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Constituted
as the 487th Fighter Squadron on 29 September 1942, it was assigned
to the 352nd Fighter Group. The squadron's first home
was at Mitchel Field, New York, followed by durations of about
a month at each of the following bases: Bradley Field, Connecticut;
Westover Field, Massachusetts, Trumbull Field, Connecticut;
back to Mitchel Field, New York; and finally Bodney in England
on 7 July 1943. In December 1944 the Group moved
from Bodney to airfields Y29 at Asch, and then to A84 at Chievres,
Belgium.
The squadron flew P-47 Thunderbolts
until early 1944, switching to the P-51 Mustang until the end
of the war. It took part in several campaigns: Air
Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace;
and Central Europe.
Squadron decorations including
the Distinguished Unit Citation and the French Croix de Guerre
with Palm. The Group also produced the highest scoring 'Mustang
Ace' of the war, Major George E. Preddy, Jr.
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Size
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7 inches (12 cm) high
5 inches (12 cm) wide |
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Materials
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Embroidered on dark blue wool felt. |
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The three squadrons of
the 352nd Fighter Group were nicknamed 'The Blue Nosed
Bastards of Bodney', referring to the distinctive blue
paint job adorning the Mustangs' nose and upper cowling.
The 487th Fighter Squadron was known as 'Meyer's Maulers'
after its high-ranking ace and commanding officer John
C. Meyer.
The character depicted
on the emblem was called 'Lil Bastard'. The squadron artist
Sgt. Sam Perry did a brilliant job in bringing to life
this most determined-looking and pugnacious little fighter.
The squadron was inactivated on 10 November 1945.
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