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323d Air Division
C-124 Globemaster II
Active	1942–1946; 1947–1949; 1958–1960
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command of airlift units
Commanders
Notable commanders	Lt Gen Glenn O. Barcus Lt Gen Laurence C. Craigie

The 323d Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Western Transport Air Force at Travis Air Force Base, California, where it was inactivated on 8 May 1960.

The wing was initially active as the Boston Air Defense Wing, an air defense organization during World War II. In 1944, when the perception of a possible air attack on the United States diminished, it was stripped of its personnel. After a short hiatus, it became the 323d Combat Crew Training Wing and trained heavy bomber aircrews until the end of the war.

It was active again in the reserves as the 323d Troop Carrier Wing from 1947 to 1949. During this period, it became the 323d Air Division before being inactivated in 1949 during a major reorganization of the air reserve.

Its final active period began in 1958 when Military Air Transport Service (MATS) took over Travis from Strategic Air Command (SAC). It managed support activities at Travis for SAC and MATS.

History

World War II

The division was first organized at Logan Airport, Massachusetts in the summer of 1942 as the Boston Air Defense Wing, an air defense organization, reporting to First Air Force, and responsible for the air defense of the Boston metropolitan area, operating Curtiss P-40 Warhawks and Republic P-47 Thunderbolts. Its original components were the 79th Fighter Group, stationed at Bedford Army Air Field and the 325th Fighter Group, stationed at Hillsgrove Army Air Field. Most of its components were assigned for brief periods, as it also trained fighter organizations and personnel. As the possibility of an air attack on the east coast became increasingly remote, the wing's manpower was withdrawn in July 1944.

In February 1945, it was redesignated the 323d Combat Crew Training Wing and was remanned. It served as a training organization for very heavy bomber personnel with Boeing B-29 Superfortresss until August when its personnel was again withdrawn. It continued as a "paper" unit until it was inactivated in 1946.

Cold War

The unit was redesignated the 323d Troop Carrier Wing and was reactivated as a reserve unit under Air Defense Command (ADC) on 1 August 1947 at Stout Field, Indiana. It was assigned reserve troop carrier groups at Stout and Godman Air Force Base, Kentucky. In 1948 the Air Force implemented the wing base organization. As a result, along with the other multi-base wings of Continental Air Command (ConAC), the wing was redesignated as an air division. ConAC assumed reserve management responsibility from ADC in 1948. It was inactivated in June 1949 when ConAC implemented the wing base organization and most of its personnel and equipment were transferred to the newly formed 434th Troop Carrier Wing at nearby Atterbury Air Force Base.

From July 1958 to May 1960, the division maintained military air transport and support facilities and provided base support for all tenant organizations at Travis Air Force Base, California. It conducted peacetime operations such as airlifting cargo, troops, personnel, patients, and mail.

Lineage

• Constituted as the Boston Air Defense Wing on 6 August 1942

Activated on 11 August 1942

Redesignated Boston Fighter Wing on 24 July 1943

Redesignated 323d Combat Crew Training Wing on 13 February 1945

Inactivated on 8 April 1946

• Redesignated 323d Troop Carrier Wing on 2 July 1947

Activated in the reserve on 1 August 1947

Redesignated 323d Air Division, Troop Carrier on 16 April 1948

Inactivated on 27 June 1949

• Redesignated 323d Air Division on 27 June 1958

Activated on 1 July 1958

Discontinued on 8 May 1960

Assignments

• I Fighter Command, 11 August 1942
• Third Air Force, 13 February 1945
• III Bomber Command, 22 February 1945 – 8 April 1946
• Eleventh Air Force, 1 August 1947
• Tenth Air Force, 1 July 1948 – 27 June 1949
• Western Transport Air Force, 1 July 1958 – 8 May 1960

