Big Pigeon in Southwest Iowa
  • Home
    • Usage Hints
    • Acknowledgments
    • Resources >
      • Free Sites
      • Pay Sites
      • Print Resources
      • Search Engines
      • Land Records
      • Resources - Denmark >
        • Finding Danish Ancestors
    • Project Mgt - Public >
      • Website Overview
      • Website Log
      • Project Overview
      • Mac Computer Use
      • Weebly Use
      • Reunion Use
      • Project History
      • Image Provenance
    • Project Mgt - Private >
      • Site Management
      • Site Plan
      • Contact List
      • Backup Info & Log
      • System Info & Log
      • Image Storage
      • E-Mail Log
      • Asset Organization
      • History Index
      • Binders & Photos
      • Upon My Death
      • Donations & Dispersal
  • Family
    • Photos - Recent
    • Christiansen
    • Rasmussen
    • Christiansen/Rasmussen News
    • Larsen/Larson
    • Hansen
    • Larsen/Hansen News
    • Allied Families
    • Wall of Honor
  • St. Paul's
    • Early Families >
      • Early Families Help
      • Early Families More Lists
    • St. Paul's Roots
    • St. Paul's Timeline
    • St. Paul's Resources
  • History
    • Iowa History >
      • The Missouri River
      • The Native Americans
      • The Colonial Period
      • The Louisiana Purchase
      • Iowa Land Cessions
    • SW Iowa History >
      • The Corps of Discovery
      • Middle Missouri Fur Trade
      • Yellowstone Expedition
      • The Potawatomi Years
      • The Mormon Years
      • Political Organization
      • Population Data
      • Transportation Maps
    • Pott. Co. History
    • Big Pigeon Area >
      • Nearby Towns >
        • Beebeetown
        • Crescent
        • Honey Creeek
        • Loveland
        • Neola
        • Persia
        • Underwood
        • Weston
        • Lost Locales
      • Danes from Dronninglund
      • Maps & Plats
      • Big Pigeon Galleries >
        • Gallery 1 - Area Historic Structures
        • Gallery 2 - Grange Sunday School
    • Avoca >
      • Gold Star Avoca
      • Cuppy's Grove
    • LDS History >
      • LDS Links
      • Gallery 1 - Mormon Maps
    • A House Divided >
      • Endnotes
      • Niels Peder Pedersen
      • Ane Katrine Pedersen
      • Kirsten Pedersen
      • Kirsten's Story >
        • Kirsten's LDS Daughters
        • Kirsten's Daughter, Karen Bondo
        • Kirsten's Son, Anders Johnson
        • Kirsten's Niece, Christine Mortensen
        • Kirsten's Niece, Anne Marie Larsen
    • More History >
      • Pott. Co. Addendum
      • American History
  • WWII Dead
    • Roster Hub >
      • Roster Aa-Am
      • Roster An-Az
      • Roster Ba-Be
      • Roster Bf-Bq
      • Roster Br
      • Roster Bs-Bz
      • Roster Ca
      • Roster Cb-Cm
      • Roster Cn-Co
      • Roster Cp-Cz
      • Roster Da-De
      • Roster Df-Dz
      • Roster E
      • Roster F
      • Roster G
      • Roster Ha
      • Roster Hb-He
      • Roster Hf-Hz
      • Roster I
      • Roster Ja-Je
      • Roster Jf-Jz
      • Roster Ka-Ki
      • Roster Kj-Kz
      • Roster La-Le
      • Roster Lf-Lz
      • Roster Ma-Mb
      • Roster Mc
      • Roster Md-Mm
      • Roster Mn-Mz
      • Roster N
      • Roster O
      • Roster Pa-Pe
      • Roster Pf-Pz
      • Roster Q-Rh
      • Roster Ri-Rz
      • Roster Sa-Sh
      • Roster Si-Ss
      • Roster St
      • Roster Su-Sz
      • Roster Ta-Th
      • Roster Ti-Tz
      • Roster U-V
      • Roster Wa-We
      • Roster Wf-Wi
      • Roster Wj-Wz
      • Roster X-Y-Z
      • Roster Record Structure
      • Roster Storage
    • Ancillary Records >
      • Veterans A-F
      • Veterans G-M
      • Veterans N-Z
      • Other WWII Era Dead
    • Residences >
      • Monona Co.
      • Crawford Co.
      • Carroll Co.
      • Harrison Co.
      • Shelby Co.
      • Audubon Co.
      • Council Bluffs
      • Rural Pott. Co.
