Activated 24 December 1942 at Gowen Field in Idaho. Nucleus from Gowen moved to Wendover Field, Utah, early in February 1943. The finial training was conducted at Sioux City AAFd SD from early May 1943 to 1 June 1943. The aircraft began their overseas movement taking the northern route via Newfoundland or Greenland, and finally from Iceland to Prestwick. The ground unit left Sioux City on the 12th of June 1943 for Camp Kilmer, NJ, and sailed on the Queen Elizabeth on the 1st July 1943, and arrived in Clyde on the 7th of July 1943.
Subsequent History:
Redeployed to the US from June to August 1945 . The aircraft left Knettishall between 9 June 1945 and July 1945. The ground unit sailed on the Queen Elizabeth from Greenock on the 5th of August 1945, and arrived in New York on the 11th of August 1945. The group was established at Sioux Falls AAFd, SD, and inactivated there on the 28th August 1945.
The unit was reactivated as a fighter-bomber group in 1953
and equipped with F-86s. Later the unit was stationed in France as a F-100 wing, and later as a F-106 wing in the US. During the Vietnam war the unit served as a F-105 wing stationed in Thailand.
Wing/Command Assignment:
VIII BC, 4 BW, 403 PCBW Jun 1943
VIII ASC, 3 BD, 45 CBW 15 Sep 1943
3 BD, 45 CBW: 8 Jan 1944
3 AD, 45 CBW: 1 Jan 1945
Combat Aircraft:
B-17F
B-17G
B-24 (Aphrodite)
Stations:
KNETTISHALL 23 Jun 1943 to 5 Aug 1945
Group COs:
Col. William B. David 1 Feb 1943 to 6 Oct 1944
Col. Chester C. Cox 7 Oct 1944 to Aug 1945
First Mission: 17 Jul 1943
Last Mission: April 1945
Missions: 306 - Plus 19 Aphrodite and 6 Batty
Aircraft MIA: 142
Major Awards:
Two Distinguished Unit Citations:
17 Aug 1943 : Regensburg
26 June 1943 Hanover, 12 May 1944 Brux, 21 Jun 1944 Russia
Claims to Fame:
Conducted APHRODITE radio-controlled bomber project "guided bombs"