The Official Site of the 4th Fighter Group - World War II
  • Home
  • History
    • Timeline
    • Group and Squadron Commanders
    • 4th Fighter Group Almanac
    • The Flying Eagles Band
    • Virtual Museum
    • Legacy
    • 4th Fighter Group Mysteries
  • OPS
    • Missions
    • The Morlaix Show
    • Flak, Fighters and Prangs
  • Personnel
    • Pilots
    • 4th Headquarters - Ground
    • 334 - Ground
    • 335 - Ground
    • 336 - Ground
    • 438th Air Service Group >
      • 438th HQ and Base Services Squadron
      • 688th Air Materiel Squadron
      • 864th Air Engineering Squadron
    • 33rd Service Group and Other Units Stationed at Debden >
      • 33rd Service Group Detachment A Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron
      • 45th Service Squadron
      • 24th Station Complement Squadron
      • 1770th OS&M Company
      • 1126th Quartermaster Company
      • 2119th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon
      • 1030th Signal Company
      • 1063rd Military Police Company
      • 30th Postal Regulating Section/128th Army Postal Unit / 18th Weather Squadron
  • Images
    • Aircraft
    • Nose Art Gallery
    • Personnel
    • Places
    • Debden After Hours
    • On the Flight Line
    • Aviation Art
    • Special Collections
  • News
    • 4th Fighter Group Association Blog
    • Videos
    • Gone West
  • Publications
    • Articles
  • The A4FG
    • Current Officers
    • Past Presidents
    • Memorials
    • The Eagle Eye
    • Reunions
  • Contact Us

1770th Ordnance Supply and Maintenance (AVN) Company​: A Brief History 

      The 1770th Ordnance Maintenance and Supply Company (Aviation) began its operation life as the 816th Ordnance Company, Aviation (AB), based at Mitchell Field on Long Island in New York in mid-1942.  In the fall, the company was relocated to Grenier Field in Manchester, New Hampshire with other subordinate units of the 33rd Service group.  The day after Christmas, the company departed for Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, the staging point for units headed to Europe.  On 5 January 1943, the group boarded a train bound for the Port of New York and departed for the U.K. in the early hours of 6 January.
       Arriving in Greenock, Scotland on 12 January, the company was taken by train to its new home at Station 367 at Kingscliffe, the initial home of the 33rd Service Group and the 56th Fighter Group.  In early February, a small group of men were sent to Station 356 at Debden, to begin preparing the base for operations there.  Soon the small group was augmented by the arrival of men from the 1631st Ordnance Company Motor Maintenance (Q) detachment.  At this juncture, the new outfit was designated the 1770th Ordnance Company (MM) (Q).  In late May, the remainder of the company began to arrive at Debden. 
       On 1 June, the company became operational, and was re-designated the 1770th Ordnance Supply and Maintenance Company (Aviation).  With the 21 June addition of two officers and forty-three enlisted men from the 1085th Ordnance Company Aviation (AB), the 1770th Ordnance Supply and Maintenance Company (Aviation) was at full strength.  The men remaining with the 33rd Service Group Headquarters (by then at Horsham St. Faith) to service the 56th Fighter Group were designated Detachment A, 1770th Ordnance Supply and Maintenance Company (Aviation).
      The 1770th was active at Debden through 15 April 1945, at which time it was disbanded under the massive reorganization of 8th Air Force Service Groups as detailed in 8th Air Force Headquarters General Order 52.  Three officers and forty-three enlisted men were assigned to the 864th Air Engineering Squadron, while one officer and twenty-nine enlisted men were ordered to the 688th Air Materiel Squadron. The remaining two enlisted men were sent to the 438th Headquarters and Base Services Squadron.
      In the final entry of the company's history, CO Walter Orenshaw took time to note the unit's achievements. "Reflecting back to the beginning of Ordnance activities on this Field, it is recalled that a small Ordnance Detachment arrived here from Kingscliffe for the purpose of establishing and maintaining the first Station Ordnance Office at the first American operational fighter station in the ETO."
      In closing, he added, "It is with a feeling of satisfaction and gratefulness that we were privileged to play, even so small a part, in the most successful of all air shows through its important phases and throughout its successfully long run.  A consensus of personal expressions has brought forth one conclusive fact, namely, that we be given a like opportunity to serve in our next Theater."
                        
          ​​

1770th Ordinance Supply & Maintenance Company (AVN) Roster

A
Adams, James T.
Alpert, William
Arflin, Broadus A.
Ausitn, Harry E.


B
Banaszak, Henry
Barrus, Walter M.
Beaderstadt, William D.
Beck, John C.
Behm, Willard G.
Bellisari, Dante P.
Bishop, Thomas A. Jr.
Brandick, James E.
Brock, Robert W.
Brudermann, Gerard J.


C
Caputo, Robert P.
Cataldo, Frank
​Clemens, Willard F.
Cripps, Donald J.


D
Domres, Walter G.
DuBois, Paul E.
Dunham, Frank L.


E
Elliott, Leo F.
Endsley, Clifford W.


F
Fisher, Drexel  L.
Friend, Robert H.



G
Geng, Zoltan
Getek, Frank T.
Gore, Randolph C.
Goth, Edward A.
Gourley, Harry J. Jr.
Graziano, David

H
Hall, Merrick W.
Henson, John E.
Hobday, Arthur F.
Howell, Charles W.
Hutzelman, Harry V. Jr.

K
Kelly, Edward F.
King, Edward J.
Kister, Frank H.
Krizinski, Leon

L
Liddle, Howard M.
Leftwich, Ray E.    

M
Massingill, Herbert L.
Mazza, Nicholas
McCallum, Grady
McIntyre, H. C.
McKenna, Edward A.
Medlenka, Esley A.

​M (cont)
​Mehaffey, Paul W.
​Michael, Robert N.

Mikula, George
​Miller, Charles O.
Million, Otto K.
Moffat, David L.
Murphy, John F.
Musselman, Lloyd W.


N
Napper, George F.
Natale, John J.
Nicoletti, Joseph W.


O
Olex, Peter P.
Orenshaw, Walter M.
Owen, Ernest W.


P
Pate, Eugene  
Paulson, Clifford F.
Pearson, James C.
Peek, Matthew
Phillips, Nicholas P.
Pirigyi,  Steve
Poerschman, Edward W.
Priewe, Elwin D.


Q
Quick, Lawrence M.
​
R
Ramsey, Harry M.
Roberts, Harold C.
Rohr, Wilkie C. Jr.
Roy, Samuel M.
​Russell, Charles W.


S
Sarbey, Jack
Shanks, Clifford J.
Shaw, Clifford C.
Shelton, Roosevelt
Sutton, Donald T.


T
Tarin, Joseph J.
Taylor, Charles E.
Turcotte, Gerard P.
Tuschong, Wallace G.


V
Vassallo, Salvatore

W
Wallsmith, Alvin
Waterhouse, John B.
Wedman, Russell M.
Wulf, Henry O.


Y
Yansa, John

Z
Zanardi, Anthony T.
Zitnay, Theodore J.
Original content copyright Association of the 4th Fighter Group - World War II © 2012-2022