| Unit Name: | 20th Air Base Group |
| Dates: | 1918, 1921-1946 |
| Country: |  United States |
| Branch: | United States Army Air Corps |
| Type: | Support |
| Role: | Maintenance and Base Administration |
| Command Structure: | Far East Air Force |
| Battles: | Southwest Pacific Theater |
| Decorations: | Distinguished Unit Citation Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation |
| Identification Symbol Label: | Base Headquarters & 20th Air Base Sq emblem[1] |
The 20th Air Base Group is a disbanded group of the United States Air Force. It was part of the Far East Air Force, during World War II. The group was based at Nichols Field, in the Philippines. It surrendered to the Japanese in the spring of 1942, but was kept on the rolls as an active unit until April 1946. It was disbanded in 1984.
The Unit's first predecessor, the 66th Aero Squadron served at a training base during World War I. It was consolidated with the 66th Service Squadron, which had provided maintenance support at Nichols Field since 1921. In the late 1930s, the unit assumed administrative support functions as well and was expanded to a group.
The first unit holding the name 20th Air Base Group was active up until 1942, and is where the majority of this article focuses. However, a second unit, the 20th Airdrome Group, was renamed the 20th ABG in 1948, remaining as part of the 20th Fighter Wing. It later became the 20th Mission Support Group, and is still supporting the 20th Fighter Wing.
The first predecessor of the group was the 66th Aero Squadron,[2] which was organized in April 1918 at Kelly Field, Texas. As soon as the squadron was organized it moved to Eberts Field, Arkansas to join the flying school there. In the summer of 1918, the Air Service reorganized its units at its flying schools as lettered squadrons and the squadron became Squadron A, Eberts Field.[3] Shortly after the end of the World War I, the squadron was demobilized and its personnel were absorbed by the Flying School Detachment at Eberts Field.
In June 1921, Air Park No. 11 was organized at Clark Field, Philippines, moving to what became Nichols Field before the end of the year. In 1923, the Air Service renamed its air parks as service squadrons and the unit became the 66th Service Squadron,[3] with the mission of providing second level maintenance for the aircraft of the 4th Composite Group at Nichols. Due to post-war shortages in officers, garrison units in the Philippines were manned assigned only 50% of their authorized officer personnel through the first half of the 1920s.[4]
In 1936 the Air Corps consolidated many of its World War I Aero Squadrons with units formed after the war but bearing the same number, and the old 66th Aero Squadron was consolidated with the post-war 66th Squadron.[3]
In 1938, the Air Corps reorganized its support units and the 66th was consolidated with the Station Complement, Nichols Field as the Base Headquarters and 20th Air Base Squadron. In the fall of 1940, air base squadrons expanded into groups and were assigned materiel squadrons for maintaining aircraft and air base squadrons to provide administrative support, and the unit became the 20th Air Base Group.[1]
The 20th Group's station at Nichols Field came under Japanese air attack as World War II began in the Pacific. Although Far East Air Force had built up to the largest American overseas force in terms of personnel, much of its equipment was en route when the Japanese attacked.[5] As the war began, the group supported the 2d Observation Squadron, 17th Pursuit Squadron and 34th Pursuit Squadron at Nichols.[6] Three days after the start of the war, 10 December 1941, saw the first concentrated Japanese attacks on Nichols. By the end of the attack all observation airplanes at Nichols had been destroyed or rendered unserviceable.[7] By 24 December, all bombers had been flown to Australia and air force headquarters and all combat units except for a few fighters soon followed.[8] [9]
By the end of December, all American forces were being withdrawn to Bataan. Colonel Harold H. George, of 5th Interceptor Command assumed control of all Air Corps units remaining in the Philippines. With the flying mission being performed by a handful of fighter pilots, the bulk of the group's personnel were employed as infantry.[10] By May 1942, resistance in the Philippines had ended and the group ceased to exist as an organized military formation.
Redesignated Squadron A, Eberts Field c. 1 July 1918
Reconstituted and consolidated with 66th Service Squadron on 16 October 1936[3] [1]
Redesignated 66th Service Squadron on 25 January 1923
Consolidated with Squadron A, Eberts Field on 16 October 1936[3]
Consolidated with Station Complement, Nichols Field as the Base Headquarters & 20th Air Base Squadron on 25 May 1938[1]
Redesignated Base Headquarters & 20th Air Base Squadron (1 Group) on 6 December 1939
Redesignated Base Headquarters & 20th Air Base Squadron (Single) on 1 February 1940
Redesignated Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron 20th Air Base Group (Reinforced) on 1 September 1940[1]
Inactivated on 2 April 1946
Consolidated with 66th Service Squadron as Base Headquarters & 20th Air Base Squadron on 25 May 1938[3]