A92 SintTruiden Saint Trond Belgium Later known as

A-92 Sint-Truiden (Saint Trond) Belgium – – – – Later known as: Sint-Truiden Air Base - Brustem Captured 16 Sep 1944 Opened: 18 Sep 1944 - Closed: Undetermined Runway 1: 5250 x 165, CON (14/32) Runway 2: 4740 x 165, CON (09/27) Runway 3: 5070 x 165, CON (06/24) Used by: • 48 th Fighter Group, 30 Sep 1944 -26 Mar 1945 (A-20) • 404 th Fighter Group, 4 Oct 1944 -30 Mar 1945 (P-47) • 386 th Bombardment Group, 9 Apr – 27 Jul 1945 (B-26) A-20 Havoc / Boston "Y" Fields "Y" ALGs (Advanced Landing Grounds) were initially located in Southeastern France, built by Twelfth Air Force engineers as part of Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France. Initially un-coded, they were given "Y" designations when they came under IX Engineering Command control in late 1944. - ALGs were also coded "Y" in Northeastern France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Occupied Germany, after "A" coding reached 99 in November 1944.

St Trond in Belgium – Dec. 1944 507 th squadron P 47 s taxiing and having their guns loaded. The practice of the mechanics riding on the wings was introduced after one plane's propeller chewed up the tail of the plane ahead while lining up for takeoff. These photographs were taken at St Trond in Belgium. - "Hawkeye Gal" was Donald Dove's aircraft, whilst Y 8*M was usually flown by Robert Reiff.

Brustem – Dec. 1944

365 th Fighter Group Chievres Air Base Feb. 1945

Brustem Nov. 22, 1944

The four pilots in a line are 1 st Lt Crocker, 2 nd Lt Fisher, 1 st Lt Int-Hout, Capt. Simpson. Left: Major General Hoyt S Vandenberg, US Ninth Air Force commander, centre: 2 d Lt. John W. Wainwright, right: Colonel Carroll "Red" Mc. Colpin, 404 th Fighter Group commander, a former RAF Eagle squadron commander and a fighter ace with eight confirmed victories. Colonel Carroll W Mc. Colpin was the base commander at Winkton, England in 1944. Wainwright was presented with the Air Medal. General Vandenberg had recommended him for the Distinguished Service Cross for his six victories on September 28, 1944 but the DSC was not awarded until January 8, 1945. - Sadly Wainwright was killed in an aircraft accident in Germany on July 7, 1945.

Brustem Dec. 19, 1944

The Hunters – Brustem April 1945

Brustem 30 May, 1945

P 47 s of the 506 th Squadron, 404 th FG return to Winkton after a mission, May or early June 1944 Unlike Eighth Air Force, whose units stayed in the United Kingdom, Ninth Air Force units were very mobile, first deploying to France on 16 June 1944, ten days after the Normandy invasion by moving P-47 Thunderbolts to a beach-head landing strip. Because of their short range, operational combat units would have to move to quickly-prepared bases close to the front as soon as the Allied ground forces advanced. The bases were called "Advanced Landing Grounds" or "ALGs". On the continent, many ALGs were built either from scratch or from captured enemy airfields throughout France, the Low Countries and Germany. Ninth Air Force units moved frequently from one ALG to another.

Leo Moon was the commander of the 508 th squadron of the 404 th Fighter Group throughout the time the squadron was a Winkton, England. In November 1944 he succeeded Colonel Mc. Colpin as Group Commander at Brustem, a post he occupied until two weeks before the end of the war in Europe.

Bombardment of Hasselt by A-26 Marauders on 11 May, 1944

Hasselt 11 May, 1944

B-17 on a bombing run over Melsbroek on June 14 th, 1944

Melsbroek

Lockheed P-38 fighter-bombers, taxiing out for take-off on a dive-bombing mission. This specific mission was an armed reconnaissance on tank and motor transport of the Von Runstedt’s offensive, which at this time was within only 15 miles from this airfield. (Florennes-Air Base)

Bombs on Charleroi

Liege - May 25, 1944 386 th Bomb Group moved to St-Trond, Belgium – from 9 April-July 1945

Liege - May 25, 1944

Brustem Dec. 1944

Chievres Air Base – Dec. 1944 – Capt. George W. King taxies his P-47 D of the 386 th FS – 365 th Fighter group, past an M 45 - four. 50 caliber AA emplacement.

