455th Flying Training Squadron

455th Flying Training Squadron
Emblem of the 455th Flying Training Squadron
Active	1942-1993
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Flying Training

Emblem of the World War II 455th Bombardment Squadron

The 455th Flying Training Squadron is a United States Air Force unit of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). It was previously assigned to the former 323d Flying Training Wing at the former Mather Air Force Base, California until it was inactivated on 1 October 1993. It was reactivated as part of the 479th Flying Training Group at NAS Pensacola, Florida in the summer of 2010.

History

Activated as a B-26 Marauder medium bomber squadron; trained under Third Air Force in the southeastern United States. Deployed to European Theater of Operations (ETO); assigned to VIII Bomber Command, 3d Bombardment Division in England. Engaged in combat operations over France and the Low Countries, attacking enemy military targets; formations; airfields; railroads; bridges and other raids to disrupt enemy defends. Coordinated raids with VIII Bomber Command heavy strategic bombardment of military and industrial targeted in Nazi Germany and in Occupied Europe by striking Luftwaffe day interceptor airfields to cause maximum disruption of air defenses when heavy bomber groups returning from bombardment raids. Destroyed many enemy aircraft on the ground; destroyed support buildings; barracks and enemy aircraft on the ground.

After D-Day invasion of Europe, engaged in tactical air support of Allied ground forces, carrying out bombardment attacks against enemy strong points, structures and targets of opportunity when making sweeps of enemy rear areas. Moved from England to Advanced Landing Grounds in France and further eastward as ground forces advanced across continent; engaging enemy targets during the Western Allied invasion of Germany in early 1945. Continued combat operations until German capitulation in May 1945.

Became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe forces in Occupied Germany; summer 1945. Demobilized in Germany in November and squadron inactivated as a paper unit in the United States.

Reactivated as a B-26 Invader reserve light bomber squadron in 1947. Trained in the reserves; activated in 1951 due to the Korean War. Personnel and aircraft reassigned to units of Far East Air Force in South Korea; squadron inactivated as a paper unit in the United States shortly afterward. Reactivated as an air defense interceptor squadron in Alaska in 1955; reassigned to Tactical Air Command in 1955 and moved to Indiana. Inactivated in 1957 due to budget reductions Reactivated by Air Training Command as a navigator training squadron in 1972; inactivated with the closure of Mather AFB and the inactivation of its host unit in 1993. Reactivated by the Air Education and Training Command as a USAF Combat Systems Officer (formerly known as USAF Navigator) training squadron at NAS Pensacola in 2010.

Lineage

• Constituted 455th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 19 June 1942

Activated on 4 August 1942

Inactivated on 26 November 1945

• Redesignated 455th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 9 September 1947

Activated in the reserve on 26 September 1947

Ordered to active service 10 March 1951

Inactivated on 17 March 1951

• Redesignated 455th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 9 May 1955

Activated on 8 August 1955

Inactivated on 1 September 1957.

• Redesignated as 455th Flying Training Squadron and activated on 1 April 1973

Inactivated on 1 October 1993

Reactivated summer 2010

Assignments

• 323d Bombardment Group, 4 August 1942 – 26 November 1945; 26 September 1947 – 17 March 1951
• 323d Flying Training Wing, 1 April 1973 – 1 October 1993
• 11th Air Division, 8 August 1955
• 323d Fighter-Bomber Group, 22 November 1955 – 1 September 1957.
• 479th Flying Training Group, 2010–present

Stations

Columbia Army Air Base, South Carolina, 4 August 1942 MacDill Field, Florida, 21 August 1942 Myrtle Beach Bombing Range, South Carolina, 2 November 1942 – 25 April 1943 RAF Horham (AAF-119), England, 1 May 1943 RAF Earls Colne (AAF-358), England, 14 June 1943 RAF Beaulieu (AAF-408), England, 21 July 1944 Lessay Airfield (A-20), France, 26 August 1944 Chartres Airfield (A-40), France, 21 September 1944 Laon/Athies Airfield (A-69), France, 13 October 1944

Denain/Prouvy Airfield (A-83), France, February 1945 AAF Station Gablingen, Germany, 15 May 1945 AAF Station Leipheim, Germany, 20 May 1945 Clastres Airfield, France, October-12 December 1945 Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts, 25–26 November 1945 Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, 26 September 1947 – 17 March 1951 Eielson AFB, Alaska Territory, 8 August 1955 Bunker Hill AFB, Indiana, 20 November 1955 – 1 September 1957. Mather AFB, California, 1 April 1973 – 1 October 1993 NAS Pensacola, Florida, summer 2010–present

Aircraft

• B-26 Marauder, 1942–1945
• B-26 Invader, 1947–1951
• F-86 Sabre, 1955–1956
• F-100 Super Sabre, 1957-1957
• T-29 Flying Classroom 1973-1975
• T-37 Tweet 1973-1993
• T-43 Bobcat 1973-2010
• T-6A Texan II 2010–present

References

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

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.