2911th Bomb Squadron (L)

HISTORY

RAF Keevil (Royal Ordinance Survey Photo)

Submitted by Wayne Downing

What does the 2911th Bomb Squadron (Light) have to do with the 416th Bomb Group?

  In the  416th official history under February 1944 the following appears: "Twenty officers were transferred to the Group during the month. Of these thirteen were replacement pilots." The thirteen came from the 2911th, A squadron attached to the 67th Observation Group (later renamed the 67th Recon Group). Both were in the Eighth Air Force (The Ninth Air Force had not arrived in England yet).

 The thirteen pilots were:

   To the 668th BS;

         Bartmus, G.F.

         Downing, Wayne E. (See photo of Wayne on the 2006 Reunion Web Page)

          Kreh, Eldon B. -- He was flying Wellingtons on coastal patrol in the RCAF and transferred to the USAAF in 1943 and was assigned to the 2911th.  (See photo of Eldon with his son on the 2006 Reunion Web page.)

   To the 669th BS

            Barton, R.L.

            Conner, J.S.

            Hewes, H. E. -- He was shot down over France, was MIA, but came home minus one leg after we captured the hospital he was in.

    To the 670th BS:

             Moore, Z.R.

             McNulty, G.M. -- He transferred from the RAF to the USAAF in 1943 and was assigned to the 2911th.  He had been in the RAF a long time and was married to an English girl named Billie. He later went to the 668th BS.

              Brown, N.G. -- After the war he became the Chief of Police for the City of Tampa, Florida

     To the 671st BS:

              Huston, V.F. -- He got his orders changed and went to fly C-47s in the Air Transport Group.

               Cole, H.P.

               Smith, R.H.

               Adams, J.D. (later went to the 669th BS)

In September 1942 the 67th Observation Group with its four Squadrons arrived at Membry, England.  One of them was a Liaison Squadron with Light airplanes. The others had fighter types rigged for photo work at Membry. Its 153rd Liaison Squadron was placed at Keevil Airfield near Trowbridge England.  Steeple Ashton, a small one Pub town was on one side of the field and Keevil, a similar tiny town was on the other side of the field. The RAF also used the field to test late model Spitfire fighter aircraft.  When the 15th Bomb Squadron was sent to The North African War Front, England did not have any American A-20 units. Sometime after this a shipload of A-20-B Havoc's arrived, intended for the 15th BS but they were not here.

 The creation of the 2911th Bomb Squadron (Light)

 The A-20-B Havoc's were put together and placed at Keevil Airfield. The 2911th Bomb Squadron (Light) was formed and attached to the 67th Tac Recon Group. (the 67 Observation Group had its name changed). Henry Clay Allen was the Commanding Officer and Mitt Evans was the Operations Officer. Both were from Mississippi with a lot of National Guard experience. Ten A-20 trained crews from the USA were assigned. Some Americans in the RAF and the RCAF who transferred to the USAAF were also assigned to the 2911th; and the squadron was on the way with a lot of flying all over England and Wales, and later France.

One 2911th Combat Mission to Maupertus Aerodrome which is East of Cherbourg, France is below. The target is the underground aviation fuel tanks on the airfield.

Maupertus Aerodrome, France

Left to right: Lt. Wayne Downing (pilot), unknown, Lt. Harry Hewes (Pilot), Lt. Hillary Cole (Pilot) on A-20 B at Keevil Airfield, UK

Lt. Wayne Downing (pilot) on A-20 B at Keevil Airfield, UK