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33rd Service Group: A Brief History
The 33rd Service Group was activated on 15 January 1941 at Mitchell Field on Long Island, New York as the 33rd Air Base Group. On 1 April, three squadrons were formed: Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, the 45th Materiel Squadron and the 34th Air Base Squadron. It remained in New York until 24 May 1941, when a permanent change of station sent the group to Grenier Field in Manchester, NH. In December, the Army Air Force transferred all Air Base squadrons from Air Base groups; the 34th Air Base Squadron was duly transferred back to Grenier Field as its station complement squadron.
By 1942, it had been redesignated the 33rd Service Group. In May 1942, the group was placed under the jurisdiction of the Air Service Command. In July, the group was re-designated the 33rd Service Group. Between its activation and embarkation aboard a transport in January 1943, the 33rd was reorganized on several occasions to conform to the developing structure of a USAAF service group. Over the next several months, eight additional squadrons would become part of the 33rd Service Group. They were the 41st Service Squadron, 107th Quartermaster Company, 1925th Quartermaster Company, 1933rd Quartermaster Company, 1085th Ordnance Company, 1631stOrdnance Company, 1736th Ordnance Company and the 30th Signal Company.
On 26 December 1942, the 33rd Service Group was ordered to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey to prepare for embarkation and sailing to the United Kingdom. The Group departed from New York aboard the RMS Queen Mary on 6 January 1943 and arrived in Gourock Scotland in the early hours of 13 January. Its initial station was at USAAF Station 367 at Kingscliffe, Northamptonshire. Shortly after settling in at Kingscliffe, VIII Fighter Command transferred the 107th Quartermaster Company, 1925th Quartermaster Company, 1933rd Quartermaster Company and 1736th Ordnance Company to other organizations.
At the time 8th Air Force service groups served two fighter stations. The 33rd Service Group’s Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron remained with the 56th Fighter Group, following it on moves to Station 123 at Horsham St. Faith (5 April 43), Station 365 at Halesworth (8 July 43) and finally to Station 150 at Boxted (18 April 44). On 16 February 1943, the initial cadre of nine officers and forty-nine enlisted men left Station F-367 for detached service at Station F-356 in Debden. These men formed the nucleus of Detachment "A" Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, 33rd Service Group The 45th Service Squadron was sent to Station 356 at Debden to serve the 4th Fighter Group; it operated independently and remained there for the duration of the war. Detachments of men from other 33rd squadrons and companies were set to Debden as well. While operationally attached to the resident fighter group/station commander, these units remained part of the 33rd Service Group organizationally and administratively. Men were frequently transferred between the two fighter groups, to meet manning needs.
On 15 April 1945, under the provisions of 8th Headquarters General Order No. 52, the 33rd Service Group and all its subordinate units were disbanded, Under the new setup, each fighter station had its own resident service group and complement of subordinate units. At Debden, the 438th Air Service Group was activated. With few exceptions, all 33rd Service Group personnel were transferred into one of the three subordinate squadrons of which the 438th was comprised: the 438th Headquarters and Base Services Squadron, the 688th Air Materiel Squadron and the 864th Air Engineering Squadron
.
A list of other units at Debden appears below. See the individual unit page for a brief history of that unit:
By 1942, it had been redesignated the 33rd Service Group. In May 1942, the group was placed under the jurisdiction of the Air Service Command. In July, the group was re-designated the 33rd Service Group. Between its activation and embarkation aboard a transport in January 1943, the 33rd was reorganized on several occasions to conform to the developing structure of a USAAF service group. Over the next several months, eight additional squadrons would become part of the 33rd Service Group. They were the 41st Service Squadron, 107th Quartermaster Company, 1925th Quartermaster Company, 1933rd Quartermaster Company, 1085th Ordnance Company, 1631stOrdnance Company, 1736th Ordnance Company and the 30th Signal Company.
On 26 December 1942, the 33rd Service Group was ordered to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey to prepare for embarkation and sailing to the United Kingdom. The Group departed from New York aboard the RMS Queen Mary on 6 January 1943 and arrived in Gourock Scotland in the early hours of 13 January. Its initial station was at USAAF Station 367 at Kingscliffe, Northamptonshire. Shortly after settling in at Kingscliffe, VIII Fighter Command transferred the 107th Quartermaster Company, 1925th Quartermaster Company, 1933rd Quartermaster Company and 1736th Ordnance Company to other organizations.
At the time 8th Air Force service groups served two fighter stations. The 33rd Service Group’s Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron remained with the 56th Fighter Group, following it on moves to Station 123 at Horsham St. Faith (5 April 43), Station 365 at Halesworth (8 July 43) and finally to Station 150 at Boxted (18 April 44). On 16 February 1943, the initial cadre of nine officers and forty-nine enlisted men left Station F-367 for detached service at Station F-356 in Debden. These men formed the nucleus of Detachment "A" Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, 33rd Service Group The 45th Service Squadron was sent to Station 356 at Debden to serve the 4th Fighter Group; it operated independently and remained there for the duration of the war. Detachments of men from other 33rd squadrons and companies were set to Debden as well. While operationally attached to the resident fighter group/station commander, these units remained part of the 33rd Service Group organizationally and administratively. Men were frequently transferred between the two fighter groups, to meet manning needs.
On 15 April 1945, under the provisions of 8th Headquarters General Order No. 52, the 33rd Service Group and all its subordinate units were disbanded, Under the new setup, each fighter station had its own resident service group and complement of subordinate units. At Debden, the 438th Air Service Group was activated. With few exceptions, all 33rd Service Group personnel were transferred into one of the three subordinate squadrons of which the 438th was comprised: the 438th Headquarters and Base Services Squadron, the 688th Air Materiel Squadron and the 864th Air Engineering Squadron
.
A list of other units at Debden appears below. See the individual unit page for a brief history of that unit:
- 33rd Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron
- 45th Service Squadron
- Detachment "A" 1030th Signal Company
- 1063rd Military Police Company
- Detachment "A" 1126th Quartermaster Company, Service Group (Aviation)
- 1770th Ordnance Supply and Maintenance Company (Aviation)
- 2119th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon
- 24th Station Complement Squadron (SP)
- 18th Weather Squadron
- 30th Postal Regulating Section
- 128th Army Postal Unit
