The following is a list of Emergency Rescue Squadron locations on 1 May 1945: 1st (650 NY) - Foggia, Italy 2nd (719 SF) - Leyte, P. I. 3rd (less Flights B, C & D) (72 SF) - Tacloban, P. I. Flight B (74 SF) - Clark Field, P. I. Flight C (73 SF) - Zambales, P. I. Flight D (321 SF) - Mindoro, P. I. 4th (less Flight Ech & Flight D) - Saipan Island Flight D (265 SF) - Angaur, Palau Islands Flight Ech (959 SF) - Wheeler Field, T. H. 5th (558 NY) - Thorpe Abbott, England 6th (72 SF) - Tacloban, P. I. 7th (433 NY) - Argartala, India The following is a list of Emergency Rescue Boat Squadron locations on 1 May 1945: 10th (less Dets) (980 Seattle) - Adak Island, Alaska Det (986 Seattle) - Amchitka Island, Alaska Det (983 Seattle) - Atka Island, Alaska Det (726 Seattle) - Camp Earle, Alaska Det (942 Seattle) - Cordova, Alaska Det (948 Seattle) - Fort Glenn, Alaska Det (937 Seattle) - Fort Greely, Alaska Det (944 Seattle) - Fort Randall, Alaska Det (942 Seattle) - Fort Richardson, Alaska 11th (less Dets) (845 Miami) - Borinquen Field, P. R. Det (857 Miami) - Atkinson Field, Br. Guiana Det (851 Miami) - Barbados, B. W. I. Det (632 Miami) - Batista Field, Cuba Det (857 Miami) - Beane Field, St. Lucia Det (855 Miami) - Coolidge Field, Antigua Det (861 Miami) - Vernam Field, Jamaica Det (602 Miami) - Zandery Field, Surinam 12th (825 NO) - Albrook Field, C. Z. 13th (953 SF) - Hickam Field, T. H. 14th (less Dets) (72 SF) - Tacloban, P. I. Det (920 SF) - Biak Island Det (719 SF) - Morotai Island Det (503 SF) - Oro Bay, New Guinea 15th (719 SF) - Morotai Island [signature]

Thanks Mark, this is really great information. I do have some questions. What's the difference between 'ERS' and ERBS'? Would ERS refer to 'air' vice boat crew? What is your source for the listings you provide if you can share? Regarding the 12th (825 NO) out of Albrook Field, CZ. Would 'NO' refer to New Orleans? And if so why? What does the reference to '825 NO' mean in any case? How many actual detachments did Albrook Field have relative to ERBS (on the Pacific side)? My dad was on the P-258 which was assigned to Rey Island. That being the case, how many other locations were there that reported to Albrook? What were the boat numbers and their locations? Did Rey Island for example, have more than one boat assigned? Do you have any other specific info relative to Albrook in general and/or Rey Island in particular? Rey Island was so small I'd be curious why there would even be a boat crew there. Dad said there was an emergency air field there so that might be the only reason, but other than that the 42' boat couldn't go far I wouldn't think. Appreciate any details. Getting boat info is a real chore, so I appreciate any tidbits I come across. Thanks, Larry [signature]

The first list are flying units and the other list is boat units. APO 825 NO referes to New Orleans. Apparently all bases in Panama & the Canal Zone were APO xxx NO. These lists comes from my copy of the AAF Station List dated 1 May 1945. The list does not show any detachments for the squadron in Panama. These Station Lists were not totally accurate as they relied on reports from each theater. It has some rescue boats listed, but none from Panama. I read your previous post, and looked P-258 up, but no luck. It might take a trip to Maxwell AFB, to find info on that unit. Mark [signature]

Larry, While I was chasing facts for a thread about Naknek, Alaska...I happened onto a ten paragraph article about the 924th Quartermaster Company Boat (Aviation) in Volume Two of "The Forgotten War" by Stan Cohen. It was later renamed as the 10th AAF Emergency Rescue Boat Squadron and pulled duty along the southern coastline of Alaska. In it, the 924th was reported to have had five small speed boats, one 39-footer, five 42-footers, five 85-footers, 14 104-footers, and one 150-foot aircraft retrieving and supply vessel. About half of the 500 men eventually recruited were Alaskans, who had had previous maritime experience. ( Perhaps a typical T/O manning?) The first reunion of the men who served in this unit was held in Anchorage in Oct 1986 in conjunction with the 11th Air Force Reunion. More details for you to consider, Steve [signature]

Thanks Steve....good information, appreciate you remembering my interest. Larry [signature]

Some further information on the nine Emergancy Rescue Squadrons active during WW II:

1st ERS activated 1 Dec 43 at Boca Raton AAF, assigned to AAF Tng Cd(?), moved to North Africa in Feb 44 and assigned to 12 AF. At Casablanca until Apr 44, Ajaccio until Nov 44, Foggia until returning the the USA and Keesler Fld in Jun 45, inactivated 31 Mar 46. Active after the war as the 1st Rescue Sq, 1st Air Rescue Sq, 1st Air Rescue Gp, and 1st Rescue Gp. Last active around 1997 at Patrick AFB.

