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Help With My Dad's Outfit!!!


Dubar1
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All the paperwork I have of my dad's service indicts he was in the 9th AF, 372nd Fighter Group, 407th Fighter Squadron, but I can't find anything on the internet about it other than what relates to the types of planes they used (P-39s from what I found).

 

Every site I have come across skips over both the 372nd and the 407th like they never existed ermm.gif

 

Any help is appreciated. In the mean time I'll look thru his papers again.

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All the paperwork I have of my dad's service indicts he was in the 9th AF, 372nd Fighter Group, 407th Fighter Squadron, but I can't find anything on the internet about it other than what relates to the types of planes they used (P-39s from what I found).

 

Every site I have come across skips over both the 372nd and the 407th like they never existed ermm.gif

 

Any help is appreciated. In the mean time I'll look thru his papers again.

 

There is this page with some info on the 372nd Group: http://www.armyairforces.com/dbgroups.asp?Group=193 -

 

Here's some info from another site:

 

372d Fighter Group

 

Constituted as 372d Fighter Group on 12 Oct 1943 and activated on 28 Oct. Assigned to Fourth AF, and later (Mar 1944) to Third AF. Redesignated 372d Fighter-Bomber Group in Apr 1944, and 372d Fighter Group in Jun 1944. Functioned as an operational training unit. Also provided air support for air-ground maneuvers and demonstrations, participating in the Louisiana Maneuvers in the summer of 1944 and in similar activities in the US until after V-J Day. Primary aircraft were P-40's until Jun 1945, then P-51's. Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945.

 

Redesignated 144th Fighter Group. Allotted to ANG (Calif) on 24 1946. Extended federal recognition on 2 Jun 1948. Redesignated 144th Fighter-Interceptor Group in Oct 1952, and 144th Fighter-Bomber Group in Dec 1952.

 

Squadrons. 407th: 1943-1945. 408th: 1943-1945. 409th: 1943-1945.

 

Stations. Hamilton Field, Calif, 28 Oct 1943; Portland AAB, Ore, 7 Dec 1943; Esler Field, La, 29 Mar 1944; Pollock AAFld, La, 14 Apr 1944; Esler Field, La, 9 Feb 1945; Alexandria AAFld, La, 14 Sep-Nov 1945.

 

Commanders. Maj Francis E Brenner, 28 Oct 1943; Maj Darrell G Welch, 21 Dec 1943; Maj Joseph S Wakefield, 4 Feb 1944; Maj John R Harrison, 16 Feb 1944; Lt Col Sam W Westbrook, 3 Mar 1944; Lt Col Robert W Stephens, 17 Mar 1945; Lt Col Jack J Oberhansly, 30 May 1945; Col George R Bickell, 6 Aug-7 Nov 1945.

 

Campaigns. American Theater.

 

Decorations. None.

 

Insigne. Shield: Azure, three clouds two and one argent, issuing from the second cloud two lightning flashes one terminating on the first cloud and the other on the third cloud golden orange; in chief three mullets of the second. (Approved Feb 1954.)

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Thanks!!!

 

What's surprising is the tie-in with the 3rd and 4th AF and nothing about the 9th AF, like the paperwork indicates. I'll have to do some more reading to see if there's anything in the papers about that.

 

I already recognize 2 CO names from seeing their signatures

 

Thanks again,

Bob

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