      • Cass Co.
      • Mills Co.
      • Montgomery Co.
      • Fremont Co.
      • Page Co.
      • Other SW Iowa Counties
      • Other Iowa Counties
      • StatesBorderingIowa
      • Other States
    • Land, Air, Sea Dead >
      • Land Dead >
        • Division Dead - Japan
        • Division Dead - Germany
        • Other Land Dead
      • Air Dead
      • Sea Dead
    • Death Locations >
      • Pearl Harbor to Midway
      • Guadalcanal to Peleliu
      • Philippines to Okinawa
      • Other War w/ Japan Dead
      • The Battle of the Atlantic
      • The MTO - North Africa
      • The MTO - Italy
      • The MTO - Air, Sea, CommZ
      • The ETO - France
      • The ETO - Border Areas
      • The ETO - Germany
      • The ETO - Air, Sea, CommZ
      • Stateside
    • Roster Addenda >
      • Awards for Valor
      • Members Not in St. Paul's
      • Aggregate Roster Data
    • Roster Sources >
      • 1946 War Dept. Report
      • 1946 Navy Dept. Report
      • Pott. Area >
        • 1945 Pott. Co. Dead List
    • Roster Photos >
      • Roster Photos - Contents
      • Photos of Individuals
      • Land War with Japan
      • Air War with Japan
      • Sea War with Japan
      • Land War with Germany
      • Air War with Germany
      • Sea War with Germany
      • Stateside
      • Memorials
      • Cemeteries
    • Roster Outliers >
      • County Assignment
      • Navy Dept. Omissions
      • Multiple Names
      • Miscellaneous Exclusions
      • Pott. Co. Discrepancies
    • Roster Additions >
      • 2025 Additions Log
      • 2024 Additions Log
      • 2022-2023 Additions Log
      • 2020-2022 Additions Log
    • About the Roster >
      • Roster Planning
  • WWII Hub
    • WWII News
    • Big Pigeon & WWII
  • WWII US
    • WWII Overview
    • WWII Organization
    • Sources >
      • WWII Personnel
      • WWII Japan
      • WWII Germany
    • WWII Personnel >
      • Service Numbers
    • Casualties >
      • About Casualties
      • Army Casualties
      • Navy Casualties
      • Marine Corps Casualties
      • Dead
      • War Dept. Dead
      • Navy Dept. Dead
      • Prisoners of War
      • Burials
      • Missing
      • About Iowa Casualties
    • Ground Forces >
      • Army Campaigns
      • High Level Structure
      • Infantry Structure >
        • Infantry Equipment
      • Ground Forces - War with Japan
    • WWII in the Air
    • WWII at Sea
    • WWII at Home
    • Civilian Victims
    • Strategic Bombing
    • The Cold War
    • World War I >
      • Iowa In World War I
  • Japan
    • WWII Japan - Overview
    • Japan Ascendant
    • Japan Lashes Out >
      • Pearl Harbor, 1941
      • Guam & Wake Island
      • Malaya & Singapore Lost
      • The Netherlands Indies Lost
      • The Philippines Lost
      • Northern Melanesia, 1942
    • Japan Overreaches >
      • 1942 Carrier Raids
      • Coral Sea
      • Midway
    • South & SW Pacific >
      • Securing Australia
      • Isolating Rabaul
    • Solomon Islands >
      • Guadalcanal, Solomon Is.
      • Guadalcanal Naval War
      • New Georgia, Solomon Is.
      • New Georgia Naval War
      • Bougainville, Solomon Is.
