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The group was sent overseas to Australia in January 1942 and was assigned to the Fifth Air Force. They moved to Darwin in April 1942 and was redesignated 49th Fighter Group in May. The group was equipped with P-40's Curtiss P-40 Warhawk aircraft in Australia and after a brief period of training, provided air defense for the Northern Territory.
Johnson served with the 332d Fighter Squadron of the 329th Fighter Group at Ontario Army Air Field, California, from February to April 1943. He then moved to Australia and was assigned to the 49th Fighter Group of the Fifth Air Force, flying the Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. Johnson was assigned his P-38, which he named "Barbara" after his future wife.
There were three USAAF pursuit groups in Australia, the 8th, 35th and 49th, but Wurtsmith's was the only one considered combat ready. Of the 102 pilots in his group, only Wurtsmith, with 4,800 hours of pursuit time, and his executive officer, Major Donald R. Hutchinson, with 2,600 hours, were veteran pilots. Five others had more than 600 hours ...
As deputy group commander, Lt. Col. Woods became an ace in a day by downing five Focke-Wulf Fw 190s on 22 March 1945. However, three weeks later he was shot down by flak over Prague, Czechoslovakia, on his 68th ETO mission when he was leading Group "A" in a strafing attack against the Luftwaffe bases in the area.
Dick Cresswell Squadron Leader Cresswell as commanding officer of No. 77 Squadron, Darwin, December 1942 Nickname(s) "Mr Double Seven" Born 27 July 1920 Launceston, Tasmania Died 12 December 2006 (2006-12-12) (aged 86) Canberra Allegiance Australia Service/branch Royal Australian Air Force Service years 1938–57 Rank Wing Commander Unit No. 3 Squadron (1939–40) No. 2 Service Flying Training ...
The 49th Operations Group traces its origins to the formation of the 49th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) at Selfridge Field, Michigan on 20 November 1940. The group trained with Seversky P-35s and consisted of three operational squadrons (7th, 8th, and 9th). [4] P-40E of the 7th Fighter Squadron – 49th Fighter Group – Australia – March 1942
The squadron was first activated in early 1941 at Hamilton Field, California as the 49th Pursuit Squadron [5] one of the original three squadrons of the 14th Pursuit Group. [7] The squadron trained with Republic P-43 Lancers until it was equipped with early model Lockheed P-38 Lightnings .
George Earl Preddy Jr. (February 5, 1919 – December 25, 1944) was a United States Army Air Forces officer during World War II and an American ace credited with 26.83 enemy air-to-air kills (a number that includes shared one-half and one-third victory credits), [1] ranking him as the top P-51 Mustang ace of World War II and eighth on the list of highest scoring American aces.