Air Warning Squadron 14

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Air Warning Squadron 14
ActiveJune 1, 1944 – November 30, 1945[1]
CountryUnited States
AllegianceUnited States of America
BranchUnited States Marine Corps
TypeAviation Command & Control
RoleAerial surveillance & early warning
SizeApprox 300
Commanders
Current
commander		N/A

Air Warning Squadron 14 (AWS-14) was a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control squadron during World War II. The squadron's primary mission was to provide aerial surveillance and early warning of approaching enemy aircraft during amphibious assaults. Formed in June 1944, the squadron was one of a handful of air warning squadrons that was never able to deploy overseas during the war. The squadron was decommissioned shortly after the end of the war in November 1945. To date, no other Marine Corps squadron has carried the lineage and honors of AWS-14 to include the former reserve (MACS-14).

Equipment[]

  • AN/TTQ-1 – transportable filter and operations center.
  • 2 x SCR-270s – long range early warning radar.
  • 1 x SCR-527 – medium-range early warning radar used for ground-controlled interception (GCI).[2]
  • 3 x SCR-602s – Light-weight early warning radar to be utilized during the initial stages of an amphibious assault.

Mission[]

Provide early warning of air raids and tactical control of aircraft in defense of assigned area.

History[]

Organization and training[]

Air Warning Squadron 14 was commissioned on June 1, 1944 as part of Marine Air Warning Group 1 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.[1] On July 15, 1944 the majority of the squadron convoyed to Marine Corps Outlying Field Oak Grove in Pollocksville, North Carolina while an SCR-270 crew was sent to Bogue Field.[3] Air Warning Group 1 maintained its training equipment at the Pollocksville site and each new air warning squadron commissioned rotated through for their first familiarization on the gear. The squadron returned to MCAS Cherry Point on September 10, 1944 and continued training at the station until November.

Congaree and decommissioning[]

In November 1944 the squadron was transferred to Congaree Army Airfield, South Carolina when the base was made available to Navy and Marine Corps units.[4] Training was immediately commenced in radar and control center operations and they worked closely with aircraft from and army aircraft from nearby Chatham Field. During this period the squadron's Air Defense Control Center went by the callsign "Wilson."

On October 8, 1945 the squadron ceased operations at Congaree and began preparing their gear for departure. On October 26 it moved back to MCAS Cherry Point.[5] The squadron was decommissioned on November 30, 1945 by the authority of 9th Marine Aircraft Wing order #57-145.[6]

Commanding officers[]

  • Capt Edward R. Stainback – June 1, 1944 – November 27, 1944
  • Capt Robert M. McCormick Jr. – Navember 28, 1944 – March 1, 1945
  • Capt William E. Hooper March 2, 1945 - March 30, 1945
  • Capt Robert M. McCormick Jr - March 31, 1945 - October 4, 1945
  • 1stLt J.J. Hengstler - October 5, 1945 - November 30, 1945

Unit awards[]

A unit citation or commendation is an award bestowed upon an organization for the action cited. Members of the unit who participated in said actions are allowed to wear on their uniforms the awarded unit citation. What follows is an incomplete list of the awards AWS-14 has been presented with:

Streamer Award Year(s) Additional Info
Streamer WWII V.PNG World War II Victory Streamer 1943–1945 World War II

See also[]

Citations[]

  1. ^ a b Rottman 2002, pp. 450.
  2. ^ http://radionerds.com/index.php/SCR-527 SCR-527 @ Radionerds.com
  3. ^ Air Warning Squadron 14, War Diary, 1-31 Jul 1944
  4. ^ Air Warning Squadron 14, War Diary, 1–30 November 1944
  5. ^ Air Warning Squadron 14, War Diary, 1-31 Oct 1945
  6. ^ Air Warning Squadron 14, War Diary, 1-30 Nov 1945

References[]

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.
Bibliography
  • Rottman, Gordon L. (2002). U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle: Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, 1939-1945. Greenwood.
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