The 540th Combat Crew Replacement Wing is an inactive

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

unit. It was last active in 1946 at

Colorado Springs Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...

, assigned to

Continental Air Forces Continental Air Forces (CAF) was a United States Army Air Forces major command, active 1944–1946. It was tasked with combat training of bomber and fighter personnel, and for Continental United States (CONUS) air defense after the Aircraft Warn ...

History

Prewar

The 16th Bombardment Wing was first activated at

Langley Field Langley may refer to: People * Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name * Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer * Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perform ...

, Virginia, in December 1940 as part of the expansion of the Air Corps expansion in response to the war in Europe (Woodring Plan). Its operational components, the 45th and 46th Bombardment Groups, were assigned in January 1941. It moved to Bowman Field, Kentucky, in the spring of 1941.Maurer, ''Combat Units'', p. 385 In September 1941, the

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...

was inactivated and its personnel used to form the 5th Air Support Command.

Operational Training Unit

The

was again activated on 23 June 1942 at

Wendover Field Wendover is a market town and civil parish at the foot of the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated at the point where the main road across the Chilterns between London and Aylesbury intersects with the once important road a ...

, Utah, replacing the inactivating 102nd Bombardment Wing (Provisional). The 16th Wing was responsible for the supervision and control of the operational training of heavy bombardment

groups A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...

(

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...

and

Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...

) during the second phase of their operational training. The 16th Wing inherited control from the 102nd Wing of

Walla Walla Army Air Field Walla Walla Regional Airport is a public airport in Walla Walla County, Washington, in the western United States. It is northeast of central Walla Walla, and is owned by the Port of Walla Walla. History World War II The airport was the locati ...

, Ephrata Army Air Field and

Geiger Field Spokane International Airport is a commercial airport located approximately west-southwest of downtown Spokane, Washington, United States. It is the primary airport serving the Inland Northwest, which consists of 30 counties and includes areas ...

in Washington;

Muroc Army Air Field Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in California. Most of the base sits in Kern County, but its eastern end is in San Bernardino County and a southern arm is in Los Angeles County. The hub of the base is Ed ...

in California as well as Wendover. The 16th Wing controlled the training of the following units, which on completion moved to the

17th Bombardment Wing 17 (seventeen) is the natural number following 16 (number), 16 and preceding 18 (number), 18. It is a prime number. Seventeen is the sum of the first four prime numbers. In mathematics 17 is the seventh prime number, which makes seventeen the ...

for third phase training. : Jul 1942:

91st Bombardment Group The 91st Bomb Group (Heavy) was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. Classified as a heavy bombardment group, the 91st operated B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft and was known unofficially as "The Ragg ...

, 303rd Bombardment Group, 305th Bombardment Group and

306th Bombardment Group 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

. : Aug 1942: 96th Bombardment Group. : Aug-Sep 1942:

307th Bombardment Group 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

and 302nd Bombardment Group. : Sep-Oct 1942:

88th Bombardment Group The 88th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. During World War II, the group served as a training unit for Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress units and aircrews. It was inactivated in May 1944, when the Army Air Forces reorga ...

and

95th Bombardment Group 95 or 95th may refer to: * 95 (number) * one of the years 95 BC, AD 95, 1995, 2095, etc. * 95th Division (disambiguation) * 95th Regiment ** 95th Regiment of Foot (disambiguation) * 95th Squadron (disambiguation) * Atomic number 95: americium * ...

. : Oct 1942:

2nd Bombardment Group The 2d Operations Group (2 OG) is the flying component of the United States Air Force 2d Bomb Wing, assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command Eighth Air Force. The group is stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. 2 OG is one of t ...

99th Bombardment Group The 99th Infantry Division was formed in 1942 and deployed overseas in 1944. The "Checkerboard" or "Battle Babies" division landed at the French port of Le Havre and proceeded northeast to Belgium. During the heavy fighting in the Battle of the ...

100th Bombardment Group 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...

304th Bombardment Group The 304th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Army Air Forces (AAF) unit. Its last assignment was with the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, based at Langley Field, Virginia. It was inactivated on 30 December 1942 History The gro ...

and 308th Bombardment Group. Two groups, the 330th Bombardment Group at

Alamogordo Army Air Field Alamogordo () is the seat of Otero County, New Mexico, United States. A city in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains and to the west by Holloman Air Force Base. The population was ...

, New Mexico and the

331st Bombardment Group 331st may refer to: * 331st Air Expeditionary Group, inactive United States Air Force unit *331st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, former unit of the United States Air Force * 331st Guards Airborne Regiment, formation of the Russian Airborne Troops, ...

