20th Combat Mapping Squadron, 6th Photographic Group, Reconnaissance, 5th Air Force, Far East Air Forces, in Australia during WW2

20TH COMBAT MAPPING SQUADRON
6TH PHOTOGRAPHIC GROUP, RECONNAISSANCE
5TH AIR FORCE
FAR EAST AIR FORCES
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WW2

The 20th Photographic Mapping Squadron was activated at Colorado Springs, in Colorado on 23 August 1942. They were redesignated as the 20th Photographic Squadron (Heavy) at Colorado Springs on 6 February 1943 and then the 20th Combat Mapping Squadron on 11 August 1943. Their role was to carry out long range aerial mapping and reconnaissance work using F-7A and F-7B aircraft (B-24 Liberator bombers converted for aerial photographic work).

The Ground Echelon of the 20th Combat Mapping Squadron arrived in Sydney, Australia in October 1943. They moved to Brisbane in November 1943, to Port Moresby in New Guinea in December 1943, and to Nadzab, New Guinea in February 1944. The Air Echelon joined them there in March 1944.

Photo caption:- We stop for gas at Brisbane". The C-47's of the 20th Combat Mapping Squadron land at Brisbane,
Queensland for fuel somewhere between May and December 1944. Note the small dog at left hand side of the photo.

Three members of the 20th Combat Mapping Squadron in Hyde Park, Sydney on 5 May 1944 holding their souvenir boomerangs.
Left to right:- "Mel" Varney (ball turret gunner), Frank Kujawski (radio operator-gunner), and Burt McCorquadale (tail gunner).

The 20th Combat Mapping Squadron moved to Biak Island, then Dulag on Leyte, Tacloban on Leyte, San Jose on Mindoro, then Clark Field at Luzon in the Philippines and finally Okinawa in Japan.

They were redesignated as the 20th Reconnaissance Squadron, Long Range, Photographic-RCM at Manila, Luzon in the Philippines on 15 June 1945. With this re-designation came the additional task of carrying out radar intelligence work with B-24J Liberator ferrets.

I'd like to thank Chuck Varney and his 20th Combat Mapping Squadron home page for the above information on the 20th Combat Mapping Squadron. Chuck is the son of a deceased member of the 20th Combat Mapping Squadron which flew F-7A's and F-7B's from April 1944 to 31 August 1945.

Historical Records of the 8th PRS, on microfilm from Maxwell AFB
Details supplied by Michael Moskow (steelydanman@worldnet.att.net)

The Eight Ballers: Eyes of the Fifth Air Force
The 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron in World War II
By John Stanaway & Bob Rocker
https://www.schifferbooks.com

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