436th Bombardment Squadron

     Originally the 88th Photo Reconnaisance Squadron, the 436th became operational as a heavy bombardment squadron on June 4, 1942. At this time they were equpiied with both B-17s and B-24s, but the group's compliment of the former was stripped from them in late June, 1942 when the 7th Bombardment Group's 9th Bombardment Squadron was temporarily assigned to Middle East in order to bolster the 9th Air Force's offensive capability. This move temporarily left the 7th Bombardment Group with no offensive capability as the 436th transitioned to the B-24 (at this time the 492nd and 493rd Bombardment Groups existed on paper only having no personnel or aircraft assigned to them).

     The 436th staged it's first mission as an all B-24 unit on 21 October 1942, staging through Chengtu airdrome, China, to attack the Lin-Hsi coal mines. This raid marked the first use of heavy bombers in China, the first operational use of B-24s in CBI, and the first USAAF bombing raid north of the Yellow and Yangtze rivers. Other milestones for the 436th were the destruction of the bridges on the Kwai-Wy river at Kanchanburi, Thailand ("The Bridge On The River Kwai" of book and movie fame), the use of B-24s in dive bombing attacks on railroad bridges, and participation in the longest bombing mission of the war.

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