VIII Bomber Command
CommandGeneral Carl A Spaatz stands to the left of the ladder, Beirne Lay behind the guide rope and Fred Castle on the near corner. Many other officers from 8th Air Force Bomber Command are also present.
Image stamped on reverse: 'Photo Supplied Photopress Central.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 18 Aug 1942.' [stamp], 'USA (BRI) CCC.' [written annotation] and '216036.' [Censor no.]
Printed caption on reverse: 'Picture shows: Aerodrome Personnel on the Control Tower watching for the return of the planes from the raid.' Handwritten caption on reverse: 'USAAF 1, 17/8/42 A.' Roger Freeman Collection
Mission and person associations, and people identified in Freeman, Mighty Eighth War Diary
Image originally identified as 97th Bomb Group, as it was filed with 97BG images by Freeman.
VIII Bomber Command was constituted and activated in 1942. It oversaw heavy bombardment operations until February 1944, when it was redesginated as the 8th Air Force.
Commanding Officers
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: US Strategic Air Forces VIII Bomber Command 95th Bomb Group 412th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-17175
- Highest Rank: General
- Role/Job: Commanding General
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: Headquarters Squadron (VIII Bomber Command) Headquarters (Eighth Air Force) United States Army Forces in the British Isles
- Service Numbers: O-7478
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant General
- Role/Job: Commanding General, 8th Air Force
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: Headquarters (Eighth Air Force) Fifteenth Air Force
- Service Numbers: O-271855
- Highest Rank: General
- Role/Job: Commanding General
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: VIII Bomber Command 1st Combat Bomb Wing
- Service Numbers: O-10995
- Highest Rank: Brigadier General
- Role/Job: Commanding General, 8th Air Force Bomber Command
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Unit stations
Station | Location | Date |
---|---|---|
Established |
Langley Army Airfield | 1 February 1942 |
Other Redesignated 8th Air Force |
High Wycombe | 22 February 1944 |
Based |
High Wycombe | 22 February 1944 |
Encompassing
- Unit Hierarchy: Division
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Wing
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Combat organisation
- Unit Hierarchy: Unit
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Other
- Unit Hierarchy: Platoon
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Air base
- Unit Hierarchy: Platoon
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: US Strategic Air Forces VIII Bomber Command 95th Bomb Group 412th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-17175
- Highest Rank: General
- Role/Job: Commanding General
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: VIII Bomber Command
- Service Numbers: O-649878 (?)
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Statistical Control Officer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: VIII Bomber Command Headquarters (Eighth Air Force)
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Chief of Supply
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: VIII Bomber Command 3rd Air Division 13th Combat Bomb Wing 418th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: VIII Bomber Command
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: - Fightin Sam
- Unit: VIII Bomber Command 389th Bomb Group 801st Bomb Group 566th Bomb Squadron 859th Bomb Squadron
Mission
- Date: 19 March 1945
- Official Description:
- Date: 27 February 1945
- Date: 2 June 1944
- Official Description:
- Date: 1 August 1943
- Official Description:
Revisions
Added High Wycombe as a base using Philip Grinton's 21 June 1943 listing as a source.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database