9th Air Division

Constituted as 19th Composite Wing on 8 May 1929. Activated on 1 Apr 1931. Moved to the Panama Canal Zone in Jan 1933. Redesignated 19th Wing in 1937, and 19th Bombardment Wing in 1940. Inactivated in the Canal Zone on 25 Oct 1941.

Activated in the US on 24 Jul 1942. Moved to Egypt, Sep-Nov 1942. Assigned to Ninth AF. Redesignated IX Bomber Command in Nov 1942. Operated in the Mediterranean area until Oct 1943. Moved to the European theater, Oct-Nov 1943, and served as a tactical bombardment force in that area until V-E Day. Redesignated 9th Bombardment Division (Medium) in Aug 1944, and 9th Air Division in May 1945. Inactivated in Europe on 20 Nov 1945.

Redesignated 19th Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy). Allotted to the reserve. Activated in the US on 20 Dec 1946. Redesignated 19th Air Division (Bombardment) in Apr 1948. Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949.

Redesignated 19th Air Division. Organized on 16 Feb 1951. Assigned to Strategic Air Command.

Components. Groups. 6th Bombardment: 1931-1941. 9th Bombardment: 1940_1941. 12th Bombardment: 1942-1943. 16th Pursuit 1933-1940. 20th Pursuit: 1931-1933. 37th Pursuit: 1940. 94th Bombardment: 1947-1949. 96th Bombardment: 1947-1949. 98th Bombardment: 1942-1943. 99th Bombardment: 1947-1949. 321st Bombardment: 1942-1943. 376th Bombardment: 1942-1943.

Wings. 7th Bombardment: 1951-. 11th Bombardment: 1951-. 97th Bombardment: 1943-1945. 98th Bombardment: 1943-1945. 99th Bombardment: 1943-1945.

Stations. Mitchel Field, NY, 1 Apr 1931-Jan 1933; Albrook Field, CZ, 25 Jan 1933-25 Oct 1941. MacDill Field, Fla, 24 Jul-28 Sep 1942; Ismailia, Egypt, 12 Nov 1942; Bengasi, Libya, 15 Feb-1 Oct 1943; Marks Hall, England, 6 Nov 1943; Chartres, France, 18 Sep 1944; Reims, France, Oct 1944; Namur, Belgium, Apr-20 Nov 1945. Birmingham AAB, Ala, 20 Dec 1946-27 Jun 1949. Carswell AFB Tex, 16 Feb 1951-.

Commanders. Lt Col William C McCord, 1933; Brig Gen George H Brett, c. Jun 1936; Brig Gen Herbert A Dargue, c. Sep 1938; Brig Gen Douglas B Netherwood, 30 Oct 1940; Brig Gen Edwin B Lyon, 4 Aug-25 Oct 1941. Brig Gen Patrick W Timberlake, 12 Nov 1942; Brig Gen Uzal G Ent, c. 18 Mar 1943; Maj Gen Samuel E Anderson, 16 Oct 1943; Brig Gen Richard C Sanders, 24 May 1945; Col Reginald F C Vance, 12 Aug-Nov 1945. Maj Gen Clarence S Irvine, 16 Feb 1951; Brig Gen J W Kelly, 10 Apr 1952; Brig Gen John D Ryan, 4 Aug 1953-.

Campaigns. Air Combat, EAME Theater; Egypt-Libya; Air Offensive, Europe; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.

Decorations. None.

Insigne. Shield: Azure, surmounting a lightning flash gules, a globe argent with latitude and longitude lines dark blue and encircled with a planetary ring of the last strewn with stars of the third and fimbriated of the like all bendwise, in chief an olive branch fesswise or, all within a diminished border of the third. (Approved 11 Mar 1959.)

Data from Air Force Combat Units of World War II By Maurer, Maurer, Published 1986