Components

• 58th Fighter Group: c. 3 March 1943 – c. 22 October 1943
• 79th Fighter Group: 11 August 1942 – 28 September 1942
• 325th Fighter Group: 11 August 1942 – 13 February 1943
• 348th Fighter Group: 30 September 1942 – 9 May 1943
• 352d Fighter Group: 1 October 1942 – c. 28 January 1943
• 356th Fighter Group: 4 July 1943 – 15 August 1943
• 359th Fighter Group: 23 August 1943 – 2 October 1943
• 362d Fighter Group: 22 June 1943 – 19 October 1943
• 434th Troop Carrier Group: 17 October 1947 – 27 June 1949
• 436th Troop Carrier Group: 17 October 1947 – 1 July 1948

Stations

• Logan Airport, Massachusetts, 11 August 1942
• MacDill Field, Florida, c. 22 February 1945 – 8 April 1946
• Stout Field, Indiana, 1 August 1947 – 27 June 1949
• Travis Air Force Base, California, 1 July 1958 – 8 May 1960

Aircraft

• Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, 1942–1943
• Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1942–1943
• Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1945
• Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, 1958–1960
• Douglas C-133 Cargomaster, 1958–1960

Commanders

• Col Minthorne W. Reed, 11 August 1942
• Col Glenn O. Barcus, 25 March 1943
• Col Laurence C. Craigie, 6 April 1943
• Lt Col Bingham T. Kleine, 11 June 1943
• Col Louis M. Merrick, 22 July 1943
• Lt Col J. Marshall Booker, 29 April – c. 31 July 1944
• none (not manned), c. 31 July 1944 – 21 February 1945
• Col Howard Moore, 22 February 1945
• Col Frank Allen, 29 May 1945 – unknown
• none (not manned), August 1945 – 8 April 1946
• Unknown, 1 August 1947 – 27 June 1949
• Brig Gen George F. McGuire, 1 July 1958
• Col Charles W. Stark, 15 February – c. 8 May 1960

Service Streamer	Campaign	Dates	Notes
	American Theater without inscription	11 August 1942 – 2 March 1946	Boston Air Defense Wing (later Boston Fighter Wing, 323d Combat Crew Training Wing)

See also

• List of United States Air Force air divisions
• List of B-29 Superfortress operators

References

Notes

Explanatory notes

1. This Eleventh Air Force was formed in 1946 to command reserve units, and is not related to the Eleventh Air Force operating in Alaska.

Citations

1. ^ Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 425–426
2. Maurer, Combat Units. pp. 305–306
3. Maurer, Combat Units. pp. 307–308
4. "Abstract, Mission Project Closeup, Continental Air Command". Air Force History Index. 27 December 1961. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
5. Ravenstein, pp. 228–230
6. ^ "Factsheet 323 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 10 May 2007. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
7. Bailey, Carl E. (1 July 2017). "Factsheet 325 Operations Group (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 11 January 2022.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) . Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.

Further reading

• Cantwell, Gerald T. (1997). Citizen Airmen: a History of the Air Force Reserve, 1946–1994. Washington, D.C.: Air Force History and Museums Program. ISBN 0-16049-269-6.

