55th Fighter Group

The 55th FG comprised of three main Fighter Squadrons: 38th, 338th & 343rd.

During World War II the "Fightin' Fifty Fifth" were stationed at two airfields in England, these were Nuthampstead and Wormingford. In late July 1945, as part of the occupation forces the group relocated to Kaufbeuren, Germany.

The group arrived in the UK flying the P-38 Lightnings and later converting to P-51 Mustangs. They claimed 316.5 air and 216.5 ground aircraft destroyed. The '55th' flew its last mission of the war on the 21st April, 1945.

This project of the '55th' artworks started in 2012 when I began looking into the history of RAF Wormingford. My father-in-law and his brother own and farm a section of it and can remember many details the area. Today, only a small section is still dedicated to flying, the Essex and Suffolk Gliding Club call Wormingford home. The rest of the airfield is farmland.

The group have a fascinating wartime history. If you would like to know more about it, www.55th.org  is a very concise website with many images and lots of information about the group's time during WWII.

Click the thumbnail image to view larger.