      • Bougainville Naval War
    • New Guinea >
      • Papua, SE New Guinea,
      • Lae to Madang
      • Toward the Philippines
      • Western New Guinea
    • The Bismarck Archipelago
    • North Pacific >
      • Alaska
      • Attu & Kiska
      • Pacific Lend-Lease Routes
    • Central Pacific >
      • Gilbert Islands
      • Marshall Islands
      • Mariana Islands
      • Mariana Naval War
      • Palau Islands
    • Philippines Liberated >
      • Leyte
      • Battle of Leyte Gulf
      • Philippines Naval War
      • Luzon
      • Southern Philippines
    • Iwo Jima & Okinawa >
      • Iwo Jima
      • The Okinawa Land Battle
      • The Okinawa Naval War
    • Japan Overpowered >
      • Japan Under Attack
      • Japan Vanquished
    • The Pacific Base Areas
    • Naval War with Japan >
      • US Submarine Force
      • Third & Fifth Fleets
      • Order of Battle >
        • OOB - Armies & Corps
        • OOB - Divisions
        • OOB - South Pacific
        • OOB - Southwest Pacific
        • OOB - Central Pacific
        • OOB - Philippines Liberated
        • OOB - Iwo Jima & Okinawa
    • Air Force War with Japan >
      • Fifth Air Force
      • Seventh Air Force
      • Thirteenth Air Force
      • Twentieth Air Force
    • CBI Theater >
      • China, 1941-45
      • India, 1942-45
      • Burma, 1941-45
      • Crossing the Hump
  • Germany
    • WWII Germany Overview
    • Battle of the Atlantic
    • The MTO >
      • MTO Background
      • MTO Overview
      • North Africa >
        • North Africa - Order of Battle
        • Operation Torch
        • The Race to Tunis
        • Tunisia
      • Italy >
        • Italy - Order of Battle
        • Italy - Sources
        • Sicily
        • Italy Leaves the Axis
        • Salerno-Naples-Foggia
        • Naples to Rome
        • The Volturno Line
        • The Bernhardt Line
        • Battle of Anzio
        • The Gustav Line/Cassino #1
        • Cassino #2 & #3
        • Cassino to Rome
        • Rome To Florence
        • Northern Apennines
        • North Apennines - 1944
        • North Apennines - 1945
        • The Po Valley
        • + April 1945 Breakthrough
        • + Advance to the Po
        • + Beyond the Po
      • MTO Air War
      • MTO Sea War
      • MTO Comm. Zone
    • The ETO >
      • ETO Overview >
        • ETO Background
      • ETO Orders of Battle >
        • ETO Unit Subordination
      • Normandy Campaign >
        • D-Day
        • ETO, 6 June 1944
        • Normandy, June 1944
        • ETO, 30 June 1944
        • Normandy, July 1944
        • After D-Day
      • Liberation >
        • Operation Cobra
        • ETO, 1 August 1944
        • Brittany
        • Normandy
        • Northern France & Belgium
        • ETO, 25 August 1944
        • Southern France
      • War of Attrition, 1944 >
        • ETO, September 1944
        • Netherlands, 1944
        • Rhineland, 1944
        • V Corps at the West Wall
        • Aachen
        • Hürtgen Forest
        • Operation Queen
        • Queen/Hürtgen
        • Last 1944 Offensives
        • Lorraine/Alsace, 1944
        • Lorraine/Third Army
        • Lorraine/Seventh Army
        • Alsace/Seventh Army
        • ETO, December 1944
      • Ardennes/The Bulge >
        • Before the Bulge
        • The Bulge Begins
        • The Bulge Grows
        • Ardennes, 25 December 1944
        • The Bulge Contained
        • The Bulge Eliminated
        • Ardennes/Bulge Details
        • Ardennes/Bulge Overview
      • Alsace-Lorraine, 1945 >
        • Nordwind Counterattack
        • Colmar Pocket
        • Seventh Army in Stasis
      • Siegfried Line, 1945 >
        • ETO, 26 January 1945
        • Operation Blackcock
        • First US Effort
        • Roer River Dams
        • VIII Corps to Prüm
        • XII Corps to Bitburg
        • XX Corps to Trier
      • To the Rhine >
        • ETO, 1 March 1945
        • Ops. Veritable & Grenade
        • Operation Lumberjack
        • Operation Undertone
        • Mid-Rhineland February 1945
        • Ninth & First Armies
        • Third & Seventh Armies
      • Central Europe >
        • Crossing the Rhine
        • Beyond the Rhine
        • ETO, 4 April 1945
        • Central Germany
        • Southern Germany
        • Germany Surrenders
      • ETO Air War >
        • Eighth Air Force
        • Ninth Air Force
      • ETO Sea War
      • ETO Comm. Zone
    • The Eastern Front
Picture
Picture
ETO Air War
Picture
bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Germany > The ETO > ETO Air War > Ninth Air Force, © 2024 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 27 Jan 2024.
The Ninth Air Force supported Allied ground operations in the European Theater. Such operations included:
  • Air drops, of paratroopers, glider troops, and key supplies.
  • Other air transport missions.
  • Interdiction of enemy road and rail lines and airfields.
  • Attacks on smaller industrial targets.
  • Attacks on enemy troop or supply concentrations.
  • Air cover over combat zones.

