64th, 65th & 66th Fighter Squadrons | 57th Fighter Group | 9th & 12th AAF | "First In The Blue"

[walika]

64th, 65th & 66th Fighter Squadrons | 57th Fighter Group | 9th & 12th AAF | "First In The Blue"

 

 

Constituted as 57th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 15 Jan 1941. Trained with P-40’s. Served as part of the defense force on the east coast after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Redesignated 57th Fighter Group in May 1942. Moved to the Middle East, Jul-Aug 1942. Trained with RAF. Began operations in Oct 1942.

 

Took part in the Battle of El Alamein and, as part of Ninth AF, supported British Eighth Army’s drive across Egypt and Libya, escorting bombers and flying strafing and dive-bombing missions against airfields, communications, and troop concentrations until the defeat of Axis forces in Tunisia in May 1943. Received a DUC for performance on 18 Apr 1943 when the group destroyed more than 70 of the enemy’s transport and fighter planes in an aerial battle over the Gulf of Tunis.

 

Participated in the reduction of Pantelleria (May-Jun 1943) and the conquest of Sicily (Jul-Aug 1943). Received another DUC for front-line operations in direct support of British Eighth Army from the Battle of El Alamein to the capitulation of enemy forces in Sicily. Assigned to Twelfth AF in Aug 1943 and continued operations in the Mediterranean theater until the end of the war. Supported British Eighth Army’s landing at Termoli and subsequent operations in Italy (Oct 1943-Feb 1944) by flying dive-bombing, strafing, patrol, and escort missions.

 

Converted to P-47’s early in 1944 and used the new aircraft for interdictory operations in Italy, receiving a DUC for a series of devastating attacks on rail lines, trains, motor vehicles, bridges, and other targets in the Florence-Arezzo area on 14 Apr 1944. Participated in the French campaign against Elba in Jun 1944 and in the invasion of Southern France in Aug. Engaged in interdictory and support operations in northern Italy from Sep 1944 to May 1945. Returned to the US in Aug 1945. Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945.

 

SQUADRONS. 64th: 1941-1945 65th: 1941-1945. 66th: 1941-1945.

 

STATIONS. Mitchel Field, NY, 15 Jan 1941 ; Windsor Locks, Conn, 19 Aug 1941 ; Boston, Mass, 8 Dec 1941-c. 1 Jul 1942; Muqeibile, Palestine, c. 20 Jul 1942; Egypt, 16 Sep 1942; Libya, 12 Nov 1942; Tunisia, Mar 1943; Malta, Jun 1943; Sicily, Jul 1943; Southern Italy, Sep 1943; Gioia Airfield, Italy, c. 25 Sep 1943; Foggia, Italy, Oct 1943; Amendola, Italy, c. 27 Oct 1943; Cercola, Italy, Mar 1944; Corsica, Mar 1944; Ombrone Airfield, Italy, Sep IW; Grosseto, Ita!y, Sep 1944; Villafranca di Verona, Italy, 29 Apr 1945; Grosseto, Italy, 7 May 1945; Bagnoli, Italy, 15 Jul-5 Aug 1945; Drew Field, Fla, 21 Aug-7 Nov 1945.

 

AIRCRAFT. P-40, 1941-1944; P-47, 1944-1945.

 

CAMPAIGNS. Air Combat, EAME Theater; Egypt-Libya; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Rome-Arno; Southern France; North Apennines; Po Valley.

 

INSIGNE. Shield: Azure, on a chevron embattled or, between three pyramids of the last, as many mullets gules. Motto: FIRST IN THE BLUE.

 

Theater-made, North Africa. Painted leather, incised. Rare early-war insignia, circa October, 1942.

 

 

 

64th Fighter Squadron

 

EMBLEM. On a disc, a black scorpion; nose, pincher limbs, underbody, and legs all with black markings; from his mouth a flame of the last and yellow; the scorpion superimposed over an Air Force yellow pyramid, its apex rising upward in a white cloud formation, all outlines and detail black.

 

Theater-made. Incised on leather, hand-painted.

 

 

 

 

65th Fighter Squadron

 

EMBLEM. On a green disc, a red gamecock in fighting attitude, beak and feet yellow, spurred white, wearing a flying helmet black, and carrying a chip of wood on left [right] shoulder, yellow, all outlined black. He is collared with a green shamrock. (Approved 18 Dec 1941.)

 

Embroidered on wool.

 

 

 

Fully embroidered.

 

 

 

Theater-made Painted leather, incised.

 

 

 

66th Fighter Squadron

 

EMBLEM. On a background of white clouds in a fighting stance, a brown bird with white markings on head and arms and a white stomach, the body and head of a penguin with the yellow claws and beak of a falcon, holding a lighted cigar, wearing the clothes of a pug-a red cap with visor pulled down and worn backwards, a yellow turtle-necked jersey with sleeves rolled up, and boxing gloves. (Approved 2 Jan 1942.)

 

Embroidered on wool.