2d ERS activated 15 Dec 43 at Hamilton Fld, assigned to 4th AF, moved to Gulfport AAF in Feb 44 (and reassigned? to AAF Tng Cd), to Keesler Fld in Apr 44, overseas in Jul 44, reassigned to 5th AF at Mokmer Drome, to Sorido Strip in Oct 44, Morotai in Oct 44, Clark Fld in Sep 45. Assigned to V Bomber Cd Aug 44 to Oct 44, 13 AF to Mar 45, attached to the 5320 Rescue Composite Gp Nov 44-Mar 45, then 13th Emergency Rescue Gp. Active after the war as the 2d Rescue Sq, 2d Air Rescue Sq, and 2d Air Rescue Gp. Last active 24 Jun 58 at Wheeler AFB

3d ERS constituted 14 Feb 44, activated 15 Feb 44 at Gulfport AAF, moved to Keesler Fld Apr 44, From May 44 to Sep 44, the air and ground echelons of the squadron were separated. The air echelon left Keesler in May 44, was at Brisbane to Jun 44, Oro Bay to Aur 44, Biak to Nov 44, Camp Dulag to Apr 45, Tacl;oban to May 45, Floridablanca to Sep 45. It was assigned to AAF Tng Cd to Mar 44, Eastern Tech Tng Cd to Jul 44, 13th AF to Aug 44, 5th AF to Oct 44, 5276 Rescue Composite Gp,P to Mar 45, 5th Emergency Rescue Gp to Nov 45. After the war it was active as the 3d Rescue Sq, 3d Air Rescue Sq, 3d Air Rescue Gp (Korean War service), 3d Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Gp (Viet Nam War service) and is currently active at Davis-Monthan AFB as the 563d Rescue Gp.

4th Emergency Rescue Sq activated 22 Apr 44 at Keesler Fld, left in Jun 44 (assigned to Eastern Tech Tng Cd?). Later WW II stations were Kipapa Fld, Mokuleia Fld, Kobler Fld, Isley Fld, Northwest Fld, Guam, and North Fld, Guam. By 1945 it was assigned to 20 AF. After the war it was active as the 4th Rescue Sq, 4th Air Rescue Sq, and 4th Air Rescue Gp. It was last active 8 Dec 56 at Hamilton AFB.

5th Emergency Rescue Sq activated late 1944(?) in US (March Fld?) moved to Boxted RAF Sta until Dec 44, Halesworth RAF Sta until Jun 45, returned to US and Keesler Fld, assigned to 65th Fighter Wg in UK. After the war it was active as the 5th Rescue Sq, 5th Air Rescue Sq, and 5th Air Rescue Gp. It was last active 8 Dec 56 at Westover AFB.

6th Emergency Rescue Sq activated at the start of 1945 at Keesler Fld until Feb 45 (assigned to Eastern Tech tng Cd?). Served in the Pacific with 5 AF and 5th Emergency Rescue Gp, ending the war at Ie Shima. After the war it was active as the 6th Rescue Sq, 6th Air Rescue Sq, and 6th Air Rescue Gp. It was last active 18 Feb 58 at Pepperell AFB.

7th Emergency Rescue Sq activated 25 Jan 45, served in the Pacific with 5th Air Force, at Agartala at the end of the war. After the war it was active as the 7th Rescue Sq, 7th Air Rescue Sq, and 7th Air Rescue Gp. It was last active 8 Dec 56 at Wheelus Fld.

8th Emergency Rescue Sq activated by May 1945 in China, inactivated in Dec 45. After the was it was active as the 8th Air Rescue Sq and 8th Air Rescue Gp. It was last active 30 Jun 58 at Norton AFB.

9th Emergency Rescue Sq activated about 25 May 45 at Keesler Fld and disbanded there 31 Jul 45. It was later reconstituted as the 9th Air Rescue Sq and 9th Air Rescue Gp. It was last active 24 Jun 58 at RAF South Ruislip.

Bernie Shearon
Push the stick forward, the houses get bigger. Pull the stick back, the houses get smaller (unless you keep pulling -- then they get bigger again)

The 5th Emergency Rescue Sq was apparently at Boxted by May 44

Bernie Shearon
Push the stick forward, the houses get bigger. Pull the stick back, the houses get smaller (unless you keep pulling -- then they get bigger again)

10th ERBS  photos at http://www.hlswilliwaw.com/aleutians/

I'm looking for information regarding a B-17H (later redesignated SB-17G). This is the converted B-17G that carried the Higgens Boat Company designed and built rescue boat. The specific aircraft I'm looking for was assigned to the 8th Air Force and would have been assigned to the 5th Emergency Rescue Sqd. in England (Boxted?). It would have been there between January of 1945 and June of 1945 (approximately) and would have been one of approximately half a Dozen aircraft of this type (based upon the research so far). Did the 8th Air Force have any other air/sea rescue units? The crew, one of which was my uncle who was 17 at the time, painted the aircraft with an alligator with wings and called the aircraft The FLYIN'' GATOR. My uncle passed away a short time ago and the picture of the B-17H was found in with other stuff accumulated after 30 years in the USAF. I would like to know more about this B-17 and its crew and any help or suggestions would be appreciated. He saw service in WWII, Korea, and Viet Nam before he retired from the USAF. Would it help if I posted a picture of the B-17H? Thank you.