386th Bomber Group
Squadrons of the 386th BG
552nd Bombardment Squadron - Medium553rd Bombardment Squadron - Medium
554th Bombardment Squadron -Medium
555th Bombardment Squadron - Medium
Assigned 8th AAF: June 4 1943
Wing/Command Assignment
VIII BC, 3 BW: 4 Jun 1943
VIII ASC, 3 BW: 15 Jun 1943
VIII ASC, 3 BW: 15 Jun 1943
Combat Aircraft:
B-26B
B-26C
B-26C
Stations
SNETTERTON HEATH 3 Jun 1943 to 10 Jun 1943
BOXTED 10 Jun 1943 to 24 Sep 1943
GREAT DUNMOW 24 Sep 1943 to 2 Oct 1944
BOXTED 10 Jun 1943 to 24 Sep 1943
GREAT DUNMOW 24 Sep 1943 to 2 Oct 1944
Group COs
Col. Lester J. Maitland 1 Dec 1942 to 18 Nov 1943
First Mission: 30 Jul 1943
Last Mission: 8 Oct 1943
Missions: 30
Aircraft MIA: 6
Loses: 9
First Mission: 30 Jul 1943
Last Mission: 8 Oct 1943
Missions: 30
Aircraft MIA: 6
Loses: 9
Major Awards:
Distinguished Unit Citation on 30 July 1943 to 30 July 1944 ops
Claims to Fame
Developed formation release procedure for B-26s
Early History:
Activated 1 December 1942 at MacDill Field in Florida, and trained there under
3rd Air Force at Lake Charles AB La. from 9 Feb 1943 to 8 May 1943. Ground echelon
sailed on the Queen Elizabeth on the 27th May 1943 and disembarked Gourock on
the 2nd of June 1943. The air echelon flew via the south and northern ferry
routes.
Subsequent History:
Transferred to the 9th AF, IX BC, on the 16th of October 1943. Moved to Beaumont-Sur-Oise,
France in October 1944 and to St. Trond, Belgium, April 1945. The unit returned
to the United States in July 1945 and inactivated on the 7th of November 1945.
Converted to A-26s shortly before the end of hostilities. Activated again in
Tactical Air Command on April 1956 as a F-100 fighter bomber wing.