12th Bomb Group, 434th Bomb Squadron, Lt Goodloe was a B-25 Combat Pilot, (12th Air Force, MTO, 1943-44) ….later to become a Capt serving as OPERATIONS OFFICER in the CBI. (10th AF CBI, 1944-45)

History

Established as a Northwest Air District Reconnaissance squadron at McChord Field in 1941. After the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor, flew antisubmarine and defensive patrols over the Pacific northwest coast until February 1942; then reassigned to Louisiana flying antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico.

Squadron re-equipped with modern B-25 Mitchell medium bombers in California during April 1942; deployed to Egypt to support British Forces in the Western Desert Campaign; assigned to IX Bomber Command. Ground echelon transported by ship around Cape of Good Hope to India; then transported to Cairo; Air Echelon flew transcontinental route to Morrison Field; Florida where aircraft fitted with long range auxiliary fuel ranks and departed via South Atlantic route to South America; performing transatlantic crossing to Liberia; across central Africa to Khartoum then north to Cairo where joined with ground echelon.

Engaged in desert warfare in Egypt; Libya and Tunisia, August 1942-June 1943, supporting British Eighth Army as they advanced into Tunisia, then participated in Invasion of Sicily and Italy; remaining in Mediterranean Theater of Operations until February 1944.

Reassigned to reinforce Tenth Air Force in China Burma India Theater during March 1944; moving across middle east to India. Provided tactical bombardment support to British forces in Burma until Japanese Capitulation in August 1945. Squadron demobilized in India during the fall of 1945, aircraft sent to reclamation or reassigned to friendly foreign air forces; unit inactivated as a paper unit in late January 1946.

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57th Bomb Wing Historical Researcher and 319 and 321st BG Historian Barbara Ennis Connolly, PRINCESSBARBIB25@msn.com 12th BG in the 57th BW; http://57thbombwing.com/gallery2/main.php?g2itemId=15881

Max H Goodloe