With the activation of the Ninth Army in France on 5 September 1944, the United States had four armies in combat on the ground in the European Theater. Each of these armies had a measure of operational control over a tactical air command, consisting of units from the Ninth and Twelfth Air Forces, as shown below:
First Army, entered combat 6 Jun 1944: IX Tactical Air Command from the Ninth Air Force.
Third Army (Patton), entered combat 1 Aug 1944:
Seventh Army (Patch) entered combat 15 Aug 1944: 
Ninth Army (Simpson), entered combat 5 Sep 1944: XIX Tactical Air Command from the Ninth Air Force.

As Allied forces advanced through France and Belgium and into Germany, increasing numbers of Ninth Air Force units moved from England to the European continent.
‡ Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead - The ETO > ETO Air War > Ninth Air Force:
  • Taken from the bigpigeon.us WWII Dead module.​​
​​03-09 - The ETO > ETO Air War > Ninth Air Force: (16 dead, updated 27 January 2024)
  • Including Twelfth Air Force deaths while based in France supporting the ETO.
† Anderson, Virgil Wendell, SN T-003902, US Army Air Force, Buena Vista and Pott. Cos.
  • 95th Troop Carrier Sqdn., 440th Troop Carrier Gp., Ninth Air Force, based at Chateaudun, Eure-et-Loir Dept., NW of Orleans, France; Douglas C-47A Skytrain/Dakota #42-100906 co-pilot; KIA 27 Dec 1944 near St. Hubert, west of Bastogne, Belgium; flak brought plane down during glider tow mission carrying supplies to Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge; three dead, two survivors; The ETO > ETO Air War > Ninth Air Force.
† Braden, Grant Nathaniel, SN 0-690-177, US Army Air Force, Montgomery Co.
  • 597th Bomb. Sqdn., 397th Bomb. Gp., Ninth Air Force, based at Péronne, Somme Dept., east of Amiens, France; Martin B-26 Marauder #42-96162 Dottie Dee pilot; KIA 30 Jan 1945 near Courtisols, SE of Reims, Marne, France; plane crashed in a snowstorm returning from a weather reconnaissance mission; crew of four all died; The ETO > ETO Air War > Ninth Air Force.
† Chickering, Herbert R., SN 0-706-135, US Army Air Force, Montgomery & Madison Cos.
  • 339th Troop Carrier Sqdn., 349th Troop Carrier Gp., Ninth Air Force; Curtis-Wright C-46D Commando #44-77839 pilot; DNB 6 May 1945 SW of London, England at Gibbet Hill, Haslemere, Surrey on a repatriation flight from France to England; flying low in bad weather, aircraft wing hit a radar tower; all 30 aboard (five crew & 25 passengers) & one other person died; The ETO > ETO Air War > Ninth Air Force.​
†  Delong, Lloyd, SN 37-117-114, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 409th Bomb. Gp., Ninth Air Force, flying Douglas A-26 Invaders, based at Brétigny-sur-Orge, Essonne Dept., south of Paris, France; DNB 3 Nov 1944 at Fleury-Mérogis, near Paris; head injuries from falling from a moving truck; The ETO > ETO Air War > Ninth Air Force.
†  Downs, Thomas George, SN 0-745-648, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 85th Troop Carrier Sqdn., 437th Troop Carrier Gp., Ninth Air Force, based at Ramsbury, Wiltshire, England; Douglas C-47A Skytrain/Dakota #43-15655 pilot; DNB 27 Aug 1944 at landing field ALG A-22 near Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France; crashed while landing, four dead; The ETO > ETO Air War > Ninth Air Force.
† Gee, Richard Arthur, SN 0-496-121, US Army Air Force, Marion Co.
  • 430th Fighter Sqdn., 474th Fighter Gp., Ninth Air Force; based at Warmwell, SE of Dorchester, Dorset, England; Lockheed P-38J Lightning #42-67675​ pilot; KIA 22 Jun 1944 NW of Cherbourg, Hainneville, Departement de la Manche, Basse-Normandie, France; The ETO > ETO Air War > Ninth Air Force.
​† ​Gunsolley, Max Gerald, SN 37-656-287, US Army Air Force, Des Moines Co.
  • 644th Bomb. Sqdn, 410th Bomb. Gp., Ninth Air Force; based at Gosfield, west of Colchester, Essex, England; Douglas A-20G Havoc #43-10192 crew member w/ pilot Robert C. Bruce; KIA 3 Jun 1944; aircraft last seen heading to the coast through a flak zone; The ETO > ETO Air War > Ninth Air Force; BNR.
