RAF Bomber Command
29 June 1942
Bomber Command War Diaries:
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Squadron
The 15th Bomb Squadron was the first US bomb unit sent to UK. Flying personnel arrived at Newport without aircraft on 13 May 1942.
The 15th Bomb Squadron flew five light bombing missions in DB-7 A-20 Bostons from the UK before being reassigned to the Twelfth Air Force at Mediouna, Algeria from 15-Oct-1942 to 1-Oct-1943. They were later absorbed by the 47th Bomb Group.
29 June 1942
Bomber Command War Diaries:
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12 July 1942
Bomber Command War Diaries:
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5 September 1942
15BS despatches 12 DB-7 A-20 bombers to attack the port area of Le Harve, France. 1st mission for 15BS under 8th AF control; 97BG & 301BG attack the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen/ Sotteville, France.
6 September 1942
15BS despatches 12 DB-7 A-20 Boston IIIs to attack the German airfield of Drucat at Abbeville, France; 92BG & 97BG together despatach 51 B-17s to bomb the Avion Portez aircraft factory ar Meaulte, France; 301BG despatches 13 B-17s to attack German...
2 October 1942
97BG and 301BG together despatch 43 B-17s to bomb the Avion Portez aircraft factory ar Meaulte, France; 97BG also despatches 6 B-17s to attack the German airfield Longuenesse at St. Omer, France which is intended as a diversion to the main attack at...
Station | Location | Date |
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Arrived in UK | Newport | 13 May 1942 |
Based | Grafton Underwood | 14 May 1942 – 9 June 1942 |
Based | Molesworth | 9 June 1942 – 13 September 1942 |
Based | Podington | 13 September 1942 – 15 October 42 |
Military | Captain | Fighter pilot
Assigned to 15BS, 12AF flying A-20 Havoc's flying more than 50 bombing missions. Transferred to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Credited 1/2 kill (Me262). Whilst carrying out a third strafing pass on a train, shot down 4 miles SW Neumarkt, Germany in P-51D 44...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 97th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA)/On 4 July 1942 t/o from Swanton Morley at 0714 hrs. Shot down by flak and broke up in air north of Bergen-aan-Zee, Holland. Lt. Grant was on special assignment from the 97th BG/414th BS. Two crew, the pilot and the doral gunner...
Military | Major | Pilot | 301st Bomb Group
Kegelman received the Distinguished Service Cross for the 8th Air Force's first bombing action over Europe on 4 July 1942. The right propeller of his Douglas Boston was shot away by flak while over the target at De Koog. Further ground fire caused...
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Dorsal Gunner
Assigned to the 15th Bombardment Squadron (Light) attached to 226th Squadron RAF and was Killed in Action (KIA) on 4-Jul-1942 while serving as a Dorsal Gunner in the crew of 2Lt. William G. Lynn, Jr. on a Boston III (A-20), tail number AL741, which was...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot
Boston III AL677 MQ-P (a RAF training plane borrowed for the unit until US planes arrived) was shot down by flak and crashed on sandbar opposite DeKooij af, Island of Texel, Holland. 15th BG was a liaison squadron.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot
First American airman of the Eighth Air Force who went down while flying in RAF Boston over occupied territory. Mission was to Holland and was first mission from England for the 8th AAF. This happened on 4 July 1942 and we have no record of his MACR...
Military | Second Lieutenant
On 1 July 42 crashed 200 yards west of Molesworth airfield on approach, killing the crew of 2. A/c was on loan from 107th Squadron RAF, while the 15th BS was attached to 226 Squadron RAF, Swanton Morley. Originally buried in adjoing plots at Brookwood,...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner
Killed in Action (KIA)/On 4 July 1942. Take off from Swanton Morley at 0714 hrs. Shot down by flak and broke up in air north of Bergen-aan-Zee, Holland.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 27th Fighter Group
Killed in Action (KIA) in Boston III AL 381 which hit high tension wires near Thrapston.
Military | Colonel | Pilot, Squadron Commander, 15th bomb squadron
Col. Harold A. Radetsky, USAAF. Most of his World War II years were spent overseas, initially participating as an "A-20" bomber pilot with the first U.S. military unit, 15th Bomb Squadron, to attack occupied Europe from England on July 4, 1942. The...
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Date | Contributor | Update |
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14 August 2019 10:11:09 | Emily | Changes to description and stations |
Sources | ||
Date | Contributor | Update |
13 March 2015 16:10:22 | rossingtonj | Changes to type and mission associations |
Sources | ||
Type added. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
07 November 2014 17:44:44 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description, mission associations and stations |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 7-Nov-2014. Added station info. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15th_Bombardment_Squadron |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
26 October 2014 18:14:44 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description, air forces, aircraft types and mission associations |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 26-Oct-2014. "USAAF Combat Chronology" Jack McKillop, "Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:42:47 | AAM | AAM ingest |
Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / 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). |