48th Fighter Group | American Air Museum in Britain

The insignia of the 493rd Fighter Squadron, 48th Fighter Group. Written on slide casing: '493 FS, 48 FG.'

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Source photo: USAAF Class Book Project / Arie-Jan van Hees. Pilot Class Book 43-E, Brooks Field, Texas.

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Pilots walk past a P-47D serial 42-76381 "The Chief" (coded B2-S) assigned to the commander of the 366th FG. Image stamped on reverse: 'Passed for publication 15 Aug 1944.' [stamp] and '350067.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: '9th AAF IN FRANCE: pilots on their way to the planes to start off on a mission. Most pilots keep their chutes and Mae Wests in planes. Scherschel LIFE.'

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Lieutenant Alfred W. Martin of the 48th Fighter Group helps ground crew to refuel his P-47 Thunderbolt. A P-47 nicknamed "Miss Lace" is in the background. Printed caption on reverse: 'SERVICING US PLANES IN FRANCE. Ground crewmen of the Ninth US Air Force Service Command refuel and ream a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter plane at an Allied airfield in France. The pilo of the fighter Lieutenant Alfred W. Martin, Detroit, Michigan, stands on the wing behind the man filling the tank, ready to take off on another mission in support of Allied ground forces in France. Ninth US Air Force Photo.'

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493rd Fighter Squadron replacement pilots outside their accommodation at Ibsley Grange, 1944. From left to right: George Pullis, Roderick Watts, Rodney Heyl and Donald Ferguson. Pullis, Watts and Ferguson were in the first group of pilots to join the 493rd after it arrived at Ibsley. Heyl was in the second group along with Jake Cooper, Jim Watson and Thomas Linstrom.

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The insignia of the 494th Fighter Squadron, 48th Fighter Group. Written on slide casing: '494 FS, 48 FG.'

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A P-47 Thunderbolt of the 48th Fighter Group, fitted with drop fuel tanks. Image via Harold. Written on slide casing: 'St Trond, 24/3/45, 493 FS, 48 FG.'

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The Seminary at Villacoublay air base in France, occupied and used by the 48th Fighter Group. Image via Harold. Written on slide casing: '7/9/44 Villacoublay Seminary, BOQ A-42.'

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P-47 Thunderbolts of the 48th Fighter Group at Illesheim on VE Day. Image via Harold. Written on slide casing: 'Illesheim R-10, 8/5/45. 48 FG/ 493 FS P-47s.'

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Pilots of the 48th Fighter Group in Normandy, 22 August 1944. Image via Harold. Written on slide casing: '22/8/44, 493 FS, A-4 Normandy Pilots.'

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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.

Structure

Part of

70th Fighter Wing

Wing

Encompassing

492nd Fighter Squadron

Squadron
493rd Fighter Squadron

Squadron
494th Fighter Squadron

Squadron
Headquarters (48th Fighter Group)

Headquarters
2018th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon

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.

Previously was

Not yet known

Became

Not yet known

Stations

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

Connections

People

John Anusewicz

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...
Warren Edinborough

Military | Second Lieutenant | 356th Fighter Group
Donald Engel

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
Norman Johnson

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...
William Johnson

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. ...
George Knittle

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...
George Pullis

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. ...
Homer Young

Military | Captain | Pilot | 48th Fighter Group
Enlisting and training ...

Aircraft

42-25451

P-47 Thunderbolt
42-25509

P-47 Thunderbolt
42-25716

P-47 Thunderbolt
42-25725

P-47 Thunderbolt
42-25767

P-47 Thunderbolt
42-25778

P-47 Thunderbolt
42-25863

P-47 Thunderbolt
42-25891

P-47 Thunderbolt
42-26138

P-47 Thunderbolt
42-26334

P-47 Thunderbolt

Citations

None

Date	Contributor	Update
25 July 2015 03:37:31	466thHistorian	Changes to stations
Sources
Battle Colors - Volume III - Robert A. Watkins
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.
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)