke Jr story
...
Military | Captain
Served as commanding officer of the 1st Gunnery and Tow Target Flight from December 1943- 7 August 1944.
From 24 June- August 1944 Crabtree served with an RAF Typhoon Squadron in France.
Military | Captain
Served as Commanding Officer of the 1st Gunnery and Tow Target Flight from 9 November 1944- April 1945.
Military | Captain | Commanding Officer
Commanding officer of the 1st Gunnery and Tow Target Flight from January 1943- December 1943.
On 18 February 1943 experienced a taxying accident in Spitfire BL660 at RAF Perton.
Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 392nd Bomb Group
Entered service at Shepard Field, TX January 1943. Joined 392nd BG September 1944. His rank at end of WW II was 1st Lieutenant. His Pilot was Jack Clarke.
...
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
Captured after his B-17, 42-29807, was hit by flak en-route to his target at Flushing, Holland. The aircraft split in two and crashed into the Scheldt River, about four miles east of Flushing. Only Ralph Miller and his tail gunner Emil Radosevich...
Military | Captain | Command Pilot, Commanding Officer | 100th Bomb Group
Served as commanding officer of the 1st Gunnery and Tow Target Flight from 7 August 1944- 6 November 1944.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner; Waist Gunner | 445th Bomb Group
Completed 34 missions as top turret and waist gunner from Dec. 5, 1944 to April 25, 1945 with the same crew members on the Jean Ridley crew. All returned safely to the States together at the end of European hostilities. After furlough was assigned...
Military | First Lieutenant
Served as acting commanding officer of the 1st Gunnery and Tow Target Flight from 27 June 1944- 7 August 1944, while Captain Norman Crabtree was serving with the RAF.
A-31 Vengeance
Vultee A-35B [Later variant of A-31] Vengeance 41-31367, a tow-target tug with the 1st Gunnery & Tow Target Flight, 8th AF.
Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire W3264 Mk Vb, Const #1730, Built at Eastleigh.
...
Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire BL660 Mk Va, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory.
Delivered to No 12 MU 16-5-42, assigned to 307S 1-10-42, ROS, assigned to HQ 8Ftr Command 21-10-42.
Lysander
Westland Lysander Mk II, assigned to 1st Gunnery & Tow Target Flight, 333rd Service Group, 8th Air Force.
Lysander
Westland Lysander T1552 Mk III assigned to 8AF USAAF. Part of a batch of 250 delivered between Aug 1940 and Feb 1941. It served with 4 Squadron but had been passed on to 9 Group Target Towing Flight which in turn became 1486 (Fighter) Gunnery Flight in...
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 61st Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 1 Gunnery Target Flight, 6th Fighter Wing 8AF. Transferred to 552FTS, 495FTG, 8AF USAAF. Killed in crash due to explosion Gerwyn Farm, Eynton Cat 5 damage, pilot Lt James...
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 63FS, 56FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 1GTTF, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 552FTS, 495FTG, 8AF USAAF.
None
Date | Contributor | Update |
---|---|---|
06 December 2019 15:09:32 | Emily | Changes to description, aircraft types, unit encompassing associations and stations |
Sources | ||
Freeman, Mighty Eighth War Manual, p 128 |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
06 October 2014 21:32:12 | Paul Bellamy | Changes to type, category, name and unit encompassing associations |
Sources | ||
Mighty Eighth War Manual (Roger A Freeman 1984, 2001) |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:43:00 | AAM | AAM ingest |
Sources | ||
Units in the UK from ETOUSA Station List, as transcribed by Lt. Col. Philip Grinton (US Army, Retired) and extracted by IWM; air division data from L.D. Underwood, based on the 8th Air Force Strength Report of 6th August 1944, as published in 'The 8th Air Force Yearbook' by Lt. Col. John H Woolnough (1980) |