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Men of the 386th Bomb Group Belgium 1946


Mother’s Day Parade
A-92 Sint-Truiden (Saint Trond) Belgium
– Later known as: Sint-Truiden Air Base - Brustem
– Captured 16 Sep 1944
– Opened: 18 Sep 1944 - Closed: Undetermined
– Runway 1: 5250x165, CON (14/32)
– Runway 2: 4740x165, CON (09/27)
– Runway 3: 5070x165, CON (06/24)
– Used by:
• 48th Fighter Group, 30 Sep 1944-26 Mar 1945 (A-20)
• 404th Fighter Group, 4 Oct 1944-30 Mar 1945 (P-47)
• 386th Bombardment Group, 9 Apr – 27 Jul 1945 (B-26)

A-20 Havoc / Boston


St Trond in Belgium – Dec.1944
507th squadron P47s taxiing and having their guns loaded. The practice of the mechanics
riding on the wings was introduced after one plane's propeller chewed up the tail of the plane
ahead while lining up for takeoff. These photographs were taken at St Trond in Belgium. -
"Hawkeye Gal" was Donald Dove's aircraft, whilst Y8*M was usually flown by Robert Reiff.
Brustem – Dec.1944
Brustem – Dec.1944
Brustem – Dec.1944
365th Fighter Group
Chievres Air Base Feb.1945
Brustem Nov. 22,1944
The four pilots in a line are 1st Lt
Crocker, 2nd Lt Fisher, 1st Lt Int-
Hout, Capt.Simpson.

Left: Major General Hoyt S Vandenberg, US Ninth Air Force commander, centre: 2d Lt. John
W. Wainwright, right: Colonel Carroll "Red" McColpin, 404th Fighter Group commander, a
former RAF Eagle squadron commander and a fighter ace with eight confirmed victories.
Colonel Carroll W McColpin was the base commander at Winkton, England in 1944.
Wainwright was presented with the Air Medal. General Vandenberg had recommended him
for the Distinguished Service Cross for his six victories on September 28, 1944 but the DSC
was not awarded until January 8, 1945. - Sadly Wainwright was killed in an aircraft accident
in Germany on July 7, 1945.
Brustem Dec.19, 1944
The Hun Hunters – Brustem April 1945
Brustem 30 May,1945
Brustem 30 May,1945
P47s of the 506th Squadron, 404th FG return to Winkton
after a mission, May or early June 1944

Ninth Air Force units were very mobile, first deploying to France on 16
June 1944, ten days after the Normandy invasion by moving P-47
Thunderbolts to a beach-head landing strip. Because of their short
range, operational combat units would have to move to quickly-prepared
bases close to the front as soon as the Allied ground forces advanced.
The bases were called "Advanced Landing Grounds" or "ALGs". On the
continent, many ALGs were built either from scratch or from captured
enemy airfields throughout France, the Low Countries and Germany.
Ninth Air Force units moved frequently from one ALG to another.
Lt Col Leo Moon was the commander of  the
508th squadron of the 404th Fighter Group
throughout the time the squadron was a
Winkton, England.
Bombardment of Hasselt
by A-26 Marauders on 11 May,1944
B-17 on a bombing run over Melsbroek on June 14th,1944
Melsbroek
Lockheed P-38 fighter-bombers, taxiing out for take-off on a dive-bombing
mission. This specific mission was an armed reconnaissance on tank and
motor transport of the Von Runstedt’s offensive, which at this time was
within only 15 miles from this airfield. (Florennes-Air Base)
Bombs on Charleroi
Liege - May 25,1944
386th Bomb Group moved to St-Trond, Belgium – from 9 April-July 1945
Liege - May 25,1944
Chievres Air Base – Dec.1944 – Capt. George W. King taxies his P-47D of the
386th FS – 365th Fighter group, past an M45- four .50 caliber AA emplacement .
St.Trond - March 1945
June 12, 1945
Headcorn Airfield, England

This is Lt. Ralph Sallee’s P-47D, of the 379th Fighter


Squadron, 362nd Fighter Group. Lt. Sallee shot down 2
FW-190 over Bastogne on December 26th,1944 – Three Lt. Gene Martin, a pilot with the 379th Fighter Squadron, 362nd
pilots in his flight were lost. Fighter Group during the last phases of World War II. - Gene
served from the very end of the Battle of the Bulge “
On July 9, 1944, the 362nd Fighter group continued its
rampage over central France while still flying from
Headcorn field, England. The group would move across the
Channel soon, but until then they had to fly across the
channel, over the invasion beaches and attack its targets
before returning the same way.

Prior to D-Day the 362nd's losses were a modest nine


aircraft missing in action. but, in the weeks following, the
attrition rate soared. In June alone, 24 P-47s failed to return.
including four on the 14th and five on the 18th, highlighting
the dangers of operations at low level.

Pilot Capt.Wilton Crutchfield’s “Kentucky


Colonel” also went through an evolution of
markings, acquiring a cartoon hillbilly character
on the cowling sometime in early 1945.
Photo of a P-47D cockpit
48th Bombardment Group (Light)
P-47 Thunderbolt
• Operations. It moved to England to serve with Ninth Air Force in
Mar 1944. Employing P-47 aircraft, the group began fighter
sweeps over the French Coast in Apr 1944. – Moved to St.Truiden
Air Base on Sep.15th, 1944.

• It escorted bombers and conducted dive-bombing missions in


northern France in preparation for the allied invasion of
Normandy in Jun 1944. On D-Day (6 Jun), it bombed bridges and
enemy artillery positions. Moving to new bases in France, the
group supported Allied ground forces as they broke through
German lines at St Lo and drove across Northern France toward
the Rhine River during the summer of 1944.
• The 48th earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for close air
support of Allied ground forces advancing against an enemy
stronghold north of Julich, Germany on 6 Dec 1944. During the
Battle of the Bulge (Dec 1944 - Jan 1945) it supported American
counterattacks and from Jan-May 1944, provided close air
support of advancing ground forces in northwestern Europe.
Bassingbourn, England,
“Memphis Belle”
after her 25th operational missions
“Memphis Belle” return flight to the States after
her 25 operational missions in the ETO .
Boeing B-17F-10-BO Flying Fortress Serial 41-24485, Memphis Belle,
324th Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group, June 9, 1943 – On it’s
return flight to the USA.

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