The VIII Air Force Composite Command was a subordinate command of Eighth Air Force. It was originally responsible for combat training of aircrews arriving from the United States, a mission it continued until near the end of the war, when the air divisions began the training. Starting in late winter of 1944, the command took over special operations missions, including night leaflet dropping, infiltration of agents behind enemy lines and supplying resistance forces in occupied countries. As Allied forces advanced across Europe, most of its personnel were used to form provisional disarmament units. The command was disbanded in October 1948, when the United States Air Force decided it would have no future need for a level of command between major commands and air divisions.

History

Lineage

  • Established as 8th Air Force Composite Command
Activated c. 4 July 1942
Redesignated VIII Air Force Composite Command on 18 September 1942
Inactivated c. 31 May 1945
Disbanded 8 October 1948

Assignments

  • Eighth Air Force, c. 4 July 1942
  • Eighth Air Force, 22 February 1944
  • Ninth Air Force, February 1945 – c. 31 May 1945

Components

Groups
Squadrons
  • 36th Bombardment Squadron, 26 February – 1 October 1944 (attached to 328th Service Group, 27 February 1944; 801st Bombardment Group (Provisional), 28 March 1944 – 4 August 1944)
  • 406th Bombardment Squadron, 26 February – 1 October 1944 (attached to 328th Service Group, 27 February 1944; 801st Bombardment Group (Provisional), 28 March 1944 – 4 August 1944)
  • 788th Bombardment Squadron, 11 May – 10 August 1944 (attached to 801st Bombardment Group (Provisional))
  • 850th Bombardment Squadron, 11 May – 10 August 1944 (attached to 801st Bombardment Group (Provisional))
  • 858th Bombardment Squadron, 19 June – 5 August 1944

Stations

  • Bolling Field, District of Columbia, c. 4 July 1942
  • RAF Long Kesh (Station 232), Northern Ireland, 12 September 1942 – November 1942
  • Kirkassock House (Station 231), Northern Ireland, November 1942 -February 1944
  • RAF Cheddington (Station 113), England, 22 February 1944
  • RAF Watford (Station 341), England, c. 1 October 1944
  • Creil Airfield (see fr:Base aérienne 110 Creil, A-81), France, February 1945
  • Luxemburg Luxemburg, c. 30 April 1945–c. 31 May 1945

References

Notes

Explanatory notes
Citations

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  • Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  • Johnson, 1st Lt. David C. (1988). U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO) D-Day to V-E Day (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2017.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  • 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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  • 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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.

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