496th Fighter Training Group
Military unit / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 496th Fighter Training Group (FTG) was a United States Army Air Forces unit, serving with the Eighth Air Force in the United Kingdom during World War II. Activated in December 1943, the unit trained replacement pilots on the Lockheed P-38 Lightning and later the North American P-51 Mustang. In October 1944 its training mission was ended when the Eighth Air Force decided to instead train pilots in operational training units that were part of combat fighter groups. For the remainder of its service, the group provided support services for units at RAF Halesworth, including an air-sea rescue squadron. The group was inactivated in April 1945; its attached units were directly subordinated to the 65th Fighter Wing and remaining personnel transferred to an air service squadron.
496th Fighter Training Group | |
---|---|
Active | 1943–1945 |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Army Air Forces |
Role | Fighter training, support services |
Part of | Eighth Air Force |