501st Bomb Group

(Image courtesy of http://www.armyairforces.com)

Colonel Boyd Hubbard
Commander 501st BG
(USAF photo from the October 1944 history of the 501st Bomb Group, AFHRA microfilm B0671, provided by Jerry White, 501st Combat Support Wing Historian.)

Group Command and Staff

Commanders
LtCol Harvey R. Striegler	14 April 1945 to 26 May 1945
Colonel Boyd Hubbard Jr	27 May 1945 to 26 September 1945
Colonel William Eades	27 September 1945 to 17 October 1945
Colonel James A. De Marco	18 October 1945 to Deactivation
Deputy Commanders
LtCol Arch G. Campbell Jr	19 June 1945 to 2 September 1945
Colonel William Eades	3 September 1945 to 26 September 1945
LtCol John H. Kunkel Jr	1 October 1945 to 3 October 1945
Major Julius H. Orpen	4 October 1945 to 25 October 1945
LtCol John L. McCoy	26 October 1945 to Deactivation
Operations Officers
LtCol Leo R. McGehee	3 June 1945 to 17 August 1945
LtCol Robert H. Orr	18 August to 27 September 1945
Major Julius H. Orpen	28 September 1945 to 3 October 1945
Major John R McDonald	4 October 1945 to 8 October 1945
Major William L. Braun	9 October 1945 to 23 November 1945
Captain Adiai S. Grove Jr	24 November 1945 to 26 November 1945
Captain Rober N. Cotanch	27 November 1945 to Deactivation

501st Bombardment Group (VH) activated 25 May 1944, Dalhart
U.S. Training Base: Harvard, Nebraska
Deployed to Guam:
Ground Echelon - March 4, 1945
(Arrive Guam April 14, 1945 on USS Exchange)
Air Echelon - April/May 1945

History of the 501st Bombardment Group (VH)

An interview of Group Commander, Colonel Boyd Hubbard, Jr., conducted on 11 September 1945. Apparently, the Commanding General of the US Army Strategic Air Force (USASAF), issued a letter after the wars end for interviews of all organization commanders addressing several issues. This is the interview submitted for the 501st Bomb Group.

As related by Bruce Beacher, transcribed from the 315th Bomb Wing Association History Book

NOTE: The microfilmed histories from the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA), listed below, are very difficult to transcribe. The image is very light, in many cases unreadable, and causes me considerable eye strain to decipher. I am making progress, slowly, on getting these transcribed for posting. (LM)

Official History of the 501st Bomb Group for June 1944 yet to be transcribed from AFHRA microfilm B0670

Official History of the 501st Bomb Group for July 1944 yet to be transcribed from AFHRA microfilm B0670

Official History of the 501st Bomb Group for August 1944 yet to be transcribed from AFHRA microfilm B0670

Official History of the 501st Bomb Group for September 1944 yet to be transcribed from AFHRA microfilm B0670

Official History of the 501st Bomb Group for October 1944 yet to be transcribed from AFHRA microfilm B0671

Official History of the 501st Bomb Group for November 1944 yet to be transcribed from AFHRA microfilm B0671

Official History of the 501st Bomb Group for December 1944, yet to be transcribed from AFHRA microfilm B0671

Official History of the 501st Bomb Group for January 1945 yet to be transcribed from AFHRA microfilm B0671

Official History of the 501st Bomb Group for February 1945 yet to be transcribed from AFHRA microfilm B0671

Official History of the 501st Bomb Group for March 1945 yet to be transcribed from AFHRA microfilm B0671

Official History of the 501st Bomb Group for May 1945 yet to be transcribed from AFHRA microfilm B0671

Official History of the 501st Bomb Group for July 1945 yet to be transcribed from AFHRA microfilm B0671

Official History of the 501st Bomb Group for 1 August 1945 through 30 September 1945, yet to be transcribed from AFHRA microfilm B0671

Official History of the 501st Bomb Group for 1 September 1945 through Deactivation, yet to be transcribed from AFHRA microfilm B0671

Webpage by Larry Miller

April 29, 2007