page_title: RAF Grafton Underwood
section_title: 15th Bombardment Squadron (Light)
hierarchical_section_title: RAF Grafton Underwood / United States Army Air Forces use / 15th Bombardment Squadron (Light)
caption_attribution_description: A U.S. Army Air Forces Douglas Boston III from the 15th Bombardment Squadron (Light) in flight in late 1942. The 15th BS was the first USAAF unit in action in Europe. The squadron was assigned to Eighth Air Force, arriving at RAF Grafton Underwood on 12 May, then to RAF Molesworth on 9 June. It was equipped with the British Boston III bomber, receiving their aircraft from No. 226 Squadron RAF. Starting in September, it started to receive the Douglas A-20C Havoc.
context_page_description: Royal Air Force Grafton Underwood or more simply RAF Grafton Underwood is a former Royal Air Force station located 4 miles northeast of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England.
context_section_description: The first United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force tenant on Grafton Underwood was the 15th Bombardment Squadron, arriving on 12 May 1942 from Batchelor, Australia.  The squadron flew the British Boston III light bomber.  The 15th was originally part of the 27th Bombardment Group (Light), based in the Philippine Islands, however the group's planes (A-24's), did not arrive by 7 December 1941.  Due to the deteriorating situation in the Philippines after the Japanese attack, they were diverted to Australia where they reformed into a combat unit and fought in the Dutch East Indies and New Guinea Campaigns.
  When the 27th Bombardment Group was inactivated and transferred back to the United States for re-equipping, the surviving members of the group were first transferred back to the United States, then to the UK.
  At the time Grafton Underwood was lacking many facilities, and the squadron moved to RAF Molesworth in mid June.
caption: A U.S. Army Air Forces Douglas Boston III from the 15th Bombardment Squadron (Light) in flight in late 1942. The 15th BS was the first USAAF unit in action in Europe.
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