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438th Air Service Group
Group origins
According to the group's history, "the 438th Air Service Group was activated 15 April 1945 pursuant to the authority contained in Section II, General Order 52, Hqs., VIII Air Force dated 12 April 1945." The reorganization was due to VIII Air Force Headquarters requiring a full air service group and headquarters at each station. The new group was comprised of three squadrons: the 438th Headquarters and Base Services Squadron, the 864th Air Engineering Squadron and the 688th Air Materiel Squadron.
These three squadrons were manned by personnel that previously had served in elements of the 33rd Service Group stationed at Debden, namely Detachment A and Headquarters Squadron 33rd Service Group, 45th Service Squadron, 2119th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 1063rd Military Police Company (AVN), 1126th Quartermaster Company, Detachment A 1030th Signal Company, 24th Station Complement squadron and the 1770th Ordnance Supply and Maintenance Company. In addition to being transferred into a "new" group, all personnel serving in other branches of the Army (e.g. Signal Corps, Military Police) were now fully fledged members of the Air Corps.
Despite the new designation there was no change in duties or relocation of personnel at Debden. Though the changes required an all night session 15-16 April 1945 by group clerks to get the orders typed and cut, come the morning of the 16th it was business as usual, with no down time occurring because of the change. This was due in large part to the efforts of Major Robert Andrews, who immediately began the task of developing manning tables for the new units upon receipt of advance information from 65th Fighter Wing Headquarters. In this Andrews was aided by the 2nd Air Division's Classification Assignment Officer Capt. Leaden, who "spent two days" at Debden and "solved quite a few problems...pertaining to M.O.S. and duty assignments."
With the herculean task of making sure all existing personnel were properly detailed to their new units completed the week prior to the transfer, all that was left to do when the order to execute the transfer came down at 1500 on Sunday, 15 April was issue the orders to make it official. The new organization took some getting used to; to meet the requirements of the new group old units were broken up by necessity. While men worked beside the same people they had previously, it was possible they were now in a different unit. For example, the 45th Service Squadron did not transfer its personnel 'en mass' into one squadron; its personnel were assigned to each of the three new squadrons.
When all was said and done, the 438th Air Service Group had a total authorized strength of 41 officers and 578 enlisted men. With activation, the following appointments were made (per the unit history):
Maj. Robert Andrews, Commanding Officer, 438th Air Service Group
Maj. Sumner Webster, Executive Officer, 438th Air Service Group / Commanding officer 438th Headquarters and Base Services Squadron
Maj. Edgar Levy, Group S-3
Capt. James C. Levi, Commanding Officer 864th Air Engineering Squadron
Capt. Harry Gualdoni, Commanding Officer 688th Air Materiel Squadron
Capt. Clair L. Hopper, Group Maintenance and Engineering Officer
Capt. Raymond Pool, Group Adjutant
Capt. Warren Bauer, Group Statistical Officer
Squadron rosters
In the succeeding pages you will find rosters for each of the three squadrons that comprised the 438th Air Service Group. These rosters represent the assigned personnel of each unit on the day of its activation, 15 April 1945, as well as anyone subsequently transferred into or assigned to the unit.
According to the group's history, "the 438th Air Service Group was activated 15 April 1945 pursuant to the authority contained in Section II, General Order 52, Hqs., VIII Air Force dated 12 April 1945." The reorganization was due to VIII Air Force Headquarters requiring a full air service group and headquarters at each station. The new group was comprised of three squadrons: the 438th Headquarters and Base Services Squadron, the 864th Air Engineering Squadron and the 688th Air Materiel Squadron.
These three squadrons were manned by personnel that previously had served in elements of the 33rd Service Group stationed at Debden, namely Detachment A and Headquarters Squadron 33rd Service Group, 45th Service Squadron, 2119th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 1063rd Military Police Company (AVN), 1126th Quartermaster Company, Detachment A 1030th Signal Company, 24th Station Complement squadron and the 1770th Ordnance Supply and Maintenance Company. In addition to being transferred into a "new" group, all personnel serving in other branches of the Army (e.g. Signal Corps, Military Police) were now fully fledged members of the Air Corps.
Despite the new designation there was no change in duties or relocation of personnel at Debden. Though the changes required an all night session 15-16 April 1945 by group clerks to get the orders typed and cut, come the morning of the 16th it was business as usual, with no down time occurring because of the change. This was due in large part to the efforts of Major Robert Andrews, who immediately began the task of developing manning tables for the new units upon receipt of advance information from 65th Fighter Wing Headquarters. In this Andrews was aided by the 2nd Air Division's Classification Assignment Officer Capt. Leaden, who "spent two days" at Debden and "solved quite a few problems...pertaining to M.O.S. and duty assignments."
With the herculean task of making sure all existing personnel were properly detailed to their new units completed the week prior to the transfer, all that was left to do when the order to execute the transfer came down at 1500 on Sunday, 15 April was issue the orders to make it official. The new organization took some getting used to; to meet the requirements of the new group old units were broken up by necessity. While men worked beside the same people they had previously, it was possible they were now in a different unit. For example, the 45th Service Squadron did not transfer its personnel 'en mass' into one squadron; its personnel were assigned to each of the three new squadrons.
When all was said and done, the 438th Air Service Group had a total authorized strength of 41 officers and 578 enlisted men. With activation, the following appointments were made (per the unit history):
Maj. Robert Andrews, Commanding Officer, 438th Air Service Group
Maj. Sumner Webster, Executive Officer, 438th Air Service Group / Commanding officer 438th Headquarters and Base Services Squadron
Maj. Edgar Levy, Group S-3
Capt. James C. Levi, Commanding Officer 864th Air Engineering Squadron
Capt. Harry Gualdoni, Commanding Officer 688th Air Materiel Squadron
Capt. Clair L. Hopper, Group Maintenance and Engineering Officer
Capt. Raymond Pool, Group Adjutant
Capt. Warren Bauer, Group Statistical Officer
Squadron rosters
In the succeeding pages you will find rosters for each of the three squadrons that comprised the 438th Air Service Group. These rosters represent the assigned personnel of each unit on the day of its activation, 15 April 1945, as well as anyone subsequently transferred into or assigned to the unit.