20 Nov 1940 – Constituted 16th Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium)
15 Jan 1941 – Activated
22 Apr 1942 – Redesignated 406th Bombardment Squadron (Medium)
  2 Nov 1943 – Redesignated 406th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy)
  5 Aug 1945 – Redesignated 406th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy)
17 Oct  1945 – Inactivated
 
 

15 Jan 1941 – Attached to the 42nd Bombardment Group
  3 Mar 1942 – Assigned to the 41st Bombardment Group
c. Jun 1942 - Oct 1943 – Attached to the 28th Composite Group
  2 Oct 1943 – Eighth Air Force

Note: Assignment of the unit once it left Alaska will not be covered.

15 Jan 1941 – Ft Douglas, Ut
  4 Jun 1941 – Boise, Id
  8 Dec 1941–  Air Echelon operated from Paine Field, Wa
21 Jan 1942 – Paine Field, Wa
Apr - May 1942  –   Detachments operrated from:
                                  Astoria. Wa
                                  Marshfield, Or
Jun - Nov 1942  –   Detachments operrated from:
                                  Elmendorf Field, Ak
                                  Yakutat, Ak
                                  Naknek, Ak
                                  Kodiak, Ak
20 Jul - 1 Nov 1942 – Portland Army Air Base, Or
15 Nov 1942 - 18 Oct 1943 – Elmendorf Field, Ak
25 Jul - 13 Aug 1943 – Operated from Adak, Ak
23 Oct 1943 – Returned to Portland Army Air Base, Or

Note: Assignment of the unit once it left Alaska will not be covered.

1941 - 1943 - B-18
1941 - 1942 - B-26
1942 - 1943 - A-29
1943             - B-25
1943 - 1945 - B-24

23 Dec 1941- 4 May 1942 – Antisubmarine patrols
16 Jun 1942 - Aug 1943 – Combat in the Northern Pacific
5 Jan - Aug 1944 – Served in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) as CARPETBAGGER unit.
Aug 1944 - 9 May 1945 – Flew leaflet missions

Service Steamers
None

Campaigns
Antisubmarine, American Theater, Aleutian Islands; Air Combat, Asiatic-Pacific Theater; Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Central Europe

Decorations
French Croix de Guerre with Palm

Emblem
On a light blue disc, INDIAN BOY red, wearing a large feather headdress white, red, and black, banded at the head light blue and yellow, yellow trousers, white sash about the waist, trimmed red and yellow, red moccasins, trimmed black, white, and blue, peering through telescope held in left hand, and throwing a black aerial bomb held aloft in right hand. (Approved 12 Jul 1943)
 
 

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Commanders:

  1 Jul   1940  -  Capt David H. Motherwell
  8 Jun  1941 -  1 Lt Roy R. Buschetto (assumed command - Capt Motherwell had died)
12 Aug 1941  - Maj Harry E. Wilson
14 Mar 1942  - Capt Roy R. Buschetto
17 May 1942  - Maj Harold D. Courtney

 

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406th BS Photographs

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Bomb Squadrons

21st      Shemya
36th       Elmendorf Field, Adak, Ladd
73rd       Elmendorf Field, Ladd
77th       Elmendorf Field, Attu
404th     Attu, Shemya
406th     Elmendorf Field, Adak

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Return to Master Index

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11th Air Force	XI Bomber Command	XI Fighter Command
28th Composite Group	Bomb Squadrons	343 Fighter Group
Non Flying Units	Chronology	Fighter Squadrons
War Stories	Credits	Reunions

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Always looking for Material and Scans of the 11th Air Force and Associated Units to add to this site.

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Questions or Comments?

 

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