Photos - 56th Weather Recon Squadron
The AWA Weather Reconnaissance section contains photos from various Weather Recon units as shown at the links below. If you have a historical
document, photo, or video to add to the Weather Recon section, please notify the
Website Administrator.
This page has four photos from the 56th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron courtesy
of the AFWA History Office and Bernie Barris. The 56th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron was activated on 12 November 1942 as a
Republic P-47D Thunderbolt Fighter Squadron of the 355th Fighter Group. On 20 December 1945, the squadron became the 56th Reconnaissance
Squadron, Weather Scouting. In April 1946 the squadron returned to the United States and inactivated on 20 November. The squadron was
reactivated in 1951 as the 56th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron in Japan during the Korean War. The squadron flew Boeing WB-29
Superfortress weather reconnaissance aircraft over North Korea in highly hazardous, almost daily strategic weather reconnaissance
missions over the combat zone. Beginning in 1963, the squadron was re-equipped with new high-altitude reconnaissance Martin RB-57F
Canberra aircraft modified for high altitude, long range intelligence gathering, assigned to the meteorological role. Part of
their duties involved high-altitude atmospheric sampling and radiation detection work in support of nuclear test monitoring. By
1971 the aircraft were basically worn out and they were flown to Davis–Monthan for storage. The squadron was then inactivated in early 1972.
For details, see the
WikiPedia webpage.
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Click an image to open the 56WRS Viewer page.
