Military History
He was part of the Third Bomber Group, which began its operation in the Pacific Theatre of World War Two in April of 1942. They were officially called the “3d Bombardment Group (Light),” and they called themselves the “Grim Reapers”. He began his training in Torner Field from January to March of 1943. Then, he went to Will Rogers Field from March to August of 1943. After Will Rogers, he went to Hamilton Field in August of 1943. The squadron’s operation would last from then until the day Japan surrendered. In early 1942, it was sent to Australia as part of the United States Army Forces in Australia under General George Brett, and later it was sent to be part of the Fifth Air Force under General George Kenney. On the April 2, 1942, Lieutenant Colonel John Davies was placed in command of the group, previously having only the lead of a first lieutenant and having no aircraft. Davies’s past included commanding the 27th Bomb Group when the war started. He was in the Philippines and attempted to ferry A-24 dive bombers being shipped to the 27th. During this operation, he and twenty-two pilots under his control were stranded in Australia. This became a “leadership cadre” for the Third Bomber Group. They conducted the first bombing mission with B-25. They flew planes to New Guinea and the Philippines, launching attacks and then switching to evacuating passengers from the Philippines. From 1942 to January of 1943, they operated from forward locations in New Guinea. Their base of operations was in Australia. They mainly bombed airfields and supply lines of the Japanese during the Allies’ fight against the Japanese drive to Port Moresby. They operated in the Southwest Pacific, and they were involved in offensives where the Allies took many of the islands near New Guinea. The Battle of the Bismarck Sea ended Japanese attempts to send convoys to Lae. In August of 1943, they attacked through anti-aircraft fire and destroyed or damaged many enemy planes. This earned them a Distinguished Unit Citation. In fall of 1943, Madden’s unit attacked Rabaul to support assaults in New Britain and Bougainville. Later that year, they encountered ships with heavy antiaircraft weaponry. In this assault, the commander, Major Raymond Wilkins, drew enemy fire so that his squadron could escape. He sank two ships before he himself was shot down. After this, in 1944, they moved to the Philippines. |