Honor Roll

Following from ; http://www.military.com/HomePage/UnitPageFullText/1,13476,709145,00.html

Constituted as 79th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 13 January 1942. Activated 9 February 1942 at Dale Mabray Field, Florida under the command of 2d Lieutenant Thomas G. Mitchell. Redesignated 79th Fighter Group in May 1942. Inactivated 15 July 1947 (see combat narrative). SQUADRONS: 85th Fighter: 1942-1947; 86th Fighter: 1942-1947; 87th Fighter: 1942-1947. CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDTIS: Air Combat, EAME Theater; Egypt-Libya; Tunisia; Sicily; Nnaples-Foggia; Anzio; rome-Arno; Southern France; north Apennines; Po Valley. DECORATIONS: Distinguished Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered: NORTH AFRICA and SICILY, MARCH-17 AUGUST 1943. Distinguished Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered: ITALY, 16-20 APRIL 1945 DISTINCTIVE UNIT INSIGNIA: On a green shield bordered light blue a hawk (falcon) close, brown, in dexter chief the Egyptian numeral seven over nine, all brown. In sinister chief the Egyptian sun (orange) covered by a brown snake wearing the key of life around his neck, all brown. Overall the motto of the 79th Fighter Group: "FALCONS." 

Squadron Insignia:
		HQ	85th FS:		86th FS:		87th FS:
Plane Identification codes:		#'s 1-9	#'s 10-39		#'s 40-69		#'s 70-99
Call Signs:			Dickey		Crowfoot		Tadpole

Source for following: http://www.web-birds.com/

79th FIGHTER GROUP

26 JULY 1945 - HQ 79th Fighter Group - "Falcons" (assigned to Ninth Air Force) and 85th - "Flying Skulls" and 86th Fighter Squadrons - "Commanches" move from Cesenatico, Italy to Hörsching, Austria with P-47s. (During WWII, the 79th and its subordinate fighter squadrons were assigned to the 12th Air Force in the Mediterranean Theater. With the beginning of the occupation period, the Group was reassigned to the Ninth Air Force which had been assigned the primary army air corps occupation duties in the European Theater.)
27 JULY 1945 - 87th Fighter Squadron - "Skeeters", 79th Fighter Group, moves from Cesenatico, Italy to Horsching, Austria with P-47s.

The Group remained in Hörsching as part of United States Air Forces in Europe until 1947. The Group was transferred, without personnel and equipment, to the US on June 25, 1947 and inactivated on 15 Jul 1947.

(X81) ''Sweet Bets'' (210740 ? 42-10740 to excess inventory list Jul 29, 1944)
Charles 'Jazz' Jaslow

79FG-87th FS

'Irmgard' a captured 109 wearing the 87th FS crest with Warhawk X58 of the 86th FS just behind it

Project 914 Archives (Steve O. Reno collection)

Source for following: http://www.web-birds.com/12th/79/79th.htm

STATIONS: 

Dale Mabry Field, Florida, 9 February 1942; 

Morris Field, North Carolina, c. 1 May 1942; 

Hillsgrove, Rhode Island, c. 22 June 1943; 

Bedford, Massachusetts, 2 July-28 September 1942; 

 

A small reference in the booklet "P-40 Warhawk Aces of the MTO" indicates that Pilots of the 79th and 324th Fighter Groups ferried new P-40's across Africa from the assembly plants at Accra and Lagos, in Nigeria, via Fort Lamy in French Equatorial Africa to depots in Cairo, prior to entering combat operations. (Meaning they had been shipped in crates and not flown from a carrier?).

 

Egypt, 18 November 1942; 

Libya, c. 25 January 1943; 

Tunisia, c. 12 March 1943; SATURDAY, 13 MARCH 1943, The 85th, 86th and 87th Fighter Squadrons, 79th Fighter Group with P-40's transfer from Landing Ground 150, Libya to Causeway Landing Ground in Tunisia. 14 Mar 43 Attached to DAF's 211 Group

SUNDAY, 4 JULY 1943 (INDEPENDENCE DAY), EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force), The 86th and 87th Fighter Squadrons, 79th Fighter Group transfer with P-40's from Tunisia to Malta.

Sicily, 16 July 1943; 

Southern Italy, c.15 September 1943; 

Foggia, Italy, c.9 October 1943; 

Manda Airfield, Italy, 19 November 1943; 

Capodichino, Italy, January 1944; 

Pomigliano, Italy, 1 May 1944; 

Corsica, June 1944; 

Southern France, c.25 August 1944; 

Iesi, Italy, October 1944; 

Fano, Italy, c.5 December 1944; 

Cesenatico, Italy, c.20 March 1945; 

Horsching, Austria, July 1945-25 June 1947; 

Langley Field, Virginia 25 June-15 July 1947. 

 

COMMANDERS: 

2d Lieutenant Thomas G. Mitchell, 11 February 1942; 

Lt Col J. Stanley Holtoner, 17 February 1942; 

Lt Col Peter McGoldrick, 1942; 

Col Earl E. Bates, November 1942; 

Col Charles W. Stark, April 1944; 

Lt Col Melvin J. Neilson, May 1944; 

Col Gladwyn E. Pinkston, 28 November 1944; 

Lt Col John F. Martin, 17 May 1945; 

Col German P. Culver, May 1946; 

Lt Col Bascom A. Brooks, 4 February 1947; 

Lt Col John M. Thacker, April 1947-Unknown date.