JULY 1944
- SQUADRON HISTORY
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 8 July 1944
Lieutenant Regan, Commanding
Officer of the Ground Echelon returned from temporary duty at APO 710
(Nadzab,
New Guinea2)
and immediately
preparations were made for the movement of the Squadron. The ground echelon was to break up into flights and report to their
proper stations and await the arrival of the Flight Echelon.
As authorized by the Table of
Organization the Squadron was separated into five flights.
"HQ" Flight,
"A" Flight,
"B" Flight,
"C" Flight, and
"D" Flight. "HQ", "A" and "C"
Flights were to report to APO 920, (Biak
Island2)
"B" Flight report to APO 503,
(Oro
Bay, New Guinea2)
and "D" Flight report to
APO 322.
(Milne
Bay, New Guinea2)
An advance echelon formed from "HQ", "A", and
"C" Flights were organized and they were to report immediately to APO 920
and begin to build
camp. This group consisted of thirty five (35) Enlisted men and six (6) Officers.
After one or two false starts the
advance echelon departed by air, on the 17 July 1944. Assigned to an area Southwest of of
Sorido Strip, upon arrival preparations were begun for setting up camp. The camp site was
cleared and after making a slight impression on the hard coral base, with intentions of
leveling the area, tent sites were laid out and frames built for the tents. Flanked on the
Southwest by the sea, approximately one hundred and fifty (150) yards from the camp site,
the location proved ideal. Located on Biak Island, of the coast of Dutch New Guinea, we
were one degree and five minutes from the Equator, and the almost continual breeze from
the sea relieved to some extent, the excessive heat from the sun.
On the 22 July 1944, the two Flight echelons, enroute from the United
States, began arriving (per
Operations Order No. 1491,
Headquarters, Station No.10, Pacific Wing, Air Transport Command, dated 27
June 19441)
for duty at APO 503.
Upon
receiving their assignment, the departed for their proper station. A change in the
disposition of flights occurred at this time and
"C"
Flight1 was to proceed to APO
322
and
"D" Flight1 was assigned to APO 920.
During the latter part of July, the Japanese Air Force succeeded in completing several
bombing missions over APO 920. Operating from
Mokmer Strip, at APO 920,
the first three (3) missions were flown on the 27
July 1944, and on this first flight, a rescue of five (5) men was accomplished. With this as an incentive, the Squadron
began, in earnest, the job of Air-sea rescue work.
30 July 1944,
"B" Flight1 departed, by air, from APO 503
and reported to APO 565
(Hollandia, New Guinea2)
leaving
"C"
Flight1 at APO 503
awaiting orders as to their disposition. A roster of Flights with
duty status included and a roster of the advance echelon are attached.
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Text in gray is not official
and is used to clarify or add additional information.
1
From Squadron microfilm
obtained from Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
2
APO numbers from "Numbered Army & Air Force Post Office Locations" - 7th
Edition - by Russ Carter
3
From Individual Aircraft Record Cards - Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
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