31st Fighter Group

8th Air Force 31 FG
31 Fighter Group

Squadrons of the 31st FG

307th Fighter Squadron
308th Fighter Squadron
309th Fighter Squadron

Assigned 8th AAF: Jun 1942

Wing/Command Assignment

VII FC: 10 Jun 1942
VII FC, 6 FW 16 Aug

Combat Aircraft:

Spitfire V

Stations

ATCHAM 11 Jun. 42-1 Aug. 42. Hq. 307 & 308FS
HIGH ERCALL 11 Jun. 42-4 Aug. 42. 309FS
WESTHAMPNETT 1 Aug. 42-21 Oct. 42 (308 FS in 4 Aug. ,308 FS in 24 Aug. 42)
MERSTON 24 Aug. 42-unkn. 307FS
(307 and 309FS at Warmwell 19-27 Jul. 42; 307FS at Biggin Hill1 Aug. 42-24 Aug. 42; 308FS at Kenley 1 Aug. 42-24 Aug. 42).

Group COs

Col John R. Hawkins: 1 Jul 42-4 Dec. 42.

First Mission: 29 Aug. 1942
Last Mission: 9 Oct. 1942
Total sorties: 1,286
*(First sorties with RAF 26 Jul. 42 First squadron.operation 5 Aug.42)
MIA: 5
Enemy Aircraft Claims: 2 - 1 - 6 air

Claims to Fame

First group to commence operations with 8AF.

Early History:

Activated 1 Feb. 1940 at Selfridge Field, Mich. Trained with early P-39s. Moved to Baer Field, Ind, 6 Dec. 1941 and to New Orleans AB, La, in Feb.1942. Scheduled to fly P-39s to United Kingdom via north Atlantic ferry route but project cancelled. Ground echelon sailed on Queen Elizabeth on the 4 June 1942 arriving Clyde 10 June 1942. Pilots followed later in month. Flying training at Atcham 26 Jun. 1942.

Subsequent History:

Assigned 12AF, Xll FC on the 14 Sep. 1942 but continued to operate under VlIl FC. Off operational status 10 Oct. 1942. Spitfires shipped to Gibraltar. Personnel sailed from Clyde for Gibraltar 26 Oct. 1942. Unit fought with the 12AF in North Africa and Italy. In May 1944 unit converted to P-51s and flew escort for 15AF. Unit was inactivated on Nov. 1945. Activated again in 1946. Operated F-51s in Germany and in 1947 returned to US. Equipped with F-84 in 1948. The unit was TAC unit for many years flying F-100s, in operations in the Vietnam War.