597th Bombardment Squadron

The 597th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 397th Bombardment Group. It was last stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, and was inactivated on 22 December 1945.

History
Established in early 1943 as a B-26 Marauder medium bomber group, the 597th was initially was an Operational Training Unit under Third Air Force in the southeastern United States. Realigned as an operational squadron and deployed to European Theater of Operations (ETO), and assigned to Ninth Air Force in England in early 1944.

Engaged in tactical bombardment of enemy targets in France and the Low Countries in the spring of 1944, also participated in the extensive bombardment of the D-Day invasion area in preparation for the Operation Overlord landings in France. After D-Day, moved from England to Advanced Landing Grounds in France, providing tactical bombardment of enemy strong points as well as bridges, railroads and other targets in support of Allied ground forces during the Northern France Campaign. Supported the Western Allied invasion of Germany during the spring of 1945, continuing combat operations against enemy targets in Germany until the German Capitulation in May 1945. Squadron demobilized in France during the summer of 1945, returning personnel and equipment to the United States. Inactivated as a paper unit during December 1945.

Lineage

 * Constituted 597th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 20 Mar 1943
 * Activated on 20 Apr 1943
 * Inactivated on 31 Dec 1945

Assignments

 * 397th Bombardment Group, 20 Apr 1943-31 Dec 1945

Stations

 * MacDill Field, Florida, 20 Apr 1943
 * Avon Park Air Force Range, Florida, 14 Oct 1943
 * Hunter Field, Georgia, 1 Nov 1943-13 Mar 1944
 * RAF Gosfield (AAF-154), England, 5 Apr 1944
 * RAF Rivenhall (AAF-168), England, 15 April 1944
 * RAF Hurn (AAF-492), England, 4 Aug 1944
 * Gorges Airfield (A-26), France, 30 Aug 1944
 * Dreux/Vernouillet Airfield (A-41), France, c. 16 Sep 1944
 * Peronne Airfield (A-72), France, c. 8 Oct 1944
 * Venlo Airfield (Y-55), Netherlands, 25 Apr 1945
 * Peronne Airfield (A-72), France, 30 May-c. Dec 1945
 * Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 30-31 Dec 1945

Aircraft

 * B-26 Marauder, 1943-1945