88th Bombardment Group

469th Bombardment Group
Active	1942–1944
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Forces

The 88th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the III Bomber Command, being stationed at Avon Park Army Airfield, Florida. It was inactivated on 1 May 1944.

History

Established in early 1942 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment group. Was assigned to II Bomber Command as a heavy bomber Operational Training Unit (OTU). The group was assigned primarily to airfields in the Pacific Northwest under II BC; performing training of new units, then becoming a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Reassigned to III Bomber Command in November 1943 when Second Air Force began to exclusively train B-29 Superfortress aircrews. Continued as a B-17 RTU until the end of heavy bomber training of replacement aircrews in May 1944; was inactivated.

Lineage

Constituted as 88th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 January 1942

Activated on 15 July 1942

Disbanded on 1 May 1944

Assignments

II Bomber Command, 15 July 1942
Second Air Force, 6 October 1943
III Bomber Command, November 1943-1 May 1944

Components

Stations

Salt Lake City Army Airbase, Utah, 15 July 1942
Geiger Field, Washington, 1 September 1942
Walla Walla Army Air Base, Washington, 21 September 1942
Rapid City Army Air Base, South Dakota, c. 28 October 1942
Walla Walla Army Air Base, Washington, c. 28 November 1942
Avon Park Army Airfield, Florida, November 1943-1 May 1944.

Wartime Cartoons

88th Bomb Group Headquarters S-2 Office (specifically 399th Squadron on at least one) produced war cartoons / propaganda reminding US Soldiers on topics such as:

watching for female spies,
loose talk that could give up military information,
drinking too much,
writing home to loved ones,
etc.

The wording/verses were done by LT. DAVID MINDLIN and Cartoons by both PFC. JOHN P. KLEIN (J.P. KLEIN) and PFC. SKYLTZ (spelling on SKLYTZ may be incorrect?). There at least 9 different cartoons set on either wood panel backing or laminated type material. The laminated material versions were issued in two sizes, either 7x10 and 11x14 medium/small. Some of the larger cartoons are colored with colored pencil.

Pictures / first seen listed: http://clarkeny.auctionflex.com/showlot.ap?co=6247&weid=17972&weiid=6623142&lso=lotnumasc&pagenum=8&lang=En

References

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.

External links

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