First post - Need help (big surprise?)

[mkobernus]

Hi all.

I have no idea if this is where I want to post this, or indeed if this post is relevant for this forum at all.

Anyway, I am trying to do some geneology, and I am hitting a brick wall with a certain (possible) family member.

I am trying to find out more about an 8th Air Corp member in 1942 in the UK.

Does anyone know where the 8th were stationed? I guess someone knows that.

And is there a list of regimental members? Something online maybe?

I would really appreciate any help, since I am quite stumped at the moment.

Regards

//Mike

 

[Madeline]

Welcome Mike.

Is there no Veterans Administration in the UK?

 

[Douger]

There is.
Queens past cannon fodder.uk

 

[Madeline]

Unkind, Douger.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Hi all.

I have no idea if this is where I want to post this, or indeed if this post is relevant for this forum at all.

Anyway, I am trying to do some geneology, and I am hitting a brick wall with a certain (possible) family member.

I am trying to find out more about an 8th Air Corp member in 1942 in the UK.

Does anyone know where the 8th were stationed? I guess someone knows that.

And is there a list of regimental members? Something online maybe?

I would really appreciate any help, since I am quite stumped at the moment.

Regards

//Mike

I'm doing the same thing with my grandfather who flew bombers in WWII and my great grandfather who was in the battle of Belleau Wood in WWI.

I have an account at Footnotes.com and it has been a big help to me. I also use my "Google-Fu" techniques as well. You would be surprised to learn how much is out there on the web just through normal internet searches.

Here is a link to the 8th AF:
Eighth Air Force - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wikipedia is a good place to start but I wouldn't trust it as 100% accurate.

What did your family member do? Pilot? Aircrew member? Ground support? Besides the Major Command (8th AF) do you know the unit he was assigned to? Bomb Group? Squadron? Do you know his full name to include any middle names or aliases?

My grandfather was assigned to the 15th AF, 455th Bomb Group, 741st Squadron and flew B-24's out of San Giovani Italy. From there I was able to find reunion groups online who posted a wealth of info about their time in the war to include published books. You're lucky, military people are meticulous in the documentation of the activities of their unit of assignment, more so than any civilian. I've found a few previously unknown pics of my grandfather as a result.

Footnotes.com will give you access to Census data too. That was how I found the full name of my great grandfather and started to research his history.

What I don't recommend is signing up for Ancestry.com and making a post asking people if they know the name of your family member. That'll get you nowhere fast. I've actually run across posts by one of my deceased relatives asking that same question ten years ago but no one answered.

You really have to be your own "CSI Investigator" of sorts. If you have any questions feel free to PM me. Good luck!

 

[editec]

http://www.usmessageboard.com/wiki/VIII_Bomber_Command

VIII Bomber Command was activated at Langley Field, Virginia, It was reassigned to Savannah Air Base, Georgia on Feb 10, 1942.

An advanced detachment of VIII Bomber Command was established at RAF Bomber Command Headquarters at RAF High Wycombe England on Feb 23 in preparation for its units to arrive in the United Kingdom from the United States.

The first combat group of VIII Bomber Command to arrive in the United Kingdom was the ground echelon of the 97th Bombardment Group, which arrived at RAF Polebrook on June 9, 1942.

Regular combat operations by the VIII Bomber Command began on Aug 17, 1942, when the 97th Bombardment Group flew 12 B-17Es on the first VIII Bomber Command heavy bomber mission of the war from RAF Polebrook, attacking the Rouen-Sotteville marshalling yards in France.


Bombardment operations by VIII Bomber Command continued until Feb 22, 1944 when a massive reorganization of American airpower took place in Europe.

• VIII Bomber Command's parent unit, Eighth Air Force, was redesignated as the

• United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe (USSTAF).
  [*]The VIII Bomber Command was subsequently redesignated as Eighth Air Force and brought under the control of USSTAF. This is the Eighth Air Force the present-day organization's history, lineage and honors derives from.

The United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe (the first Eighth Air Force) was redesignated United States Air Forces in Europe in 1945, and today is one of two United States Air Force overseas major commands.


Following the end of the war in Europe Eighth Air Force headquarters was reassigned to Sakugawa (Kadena Airfield), Okinawa, on July 16, 1945, being assigned to the United States Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific, with a mission to organize and train new bomber groups for combat against Japan. In the planned invasion of Japan. The Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended the Pacific War before Eighth Air Force could engage in combat operations.

During the Cold War, Eighth Air Force was one of three Numbered Air Forces of the United States Air ForceStrategic Air Command (SAC), commanding USAF strategic bombers and missiles on a global scale. It engaged in combat operations during the Vietnam War, as well as Operation Desert Storm.

With the inactivation of SAC and the realignment of USAF forces after the Cold War, Eighth Air Force became part of Air Combat Command in 1992, and remains one of the United States Air Force front-line resources.

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