Info from Radio-Gunner Eli Jaffe


"I WANT TO ADD SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE 12TH AIR FORCE THAT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE GENERALLY KNOWN. NAMELY, THAT AFTER DEC 7, 1941, ORDERS WERE ISSUED IN TAMPA, FLA. AT THE 6TH BOMB GROUP TO DETACH MEN AND EQUIPMENT FOR A NEW AIR FORCE (12TH) TO BE FORMED IN LAKE PONCHTRAIN, LA. AIR BASE UNDER THE COMMAND OF JIMMY DOOLITTLE. WE MOVED THERE AND CONTINUED TO BUILD STRENGTH. IN AUGUST OF 1942 THE HQ. OF THE 12TH AIR FORCE TRAVELED TO NEW YORK TO BOARD THE QUEEN MARY FOR DEPLOYMENT IN ENGLAND. ABOUT 5 DAYS LATER WE DEBARKED AT GRENOCH, SCOTLAND (NEAT GLASCOW) FOR A LONG TRAIN TRIP TO RAF STATION WATTISHAM. A MONTH LATER OUR HQ WAS MOVED TO BOVINGTON STATION NEAR WATFORD, BUCKS. THEN IN EARLY DEC. OF 1942 WE MOVED AGAIN TO LIVERPOOL TO BOARD SHIPS FOR NORTH AFRICA, LANDING IN ORAN, ALGERIA SOME TIME LATER. YOUR MAP OF 12TH AIR FORCE BASES IN NORTH AFRICA IS CORRECT. HOWEVER, THE LAST BASE FOR HQ. 12TH A.F. WAS IN ALGIERS, ALGERIA. I CANNOT COMMENT AFTER THAT MOVE BECAUSE I THEN JOINED THE 379TH SQ, 310TH BG AT PHILLIPVILLE, ALGERIA.

HOPE THIS ADDS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR YOUR WEB SITE.

Eli Jaffe"


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