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File:Graftonunderwood-8-mar-1954.jpg

Aerial Photo of Grafton Underwood Airfield - 8 March 1954.

RAF Grafton Underwood is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 4 miles NE of Kettering in Northamptonshire.

RAF Use

The airfield was opened in 1941 and was first used by the RAF Bomber Command 1653 Heavy Conversion Unit with Liberators.

USAAF Use

Grafton Underwood was assigned USAAF designation Station 106.

15th Bombardment Squadron (Light)

The first USAAF tenant on Molesworth was the 15th Bombardment Squadron, arriving on 12 May 1942 from Batchelor, Australia. The squadron flew the British Boston III light bomber. The 15th was originally part of the 27th Bombardment Group (Light), based in the Philippine Islands, however the group's planes (A-24's), did not arrive by December 7 1941. Due to the deteriorating situation in the Philippines after the Japanese attack, they were diverted to Australia.

The 15th Bomb Squadron was the very first Eighth Air Force unit in the United Kingdom.

The group's commander and 20 pilots were flown from Luzon to Australia to get the aircraft, but did not return because their airfield had been overrun. The men were first transferred back to the United States, then to the UK.

At the time Grafton Underwood was lacking many facilities, and the squadron moved to RAF Molesworth in mid June.

97th Bombardment Group (Heavy)

July-September 1942

305th Bombardment Group (Heavy)

The first United States Army Air Force Eighth Air Force 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arriving from Muroc AAF, California during September 1942.

The 305th BG was assigned to the 40th Combat Wing at RAF Thurleigh. The group tail code was a "Triangle G". It's operational squadrons were:

364th Bomb Group (B-17F) (WF)
365th Bomb Group (B-17F) (XK)
366th Bomb Group (B-17F) (KY)
422d Bomb Group (B-17F) (JJ)

At Grafton Underwood, the group began combat on 17 November 1942 and attacked such targets as submarine pens, docks, harbors, shipyards, motor works, and marshalling yards in France, Germany, and the Low Countries.

During December 1942, the group was transferred to RAF Chelveston.

96th Bombardment Group (Heavy)

April-May 1943

384th Bombardment Group (Heavy)

From May 1943 until June 1945 384th Bombardment Group (Heavy) used Grafton Underwood, arriving from Sioux City AAF, Iowa.

It's operational B-17 squadrons were:

544th Bomb Group (SU)
545th Bomb Group (JD)
546th Bomb Group (BK)
547th Bomb Group (SO)

The 384th Bomb Group primarily as a strategic bombardment organization, concentrating its attacks on airfields and industries in France and Germany.

The Group's targets included airdromes at Orleans, Bricy, and Nancy; motor works at Cologne; a coking plant at Gelsenkirchen; an aircraft component parts factory at Halberstadt; steel works at Magdeburg; and ball-bearing plants at Schweinfurt. The Group made a damaging raid on aircraft factories in central Germany on 11 January 1944 and received a Distinguished Unit Citation for the action.

The 384th took part in the campaign of heavy bombers against the German aircraft industry during Big Week, 20-25 Feb 1944. Received another DUC for the mission of 24 April 1944 when the group, although crippled by heavy losses of men and planes, led the 41st Bomb Wing through almost overwhelming opposition to attack an aircraft factory and airfield at Oberpfaffenhofen. The group also bombed ports, communications centers, oil facilities, and cities, attacking such targets as oil storage plants in Leipzig and Berlin, ports at Hamburg and Emden, and marshalling yards at Duren and Mannheim.

At times the Group flew interdictory and support missions. Attacked installations along the coast of Normandy prior to and during the invasion in June 1944 and then bombed airfields and communications beyond the beachhead. Supported ground troops during the breakthrough at Saint-Lô, 24-25 July, by bombing enemy strong points just beyond Allied lines. Hit tank and gun concentrations north of Eindhoven to assist the airborne assault on Holland in September. Struck enemy communications and fortifications during the Battle of the Bulge, Dec 1944-Jan 1945. Aided the Allied assault across the Rhine in March 1945 by attacking marshalling yards, railroad junctions, and bridges to cut off enemy supplies.

After V-E Day, the 384th remained in France after the war as part of United States Air Forces in Europe. Carried American soldiers to Casablanca for return to the US, returned Greek soldiers to their homeland, and moved Allied troops to Germany. The 384th Bomb Group was inactivated at Istres France on 28 February 1946.

Postwar Use

After the war, Grafton Underwood was used for vehicle storage, then sold and returned to agriculture in 1959

References

Freeman, Roger A., Airfields Of The Eighth, Then And Now, 1978
www.controltowers.co.uk Grafton Underwood
mighty8thaf.preller.us Grafton Underwood
Maurer Maurer, Air Force Combat Units Of World War II, Office of Air Force History, 1983
USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to Present [1]

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 === 15th Bombardment Squadron (Light) ===
+The first USAAF tenant on Molesworth was the '''15th Bombardment Squadron''', arriving on [[12 May]] [[1942]] from Batchelor, [[Australia]].  The squadron flew the British [[A-20|Boston III]] light bomber.  The 15th was originally part of the '''27th Bombardment Group (Light)''', based in the [[Philippines|Philippine Islands]], however the group's planes (A-24's), did not arrive by [[December 7]] [[1941]].  Due to the deteriorating situation in the Philippines after the Japanese attack, they were diverted to [[Australia]].
-May-June 1942
+The 15th Bomb Squadron was the very first Eighth Air Force unit in the [[United Kingdom]].
+The group's commander and 20 pilots were flown from [[Luzon]] to Australia to get the aircraft, but did not return because their airfield had been overrun.  The men were first transferred back to the United States, then to the UK.
+At the time Grafton Underwood was lacking many facilities, and the squadron moved to [[RAF Molesworth]] in mid [[June]].
 === 97th Bombardment Group (Heavy) ===