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Units	Commands II Air Support Command III Air Support Command III Bomber Command III Fighter Command III Reconnaissance Command III Tactical Air Command Divisions III Tactical Air Division Wings 8th Fighter Wing 9th Fighter Wing 40th Bombardment Wing Groups Air Commando 2nd Air Commando 3rd Air Commando Bombardment 3rd Bombardment 12th Bombardment 17th Bombardment 21st Bombardment 29th Bombardment 30th Bombardment Group 38th Bombardment 44th Bombardment 46th Bombardment 47th Bombardment 85th Bombardment 88th Bombardment 90th Bombardment 91st Bombardment 92nd Bombardment 93rd Bombardment 94th Bombardment 95th Bombardment 97th Bombardment 98th Bombardment 99th Bombardment 100th Bombardment 309th Bombardment 310th Bombardment 312th Bombardment 319th Bombardment 320th Bombardment 321st Bombardment 322d Bombardment 323d Bombardment 335th Bombardment 336th Bombardment 340th Bombardment 344th Bombardment 345th Bombardment 386th Bombardment 387th Bombardment 391st Bombardment 394th Bombardment 396th Bombardment 397th Bombardment 409th Bombardment 410th Bombardment 411th Bombardment 416th Bombardment 417th Bombardment 418th Bombardment 451st Bombardment 454th Bombardment 463rd Bombardment 483rd Bombardment 488th Bombardment Fighter 20th Fighter 31st Fighter 49th Fighter 50th Fighter 53rd Fighter 54th Fighter 56th Fighter 59th Fighter 79th Fighter 80th Fighter 81st Fighter 84th Fighter 85th Fighter 311th Fighter 332nd Fighter 337th Fighter 338th Fighter 339th Fighter 361st Fighter 369th Fighter 372nd Fighter 404th Fighter 405th Fighter 408th Fighter 414th Fighter 506th Fighter Fighter-Bomber 27th Fighter-Bomber 48th Fighter-Bomber 86th Fighter-Bomber 406th Fighter-Bomber 407th Fighter-Bomber Reconnaissance 2d Reconnaissance 9th Reconnaissance 10th Reconnaissance 26th Reconnaissance 65th Reconnaissance 67th Reconnaissance 68th Reconnaissance 69th Reconnaissance 70th Reconnaissance 75th Reconnaissance 77th Reconnaissance 423d Reconnaissance 424th Reconnaissance 426th Reconnaissance
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v t e USAAF First Air Force in World War II
Airfields	First Air Force Group Training Stations First Air Force Replacement Training Stations First Air Force Tactical Airfields Freeman Army Airfield Godman Army Airfield Selfridge Field
Units	Commands I Bomber Command I Fighter Command I Ground Air Support Command Wings 25th Antisubmarine 50th Troop Carrier 52d Troop Carrier 53d Troop Carrier 60th Troop Carrier 61st Troop Carrier Boston Fighter New York Fighter Norfolk Fighter Philadelphia Fighter Groups Bombardment 2d Bombardment 13th Bombardment 22d Bombardment 34th Bombardment 43d Bombardment 45th Bombardment 301st Bombardment 302d Bombardment 400th Bombardment 402d Bombardment 455th Bombardment 459th Bombardment 460th Bombardment 471st Bombardment Combat Cargo 1st Combat Cargo 2d Combat Cargo 4th Combat Cargo Fighter 8th Fighter 31st Fighter 33d Fighter 52d Fighter 56th Fighter 57th Fighter 58th Fighter 59th Fighter 79th Fighter 80th Fighter 83d Fighter 87th Fighter 324th Fighter 325th Fighter 326th Fighter 327th Fighter 332d Fighter 348th Fighter 352d Fighter 353d Fighter 355th Fighter 356th Fighter 358th Fighter 359th Fighter 361st Fighter 362d Fighter 365th Fighter 366th Fighter 368th Fighter 370th Fighter 371st Fighter 373d Fighter 402d Fighter 413th Fighter 476th Fighter Reconnaissance 26th Reconnaissance 73d Reconnaissance Troop Carrier 10th Troop Carrier 60th Troop Carrier 61st Troop Carrier 62d Troop Carrier 63d Troop Carrier 89th Troop Carrier 313th Troop Carrier 314th Troop Carrier 315th Troop Carrier 316th Troop Carrier 317th Troop Carrier 349th Troop Carrier 375th Troop Carrier 403d Troop Carrier 433d Troop Carrier 434th Troop Carrier 435th Troop Carrier 436th Troop Carrier 437th Troop Carrier 438th Troop Carrier 439th Troop Carrier 440th Troop Carrier 441st Troop Carrier 442d Troop Carrier Other 1st Search Attack 477th Composite Incidents Freeman Field Mutiny
United States Army Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Fifteenth Twentieth

• Air divisions of the United States Air Force