Casper Army Air Field Casper may refer to: People * Casper (given name) * Casper (surname) * Casper (Maya ruler) (422–487?), ruler of the Mayan city of Palenque * Tok Casper, first known king of Maya city-state Quiriguá in Guatemala, ruling beginning in 426 * David ...

, Wyoming, provided second phase training to Replacement Combat Crews.

Operational Training Unit

On 2 November 1942, the Second Air Force reorganized its bombardment training. From that date its wings controlled new bombardment groups from its activation until completion of operational training. The wing also assumed responsibility for training replacement combat crews. With this reorganization the 16th Bombardment Training Wing now controlled Operational Training Units (OTUs) at

Clovis Army Air Field Cannon Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base, located approximately southwest of Clovis, New Mexico. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). The host unit at Cannon is the 27th Special Operatio ...

, New Mexico, Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona;

Kearney Army Air Field Kearney or Kearneys may refer to: Places Australia * Kearneys Falls, Queensland * Kearneys Spring, Queensland Canada * Kearney, Ontario * Kearney Lake, Nova Scotia Northern Ireland * Kearney, County Down, a townland in County Down United St ...

, Nebraska and

, New Mexico. It also was assigned Replacement Control Centers (RCCs) at Pueblo Army Air Field, Colorado and

Biggs Field Biggs Army Airfield (formerly Biggs Air Force Base) is a United States Army military airbase located on the Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas. History Biggs Field/Biggs Army Airfield (1916–47) On 15 June 1919, following an attack b ...

, Texas. It was assigned the following OTU groups to conduct training: : 39th Bombardment Group at Davis-Monthan Field, Tucson, Arizona: parent group, First Phase OTU. : 302nd Bombardment Group at Pueblo AAB, Colorado: parent group, First Phase Training RCC. : 330th Bombardment Group at Alamogordo AAFld, New Mexico: Second Phase OTU. : 330th Bombardment Group at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas: Second Phase RCC. : 333d Bombardment Group at Topeka AAF, Kansas: Third Phase Training RCC. In May 1945 the wing mission changed to very heavy bombardment group training (

Boeing B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fl ...

), which lasted until operations ceased in late 1945. It moved to

, Colorado, where it was a paper unit until inactivating in 1946.

Lineage

* Constituted as 16th Bombardment Wing on 19 October 1940 : Activated on 18 December 1940 : Inactivated on 1 September 1941 * Activated on 23 June 1942 : Redesignated 16th Bombardment Training Wing in January 1943 : Redesignated 16th Bombardment Operational Training Wing in April 1943 : Redesignated 16th Bombardment Operational Training Wing, Very Heavy in May 1945 * Inactivated on 9 April 1946 * Disbanded on 8 October 1948 * Reconstituted on 31 July 1985 and redesignated 540th Combat Crew Training WingDepartment of the Air Force/MPM Letter 648q, 31 July 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Organizations (not active)

Assignments

First Air Force The First Air Force (Air Forces Northern; 1 AF-AFNORTH) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Its primary mission is the air defense of the Co ...

: 18 December 1940 – 1 September 1941 *

Second Air Force The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defended ...

: 23 June 1942 – 8 April 1946

Stations

* Langley Field, Virginia, 18 December 1940 * Bowman Field, Kentucky, March 1941 – 1 September 1941 * Wendover Field, Utah, 23 June 1942 * Biggs Field, Texas, November 1942 * Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, c. 1 June 1943 * Biggs Field, Texas, October 1943 * Colorado Springs, Colorado, December 1945 – 9 April 1946

Components

* 45th Bombardment Group: 15 January 1941 – 21 August 1941 * 46th Bombardment Group: 15 January 1941 – 1 September 1941 * See above for 1942–1944. After 1944 assigned various AAF Base Units.

Commanders

* Brig. Gen. Junius W. Jones, c. Apr-c. 1 Sept. 1941 * Col. Ernest H. Lawson, 23 Jun 1942 * Brig. Gen. Robert B. Williams, 4 Apr 1943 * Col. Walter R. Agee, May 1943 * Brig. Gen. Newton Longfellow, 11 Oct 1943 * Col. Claude E. Duncan, c. 25 Nov 1945-unknown

Campaigns

* *

American Theater of World War II The American Theater was a theater of operations during World War II including all continental American territory, and extending into the ocean. Owing to North and South America's geographical separation from the central theaters of ...

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * * ''History of the Second Air Force, December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1942'', United States Air Force Microfilm #A4091, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama * ''History of the 16th Bombardment Operational Training Wing, 5 June to 31 December 1942'', United States Air Force Microfilm #B0917, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama {{USAAF 2d Air Force World War II Military units and formations established in 1940 0540