IX BOMBER COMMAND

UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCES

DISTINGUISHING FLAGS & GUIDONS
IX BOMBER COMMAND • NINTH AIR FORCE • WORLD WAR II

In June 1944 the Ninth Air Force's IX Bomber Command was headquartered at Marks Hall, Essex. Its three subordinate bomber wings embodied eleven bombardment groups, three equipped with A-20 light bombers and eight equipped with B-26 medium bombers. There was also a provisional unit, the B-26-equipped 1st Pathfinder Squadron, which was administratively attached to the 322nd Bombardment Group of the 99th Bomber Wing. Also assigned to the command were a signal company, a military police company (-), two military police detachments, a medical dispensary and a flying training unit.

The group, usually composed of three or four squadrons, was the color-bearing echelon of the US Army Air Corps (USAAC). Organizational standards for groups were of the standard Army pattern for mounted and mechanized units, made of silk, 3 feet at the hoist by 4 feet on the fly, plus 2 1/2-inch fringe. The field of the standard was ultramarine blue and the fringe was golden orange. The standard was always carried or displayed with a National Standard of the same materials and dimensions. Echelons above the group level had distinguishing flags based on the AAC branch colors. They were made of wool bunting; dimensions were three feet at the hoist by four feet on the fly. Distinguishing flags were carried or displayed with National Standard, Service made of wool bunting with silk fringe but otherwise identical to the silk National Standard.

Squadrons of groups and separate squadrons had guidons based on the colors ultramarine blue and golden orange, the Air Corps branch colors. Guidons for headquarters squadrons of echelons above the group level were of the same colors and design as the distinguishing flag. Guidons of squadrons assigned to groups had the group number above and the squadron number below the USAAC branch insignia; separate squadrons had their number below the insignia. Aviation medical units had guidons with MED or VET below the branch insignia. Provisional and miscellaneous units including those not organized as groups/squadrons were not authorized guidons but many probably used one with the USAAC insignia and no other markings. Service units that were not part of the USAAC had flags and guidons of the designs authorized for their parent branches. All guidons were made of wool bunting, 20 inches at the hoist by 27 3/4 inches on the fly with a 10-inch fork.

Credits: The drawings on this page are based on the specifications given in Army Regulation 260-10 dated 25 October 1944, a copy of which was kindly provided by FOTW Mailing List member Joseph McMillan. Order of battle information was taken from Dr. Leo Niehorster’s outstanding and essential website, World War II Armed Forces: Orders of Battle and Organizations.