410th Bombardment Squadron (Light)
Dedicated to the Memory of Sgt. John E Haakenson
SQUADRONS of the 410th BG.
644th Bomber Squadron: 1943-1945.
645th Bomber Squadron: 1943-1945.
646th Bomber Squadron: 1943-1945.
647th Bomber Squadron: 1943-1945.
AIRCRAFT.
A-20
B-26
A-26
STATIONS.
Will Rogers Field, Okla, 1 Jul 1943
Muskogee AAFld, Okla, Oct 1943
Laurel AAFld, Miss, Jan 1944
Lakeland AAFld, Fla, c. 8 Feb-c.13 Mar 1944
Birch, England, c. 4 Apr 1944
Gosfield, England, c. 16 Apr 1944
Coulommiers, France, Sep 1944
Juvincourt, France, Feb 1945
Beaumont-sur-Oise, France, May-Jun 1945
Seymour Johnson Field, NC, Aug 1945
Myrtle Beach AAFld, SC, c. 5 Oct-7 Nov 1945
COMMANDERS.
Unkn, 1 July-13 Aug 1943
Lt Col Clark L Miller, 13 August 1943
Col Ralph Rhudy, 17 September 1943
Col Sherman R Beaty, 3 July 1944
Col Robert J Hughey, Dec 1944-1945
CAMPAIGNS.
Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.
DECORATIONS.
Distinguished Unit Citation: Germany, 23-25 December 1944
LINEAGE.
Constituted as 410th Bombardment Group (Light) On 16 Jun 1943. Activated 1 Jul 1943. Trained with A-20's. Moved to England, Mar-Apr 1944, and assigned to Ninth AF. Entered combat in May 1944 and helped to prepare for the invasion of Normandy by assaulting costal defenses, airfields, and V-weapon sites in France, and marshalling yards invasion in France and Belgium. Supported the invasion in June by bombing gun positions and railway choke points. Assisted ground forces at Caen and St Lo in July and at Brest in August and September by attacking bridges, vehicles, fuel and a ammunition dumps, and rail lines. Moved to France in September, and through mid-December struck defended villages, railroad bridges and over-passes, marshalling yards, military camps, and communications centers to support the Allied assault on the Siegfried Line. Participated in the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 - January 1945, by pounding marshalling yards, railheads, bridges, and vehicles in the battle area. Received a DUC for the effectiveness of its bombing in the Ardennes, 23-25 December 1944, when the group made numerous attacks on enemy lines of communications. Flew several night missions in Feb 1945, using B-26's as flare planes, an A-26 for target marking, and A-20's to bomb the objectives. Continued to fly support and interdictory missions, aiding the drive across the Rhine and into Germany, February-April 1945. Converted to A-26 aircraft, but the war ended before the group was ready to fly them in combat. Returned to the US, June - August 1945 Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945.
INSIGNE. NONE
Squadron Patches on the top of the sheet are from Left to Right Insignia of the 644th, 645th, and 646th Bombardment Squadrons of the 410th Bomb Group.