70th Fighter Wing
Wing
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Group
The Group moved to England in March 1944 and were stationed at Ibsley where the pilots trained in P-47s in preparation for the Allied invasion of Normandy. The wartime motto was in Latin 'vulneratus non victus' (Unconquered even though wounded).
On D-Day, 6 June 1944, the Group bombed bridges and German gun positions and over the next couple of months supported the Allies advance across France. They also supported the airborne attack on Holland in September.
Their work over the winter of 1944-1945 would see them awarded two Belgian citations for their close support of Allied ground troops as well as a Distinguished Unit Citation.
The group's missions were varied. As well as flying patrol and escort missions, the group also flew weather reconnaissance and leaflet-dropping missions. On one occasion their payload consisted of blood plasma which was dropped in belly tanks to troops on the ground for medical transfusions.
Wing
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Headquarters
Platoon
Unit departed New York Port of Embarkation on 8 October 1943 on the S.S. Thurston arriving at Courock, Scotland on 17 October 1943.
Station | Location | Date |
---|---|---|
Based | Ibsley | 29 March 1944 – 18 June 1944 |
Based | Villacoublay | 29 April 1944 – 15 September 1944 |
Based | Deaux Jumeaux | 18 June 1944 – 29 April 1944 |
Based | Cambrai/Niergnies | 15 September 1944 – 30 September 1944 |
Based | St Trond | 30 September 1944 – 29 March 1945 |
Based | Kassel/Rothwesten | 17 April 1945 – 29 April 1945 |
Military | First Sergeant (1st Grade) | P-47 Thunderbolt - Armourer | 48th Fighter Group
John was 18 when he joined up. He became an armourer with the 48th Fighter Group of the Ninth Air Force. He was responsible for preparing P-47 Thunderbolts before they took off on missions from their temporary airfields in France. ‘I know when you are...
Military | Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 356th Fighter Group
January 1945-EOW; former 405th FGp, 9th Air Force pilot.
Military | Flying Officer | Fighter pilot | 48th Fighter Group
Assigned to 492FS, 48FG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) armoured column cover to Urbach, Germany in P-47 42-8445 Killed in Action (KIA) 21-Nov-44. MACR 15880/10581
Military | Flight Lieutenant | Fighter pilot | 48th Fighter Group
Flew combat in the Aleutians campaign, for outstanding service over Kiska, he was awarded the air medal by General Butler. After a period of leave he was assigned to 492FS, 48FG, 9AF USAAF in Jan-44. Shot down while flying interdiction near the...
Military | Major | Fighter Pilot | 366th Fighter Group
William R Johnson served as a fighter pilot with the 9th Air Force. He completed 107 missions in P-47 Thunderbolts over the European Theater from England, France and Belgium and three missions over Kiska, Alaska in an A-24 Divebomber.
...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 48th Fighter Group
George Knittle's P-47 #43-25540 was hit by Flak during a sweep on the Koblenz airfield; oil and water systems out; crash-landed 22 February 1945 near Anhausen, 10km NE of Neuwied (North of Koblenz), Germany. Pilot safe, captured the same day. Interned...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 48th Fighter Group
Assigned to 464FS, 48FG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Alecon, France; dive bombed road transport, bomb blast caused his A/C to crash, baled out Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 7926
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 48th Fighter Group
Assigned to 464FS, 48FG, 9AF USAAF. ETD
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 48th Fighter Group
George Pullis flew over 120 combat missions with the 48th Fighter Group. He scored one recorded victory on 8 April 1945. He did have to bale out on 22 March 1945 but made it safely back to base at St Trond, Belgium.
...
Military | Captain | Pilot | 48th Fighter Group
Enlisting and training
...
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
None
Date | Contributor | Update |
---|---|---|
25 July 2015 03:37:31 | 466thHistorian | Changes to stations |
Sources | ||
Battle Colors - Volume III - Robert A. Watkins |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
17 December 2014 11:29:47 | Lucy May | Changes to type, motto, description, aircraft types and stations |
Sources | ||
Added dates that the Group were stationed at Ibsley. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:42:46 | AAM | AAM ingest |
Sources | ||
Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / The Mighty Eighth. A History of the Units, Men and Machines of the US 8th Air Force.' by Roger A. Freeman (1989). 'Air Force Combat Units of World War II' compiled by the Department of the US Air Force, edited by Maurice Maurer (1983). / 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) |