406th Bombing Squadron
Constituted 16th Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium) on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 15 Jan 1941. Redesignated: 406th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 22 Apr 1942; 406th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 2 Nov 1943; 406th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 5 Aug 1945. Inactivated on 17 Oct 1945.
Assignments. 42nd Bombardment Group, attached on 15 Jan 1941, and assigned on 3 Mar 1942; 41st Bombardment Group, 25 Feb 1942 (attached to 28th Composite Group, c. Jun 1942-c. Oct 1943); Fourth Air Force, 11 Oct 1943; Eighth Air Force, 2 Nov 1943; 1st Bombardment Division, c. 11 Nov 1943 (attached to 482nd Bombardment Group, 4 Dec 1943-21 Feb 1944); VIII Air Force Composite Command, 26 Feb 1944 (attached to 328th Service Group, 27 Feb 1944, and to 801st Bombardment Group, [Prov], 28 Mar-10 Aug 1944); VIII Fighter Command, 1 Oct 1944; 1st Air Divison, 30 Dec 1944; 492nd Bombardment Group, 5 Aug-17 Oct 1945.
Stations. Ft. Douglas, Utah, 15 Jan 1941; Boise, Idaho, 4 Jun 1941 (air echelon operated from Paine Field, Wash, beginning 8 Dec 1941); Paine Field, Wash, 21 Jan 1942 (detachments operated from Astoria, Wash, and Marshfield, Ore, Apr-May 1942, and from bases in Alaska-Elmendorf Field, Yakutat, Naknek, and Kodiak-from Jun to Nov 1942); Portland AAB, Ore, 20 Jul-1 Nov 1942; Elmendorf Field, Alaska, 15 Nov 1942-18 Oct 1943 (operated from Adak, 25 Jul-13 Aug 1943); Portland AAB, Ore, 23 Oct 1943-2 Nov 1943; England, 2 Nov 1943; Alconbury, England, 11 Nov 1943; Watton, England, c. 7 Feb 1944; Harrington, England, c. 25 Mar 1944; Cheddington, England, c. 5 Aug 1944; Harrington, England, 16 Mar-6 Aug 1945; Sioux Falls AAFld, SD, 14 Aug 1945; Kirtland Field, NM, 17 Aug-17 Oct 1945.
Aircraft. B-18, 1941-1943; B-26, 1941-1942; A-29, 1942-1943; B-25, 1943; B-24, 1943-1945.
Operations. Antisubmarine patrols, 23 Dec 1941-4 May 1942. Combat in Northern Pacific, 16 Jun 1942-Aug 1943. Served in ETO as CARPETBAGGER unit, 5 Jan-Aug 1944, and afterwards flew leaflet missions until 9 May 1945.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaigns. Antisubmarine, American Theater; Aleutian Islands; Air Combat, Asiatic-Pacific Theater; Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Central Europe.
Decorations. French Croix de Guerre with Palm.
Emblem. On a light blue disc, INDIAN Boy red, wearing a large feather headdress white, red, and black, banded at the head light blue and yellow, yellow trousers, white sash about the waist, trimmed red and yellow, red moccasins, trimmed black, white, and blue, peering through telescope held in left hand, and throwing a black aerial bomb held aloft in right hand. (Approved 12 Jul 1943.)