 

 

 

Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II.
Maurer, Maurer. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force World War II.

 

64fs 57fg 12aaf

65fs 57fg 12aaf

64fs 57fg 12aaf

 

 

 

 

[Randy]

The 65th on felt I have from a former F-94 pilot in 1952 with the 65th Fighter-Interceptor Sq. I know of another one in a collection with the same timeframe on it. Just letting you know there is conflicting information with the era posted above. Did you have something that could place it in WW 2 for sure? Just asking to get it right, thanks!

 

Randy

[walika]

 

 

18 hours ago, Randy said:

The 65th on felt I have from a former F-94 pilot in 1952 with the 65th Fighter-Interceptor Sq. I know of another one in a collection with the same time frame on it. Just letting you know there is conflicting information with the era posted above. Did you have something that could place it in WW 2 for sure? Just asking to get it right, thanks!

 

Randy

 

Hi Randy,

 

Thanks for your comment. Similar in construction to the 66th FS shown, the plush wool and cheesecloth backing suggest to me it is WWII-era. Here's an image of the back.

 

Rick

 

 

[walika]

Additional information about the squadron insignia from the 57th Fighter Group web site:

 

64th Fighter Squadron “Black Scorpions”

 

Anyway, the story of how we got the Black Scorpion insignia is an interesting one. The Group arrived in Palestine with 65th insignia (Fighting Cock) and the 66th Squadron insignia (Exterminator) established and approved by whatever Board or Committee the Air Corps had to authorize such considerations.

 

The 64th Squadron submitted one that portrayed a Knight in full armor, holding a jousting pole, and on a warhorse going full tilt. Get the picture. Anyway, this submission was denied approval and the 64th had no insignia when it arrived in the war zone.

 

Pudge Wheeler, who was the Squadron Commander, and Buck Bilby who was Operations Officer decided to do something about this matter. Both men had problems with black scorpions getting in their shoes when they set them under their cots. Several of our guys got stung by them also. We all learned quickly to tie our shoes to the ridgepole of our tents to keep the pesky critters out of our shoes.

 

In any case, these two great guys suggested that we adopt the black scorpion as our insignia. They were agile. They had a stinger that poured out venom and they could be deadly. The idea took hold and we adopted the Black Scorpion as our insignia. Of course, it was not authorized but we continued to make additions and it evolved into the insignia as you have seen it. We didn't add the pyramid until we got into Sicily and Buck Bilby, Hal Routh and I put the pyramid on to show where we had been. It was also a symbol of strength. So we now have a blue background of sky, a white cloud, a pyramid with a fire-breathing black scorpion poised to sting superimposed on it. Routh, who was the artist, decided to put the red border around it. That is how it came about.

 

Sometime in 1956, General Joe Cannon discovered that this insignia had never been authorized, let alone approved, and he took care of the necessary formality to make everything legal. That is the story. — Paul Carll 64th

 

65th Fighter Squadron “Fighting Cocks”

 

From “Stars and Stripes” Mediterranean Edition, Rome, January 30. 1945:

 

Like his predecessor Uncle Bud is cocky, ill-tempered, fighting son-of-a-gun of a rooster and that’s the way the boys like him. When Col. Phil Cochran, former commander of the “Fighting Cock” Squadron asked Milt Caniff, creator of “Terry & The Pirates,” to design the original Uncle Bud, he said, “I don’t care what you come up with, Milt, just so long as he’s a fighting son of a gun.”

 

66th Fighter Squadron “Exterminators”

 

The squadron insignia was designed by one of the enlisted men, Howard Galipeau. A talented aircraft mechanic as well as an artist of talent. It was originally designed as a fighting duck in Windsor Locks in 1942 because it was thought the 57th would be going to Alaska. When instead it was sent to Africa he altered the design, which still resembled a penguin or duck but very pugnacious. Early in the African campaign a U.S. reporter visited the 57th and interviewed the squadron and group personnel. The "Black Scorpions" were the 64th, the "Fighting Cocks" were the 65th but no name was assigned to the 66th so he called it squadron "X". So the X was added to the insignia. Due to the excellent damage to the German forces in the desert war the "X" was changed to "Exterminators" which stuck to the squadron until the group was declassified. — Dave Hutton 66th

 

[Randy]

Thanks for the reply Rick. This construction was used well into the 50s. I have several examples. I have the 66 on felt as well, and have ID'd as a FIS but have no solid provenance on it like the 65th. There is also this one, made almost exactly like the large one but smaller and with the designation. I'll throw in a 64th FIS as well made on felt with a FIS designation. I guess what I'm saying is this type of manufacture is not just WW 2 but goes about 15 years beyond. Again, not pushing back just want to get it correct, thanks!

[Yardstick]

You see the leather version of the 66th FS patch incorporating an 'X' in quite a few original pics.

 

Probably due to size considerations, there is also a leather version without the 'X'.  Understandable since the version with the 'X' is c. 10 x 8 inches, which must make it the largest WWII USAAF unit patch.