Detachment "B", 65th Fighter Group

Later the 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron

Detachment B was equipped with "war weary" P47 Thunderbolts.

The USAAF realised that they needed an Air Sea Rescue capability but they wanted it quickly and knew that it took time to set up a new unit. As a result they formed a informal unit called Detachment B, 65th Fighter Wing which was based here. As they were an informal unit they had to scrounge equipment from other units and so flew Thunderbolts that were past their best and were called "war weary". As a result the first USAAF Air Sea Rescue unit was formed here. They flew their first operation in May 1944 and then moved to Halesworth in January 1945. Their role was that they flew a patrol and then were directed towards aircraft in trouble. They could then either escort them home or, if they had to ditch, drop a dinghy to the crew and direct rescue ships to them. The unit was later formally designated the 5th ERS and were given the crest shown above.