3rd Bomb Wing
Wing
One of four original bombardment wings of the Eighth Air Force, the 3rd Bomb Wing comprised four groups of B-26 Marauder medium bombers by September 1943, as part of VIII Air Support Command.
Its HQ had moved from Elveden Hall, Suffolk to Marks Hall, Essex in the spring of 1943 in an exchange of bases with B-17s of the 4th Bomb Wing.
The 3rd Bomb Wing and its assets then transferred to Ninth Air Force control (as part of IX Bomber Command) on October 16th 1943 – becoming the nucleus of the 98th Combat Bombardment Wing, headquarted at Earls Colne airfield.
The '3rd Wing' designation then disappeared from USAAF nomenclature until after WW2.
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: 1st Combat Bomb Wing Headquarters (Eighth Air Force)
- Service Numbers: O-17468
- Highest Rank: Major General
- Role/Job: Commander
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 387th Bomb Group 558th Bomb Squadron Headquarters Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-020743
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 3rd Air Division
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Assistant Chief of Staff
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: IX Bomber Command
- Highest Rank: General
Connections
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Unit stations
Station | Location | Date |
---|---|---|
Based |
Elveden Hall | 12 September 1942 - 12 June 1943 |
Based |
Marks Hall | 12 June 1943 |
Encompassing
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Revisions
Clarification of 3rd BW's status; and removal from USAAF unit listings in October 1943.
Airfields of the Ninth Then & Now (R A Freeman, 1994)
Air Force Combat Units of World War II (Maurer, 1983)