75th Flying Training Wing (U.S. Army Air Forces)

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75th Flying Training Wing
Buckingham AAF - AT-6s-1945.jpg
AT-6C-NT Texan trainers from Buckingham AAF flying in formation. AT-6s were used as target towing aircraft for flexible gunnery training.
Active1943–1946
CountryFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Branch United States Army Air Forces
RoleCommand of flying training units
Engagements World War II
  • World War II - American Campaign Streamer (Plain).png
    World War II American Theater

The 75th Flying Training Wing [a] was a flying training wing of the United States Army Air Forces. At the time, a wing controlled several multi-squadron groups. It was last assigned to the Army Air Forces Flying Training Command, and was disbanded on 15 June 1946 at Buckingham Army Air Field, Florida.

Contents

History

The wing was a World War II command and control organization, initially part of Eastern Flying Training Command. The mission of the wing was to train aerial gunners. Fixed gunnery training for air cadet pilots was carried out at Eglin Field, while flexible gunnery training for enlisted gunners was carried out both at Tyndall Field in northern Florida and Buckingham Army Air Field in Southwest Florida. As the men graduated from flexible gunnery school, they were assigned to combat crews either forming in the United States or as replacements to overseas combat units. [1] The school at Buckingham was the central school for training instructors for flexible gunnery until June 1944, when it moved to Laredo Army Air Field. [2] Buckingham was also home to a psychological research detachment that studied psychological problems unique to aerial gunners and determined criteria for selection and training of gunners. [3] [4]

As training requirements changed during the war, schools were activated and inactivated or transferred to meet those requirements. [5]

Lineage

Activated on 25 August 1943
Disbanded on 16 June 1946. [6]

Assignments

Components

Schools [b]
Units
Groups
Squadrons
Detachments

Training aircraft

The schools of the wing flew two types of aircraft, gunnery trainers and gunnery targets.

Stations

References

Notes

Explanatory notes
  1. There is no lineage connection between this wing and the United States Air Force 75th Air Base Wing, which was established on 5 February 1942 as the 75th Observation Group at Ellington Field, Texas.
  2. Unless otherwise stated, components were stationed with wing headquarters at Buckingham Army Air Field.
  3. The Tyndall school remained active until January 1946, but may have been reassigned.
Citations
  1. Manning [ page needed ]
  2. No byline. "Abstract, History Buckingham Army Air Field Jan 1944-Jun 1944, Vol. 1". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  3. No byline. "Abstract, History Buckingham Army Air Field Feb 1944-May 1944, Vol. 1". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 No byline. "Abstract, History 11Pschological Research Group Jun 1942-Jan 1944". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  5. Manning [ page needed ]
  6. 1 2 3 75th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
  7. No byline. "Abstract, History Buckingham Army Air Field Jan 1945-Feb 945". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  8. No byline. "Abstract, History Apalachicola Army Air Field Jan 1939-Jun 1945". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  9. No byline. "Abstract, History 37 Flexible Gunnery Training Group May 1942-Jan 1944". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  10. No byline. "Abstract, History 38 Flexible Gunnery Training Group May 1942-Jan 1944". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 9 January 2025.

Bibliography

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency