Staff Sergeant Emory M. Creager L-5 "Sentinel" Pilot 47th Liaison Squadron First Army Group / Twelfth Army Group |
ETO Jacket, 47th Liaison Squadron, above photo. This ETO Jacket belonged to Emory Munger Creager, who was born February 14th 1910, Sumner, Iowa. He entered service December 15th 1942, ASN 17152938. During WWII, he served overseas from March 30th 1944 to September 13th 1945, as a Pilot with the 47th Liaison Squadron. He was discharged September 17th 1945. He died February 19th 1994 and is buried Wilson Grove Cemetery, Sumner, Iowa. History of the 47th Liaison Squadron: The 47th Liaison Squadron was activated at Gainesville Army Air Field, Texas on July 1st 1943 as one of the four squadrons of the 426th Reconnaissance Group. The following month the squadron was reassigned to II Air Support Command, as the 426th Group was inactivated without fully equipping or being brought up to strength. The squadron was equipped with a variety of light aircraft, primarily Stinson L-5 Sentinels and Piper L-4 Grasshoppers, but it also flew a few Stinson L-1 Vigilants and Taylorcraft L-2 Grasshoppers. The 47th trained at bases in Texas and Louisiana until late March 1944, when it departed for the European Theater of Operations. After its arrival at Cheltenham, England in early April 1944, the squadron moved to RAF Heston, west of London. From late May, six aircraft were detached to Oatlands Hill, near Stonehenge in Wiltshire. The squadron provided courier service for Headquarters Command, European Theater of Operations, U.S. Army until after D-Day, primarily with L-5 Sentinels. Other squadron missions included transport of personnel, aeromedical evacuation, visual reconnaissance, providing commanders with information to control advancing columns and checking passive air defense measures. In late July, one flight moved to the European continent, flying from Colombieres Airfield, France to support First Army Group. The squadron followed in August, when it moved to Saint-Sauveur-Lendelin. For the remainder of the war, it was attached to Twelfth Army Group. Just before V-E Day, the squadron moved to Wiesbaden Air Base, Germany where it became part of the occupation forces. |
S/Sgt. Emory M. Creager ETO Jacket uniform details, above two photos. |