St. Trond - March 1945

June 12, 1945

404 th Fighter Group Ninth Air Force units moved frequently from one ALG (Advanced Landing Grounds) to another. • • Stations Key Field, Mississippi, 4 February 1943 Congaree AAF, South Carolina, 5 July 1943 Burns AAF, Ore, 4 September 1943 Myrtle Beach AAF, South Carolina, 13 November 1943 -12 March 1944 RAF Winkton (AAF-414), England, 4 April 1944 Chippelle Airfield (A-5), France, 6 July 1944 Bretigny Airfield (A-48), France, 29 August 1944 Juvincourt Airfield (A-68), France, 13 September 1944 • Sint-Truiden Airfield (A-92), Belgium, 4 October 1944 • • Kelz Airfield (Y-54), Germany, 30 March 1945 Fritzlar Airfield (Y-86), Germany, 12 April 1945 AAF Station Stuttgart / Echterdingen, Germany, 23 June-2 August 1945 Drew Field, Florida, 1 September-9 November 1945 • • • Components 455 th Fighter Squadron: 1943 -1944 506 th (formerly 620 th) Fighter Squadron (4 K): 1 Dec 1943 -12 Feb 1944 507 th (formerly 621 st) Fighter Squadron (Y 8): 4 Feb 1943 -9 Nov 1945 508 th (formerly 622 d) Fighter Squadron (7 J): 4 Feb 1943 -9 Nov 1945 623 d Bombardment Squadron: 4 Feb-15 Aug 1943

A-84 Chievres, Belgium – – Captured: 13 Sep Opened: 16 Sep 1944 Closed: 15 May 1945 Runway 1: 5516 x 165, CON, (02/20) Runway 2: 5902 x 165, CON, (09/27) Used by: • 368 th Fighter Group, 2 Oct-27 Dec 1944 (P-47) • 365 th Fighter Group, 4 Oct-27 Dec 1944 (P-47) • 352 d Fighter Group, 27 Jan-14 Apr 1945 (P-51) (8 th AF) • 361 st Fighter Group, 1 Feb-Apr 1945 (P-47) (8 th AF) A-87 Charleroi, Belgium – – Now: Brussels South Charleroi Airport (IATA: CRL, ICAO: EBCI) Opened: 14 Sep 1944 Closed: 10 Aug 1945 Runway: 3600 x 100, PSP, (06/24) Used by: • 67 th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, Sep 1944 -Mar 1945 (P-38/F-4; P-51/F-5)

A-78 Florennes / Juzaine, Belgium – – – Now: Florennes Air Base Captured: 11 Sep Opened: 11 Sep 1944 Closed: Unknown Runway 1: 4343 x 164, CON (16/34) Runway 2: 5509 x 164, CON/PSP (17/35) – Used by: • 422 d Night Fighter Squadron, 18 Sep 1944 -6 Apr 1945 (P-61) • 370 th Fighter Group, 26 Sep 1944 -27 Jan 1945 (P-38) • 474 th Fighter Group, 1 Oct 1944 -22 Mar 1945 (P-38) • 344 th Bombardment Group, 5 Apr-15 Sep 1945 (B-26)

A-89 Le Culot, Belgium – – – Also known as: B-68 (Royal Air Force) Now: Beauvechain Air Base (ICAO: EBBE) Captured: Opened: 28 Oct 1944 Closed: Undetermined Runway 1: 5793 x 165, TAR/PSP, (04/22) Runway 2: 4955 x 165, TAR, (12/30) Used by: • 373 d Fighter Group, 22 Oct 1944 -11 Mar 1945 (P-47) • 36 th Fighter Group, 27 Oct 1944 -26 Mar 1945 (P-47) • 322 d Bombardment Group, Mar-Jun 1946 (B-26) Y-10 Le Culot / East, Belgium Later: Goetsenhoven Military Airfield (ICAO: EBTN) Captured: Sep 1944 - Opened: Sep 1944 Closed: 25 Jun 1945 Runway: 3600/120, PSP, (04/22) Used by: 371 st Fighter Group, 1 Oct-20 Dec 1944

