57th Fighter Group Exhibit
New England Air Museum Windsor Locks, Connecticut.
*"First" refers to American groups only.
Most of the images and information on this page came from the
57th Fighter Group Exhibit in the New England Air Museum located at
Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. Because of its
detailed coverage of nearly every aspect of a WWII aviation combat group, I consider the NEAM 57th
Fighter Group (FG) exhibit to be the best for any such group. The NEAM exhibit is also
a fine tribute to every member of the group, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice, as
displayed on their Wall of Honor.
On January 20, 1942, the Army Air Base at Windsor Locks was named Army Air Base, Bradley Field,
Connecticut in honor of 57th fighter pilot 2nd Lt. Eugene M.
Bradley from Antlers, Oklahoma. Bradley became the first fatality of the 57th FG
(at the time the 57th Pursuit Group, Interceptor) when his P-40 Warhawk crashed during a training exercise
on August 21, 1941 just three days after the group arrived at Windsor Locks from its previous
base at Mitchell Field on Long Island in Hempstead, NY.
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