† Halterman, Claude Allen Jr., SN 0-767-204, US Army Air Force, Ventura Co., CA
  • 390th Fighter Sqdn., 366th Fighter Gp., Ninth Air Force; based at Asch, Zutendaal, Belgium; Republic P-47 Thunderbolt #42-28098 pilot; KIA 28 Feb 1945 near Grevenbroich, SW of Düsseldorf, Germany; aircraft hit by flak & crashed; The ETO > ETO Air War > Ninth Air Force; BNR.
†  Holiday, Albert Henry, SN 17-029-435, US Army Air Force, Harrison & Ringgold Cos.
  • 641st Bomb. Sqdn., 409th Bomb. Gp., Ninth Air Force, based at Little Walden, Essex, England; North American A-20G Havoc #43-9703 gunner w/ pilot Joseph R. Armistead; KIA 11 Jun 1944 Uttlesford District, Essex, England; three aircraft collided after takeoff, two crashed; five died from the eight crew members of the two lost aircraft; The ETO > ETO Air War > Ninth Air Force.​
† Howard, Charles Joseph, SN 0-2-067-716, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 37th Bomb. Sqdn., 17th Bomb Gp., Twelfth Air Force, assigned to First Tactical Air Force, supporting Seventh Army; based at Dijon-Longvic, Burgundy, France; Martin B-26F Marauder #42-96326 copilot w/ pilot Kenneth Bedor; KIA 26 Apr 1945 near target of Neuburg an der Donau, between Munich and Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany; shot down by Messerschmitt ME-262 jet fighter from Luftwaffe Sqdn. JV-44; The ETO > ETO Air War > Ninth Air Force.
† Hunter, Gail Ray, SN 37-109-559, US Army Air Force, Cass Co.
  • 558th Bomb. Sqdn., 387th Bomb. Gp., Ninth Air Force, based at Chpping Ongar, NE of London, Essex, England; Martin B-26 Marauder #41-31664 Heavenly Body flight engineer & top turret gunner w/ pilot Charles W. Schober; KIA 8 Jun 1944 south of Caen, Normandy, France; aircraft hit by flak shortly after bombing ammunition dump in Foret de Grimbosq, exploded before hitting ground; crew of seven all died; The ETO > ETO Air War > Ninth Air Force.
† Kelley, Oren H., SN 17-033-747, US Army Air Force, Cass Co.
  • 43rd Troop Carrier Sqdn., 315th Troop Carrier Gp., Ninth Air Force, based at Aldermaston, Berkshire, England; Douglas C-47A Skytrain/Dakota C-47A #42-23479 radio operator; DNB 17 Sep 1943; accident during joint training exercise with Royal Air Force near Great Bircham, Norfolk, England; The ETO > ETO Air War > Ninth Air Force.
† Napier, Roy Hugh, SN 0-769-905, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 485th Fighter Sqdn., 370th Fighter Gp., Ninth Air Force, based at Florennes-Juzaine, Belgium, ~70 miles south of Brussels; Lockheed P-38J Lightning #42-67822 pilot; KIA 3 Jan 1945; aircraft crash; The ETO > ETO Air War > Ninth Air Force.
† Smith, Henry Clayton, SN 37-480-433, US Army Air Force, Mills Co.
  • 494th Bomb. Sqdn., 344th Bomb. Gp., Ninth Air Force, based at Stansted, near Bishop Stortford, Hertfordshire, England; Martin B-26G5 Marauder #43-34406 tail gunner; KIA 23 Sep 1944 near Venlo, SE Netherlands; plane shot down by flak; two crew may have survived, remaining four died; The ETO > ETO Air War > Ninth Air Force.
† Stith, George Noel, SN 0-697-177, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 557th Bomb. Sqdn., 387th Bomb. Gp., Ninth Air Force, based at Clastres, France, east of Amiens; Martin B-26F Marauder #42-96309 pilot; KIA 23 Dec 1944, near Bastogne, Belgium; plane returning from bombing mission over Hagen, Germany, crashed from flak; three killed, four POW; The ETO > ETO Air War > Ninth Air Force.
​† Wenstrand, Robert Darwin, SN 0-701-356, US Army Air Force, Page Co.​
  • 53rd Troop Carrier Sqdn., 61st Troop Carrier Gp., Ninth Air Force; based at Barkston Heath, Lincolnshire, England, east of Nottingham; Douglas C-47 Dakota/Skytrain navigator; DNB 3 Dec 1944 over North Sea; The ETO > ETO Air War > Ninth Air Force; BNR.
Return to Top of Webpage
Proudly powered by Weebly