A Brief History of the 640th Bombardment Squadron (L)

1943 - 1945

Activation

Headquarters, 409th Bombardment Group (L), was activated on 1 June 1943, at Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Parent Organization was the 46th Bombardment Group (L), from which initial personnel were received on 12 June 1943.

Composition

Headquarters, 409th Bomb Group

640th Bomb Squadron

641st Bomb Squadron

642nd Bomb Squadron

643rd Bomb Squadron

Station List

Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma 1 June 1943 1 October 1943 (Activation)

Woodward Army Air Field, Oklahoma 1 October 1943 - 8 December 1943

DeRidder Army Air Base, Louisiana 9 December 1943 - 12 December 1944

Camp Shanks, New York 13 December 1943 - 26 February 1944 - Leaving Camp Shanks on 26 February, the unit boarded ship and sailed from the New York Port of Embarkation on the following day. Arriving in Liverpool, England, on 5 March, the Squadron disembarked on the 6th and proceeded at once to its new station in southeastern England.

Little Walden (Essex), England March 1944 - September 1944

Bretigny (Seine-et-Oise), France September 1944 - February 1945

Laon/Couvron (Aisne), France February 1945 - June 1945

"Camp New York" Staging Area June 1945 - July 1945 (near Reims), France

Return to United States

At the end of July, the squadron was transferred to the vicinity of Antwerp, Belgium,and within a short time sailed for home. Arriving in the United States in August, its members were given furloughs before reporting to their new station in September.

Seymour Johnson Army Air Field North Carolina September 1945 - Early October 1945

Westover Army Air Field, Massachusetts October 1945 - 24 November 1945 (Inactivation)

Commanding Officers

Captain Albert W. Roby, Jr. 21 June 1943 - 14 December 1943

Major Allison Maxwell 14 December 1943 - Spring of 1944

Captain Leslie B. Huff Spring of 1944 - 20 June 1944

Major Albert W. Roby, Jr. 20 June 1944 - 20 April 1945

Captain Charles F. Williamson 22 April 1945 - Unknown

Assignments

At the time of activation the 640th Squadron was assigned to the 409th Bombardment Group (Light). In the course of World War II, the Group served under the following organizations:

The Third Air Force Activation - 10 February 1944

The Ninth Air Force 7 March 1944 - End of war

IX Bomber Command (arrival overseas)

Types of Aircraft Used

A-20 (Havoc)

A-26 (Invader) Introduced November 1944