Y-29 ASCH, Belgium – – Located: 50° 59′ 10″N 005° 36′ 53″E (Abandoned) Opened: 20 Nov 1944 Closed: 20 Jun 1945 Runway: 5000 x 150, SOD, (06/24) Used by: • 366 th Fighter Group, 19 Nov 1944 -11 Apr 1945 (P-47) • 406 th Fighter Group, 8 Feb-15 Apr 1945 (P-47) • 391 st Bombardment Group, 16 Apr-27 May 1945 (B-26) Y-32 Ophoven, Belgium – – Located: 51° 08′ 08″N 005° 47′ 00″E (Abandoned) Opened: 10 Dec 1944 Closed: 29 May 1945 Runway: 5000 x 150, PSP, (12/30) Used by: • 370 th Fighter Group, 27 Jan-20 Apr 1945 (P-47) • 405 th Fighter Group, Feb-30 Apr 1945 (P-47)

Headcorn Airfield, England This is Lt. Ralph Sallee’s P-47 D, of the 379 th Fighter Squadron, 362 nd Fighter Group. Lt. Sallee shot down 2 FW-190 over Bastogne on December 26 th, 1944 – Three pilots in his flight were lost. Lt. Gene Martin, a pilot with the 379 th Fighter Squadron, 362 nd Fighter Group during the last phases of World War II. - Gene served from the very end of the Battle of the Bulge “ On July 9, 1944, the 362 nd Fighter group continued its rampage over central France while still flying from Headcorn field, England. The group would move across the Channel soon, but until then they had to fly across the channel, over the invasion beaches and attack its targets before returning the same way. Prior to D-Day the 362 nd's losses were a modest nine aircraft missing in action. but, in the weeks following, the attrition rate soared. In June alone, 24 P-47 s failed to return. including four on the 14 th and five on the 18 th, highlighting the dangers of operations at low level. Between Dec. 23, 1944 and January 23, 1945, the group would lose 17 Thunderbolts and 13 pilots killed or captured. The 362 nd Fighter Group began its move to Normandy on July 2, relocating to Lignerolles, France (ALG A-12) with Headcorn continuing to be used for operations until the 7 th. of July. Two days later the last of the group's personnel had departed. Pilot Capt. Wilton Crutchfield’s “Kentucky Colonel” also went through an evolution of markings, acquiring a cartoon hillbilly character on the cowling sometime in early 1945.

Photo of a P-47 D cockpit

48 th Bombardment Group (Light) P-47 Thunderbolt • Operations. The 48 th Bombardment Group (Light) served as a replacement training unit from Jan 1941 through early 1944. It moved to England to serve with Ninth Air Force in Mar 1944. Employing P-47 aircraft, the group began fighter sweeps over the French Coast in Apr 1944. – Moved to St. Truiden Air Base on Sep. 15 th, 1944. • It escorted bombers and conducted dive-bombing missions in northern France in preparation for the allied invasion of Normandy in Jun 1944. On D-Day (6 Jun), it bombed bridges and enemy artillery positions. During the remainder of the Normandy campaign, it attacked railroads, motor transports, bridges, and fuel dumps. • Moving to new bases in France, the group supported Allied ground forces as they broke through German lines at St Lo and drove across Northern France toward the Rhine River during the summer of 1944. • It assisted the Allied airborne attack in the Netherlands in September 1944, and operated from St. Truiden Belgium in the fall and winter of 1944. • The 48 th earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for close air support of Allied ground forces advancing against an enemy stronghold north of Julich, Germany on 6 Dec 1944. During the Battle of the Bulge (Dec 1944 - Jan 1945) it supported American counterattacks and from Jan-May 1944, provided close air support of advancing ground forces in northwestern Europe.

Bassingbourn, England, “Memphis Belle” after her 25 th operational missions in the ETO.

“Memphis Belle” return flight to the States after her 25 operational missions in the ETO.

Boeing B-17 F-10 -BO Flying Fortress Serial 41 -24485, Memphis Belle, 324 th Bomb Squadron, 91 st Bomb Group, June 9, 1943 – On it’s return flight to the USA.