[note 3][4] Meanwhile, the ground echelon left Bradenton on 18 July, arriving at Fort Dix, New Jersey in the New York Port of Embarkation two days later.

[1][4] The buildup of Eighth Air Force in England required the establishment of a combat crew replacement and training center, but a lack of qualified personnel and aircraft hampered its development.

[5] Although remaining a replacement crew training unit until May 1943, the squadron initially flew occasional combat missions.

[3] The squadron earned a Distinguished Unit Citation on 11 January 1944, when it successfully bombed aircraft manufacturing factories in central Germany despite adverse weather, a lack of fighter protection and heavy flak.

During Operation Overlord, the Normandy invasion, it attacked coastal defenses, transportation junctions and marshalling yards near the beachhead.

[3] It flew its last combat mission on 25 April 1945, when the 92nd Group led the entire Eighth Air Force formation.

[4] It was inactivated in France on 28 February 1946 and its remaining personnel were absorbed into elements of the 306th Bombardment Group at Lechfeld Air Base, Germany.

Under control of the FEAF Bomber Command (Provisional) until 20 October, the squadron bombed factories, refineries, iron works, hydroelectric plants, airfields, bridges, tunnels, troop concentrations, barracks, marshalling yards, road junctions, rail lines, supply dumps, docks, vehicles and other strategic and interdiction targets.

Returned without most personnel and equipment to Spokane Air Force Base, Washington in late October and November 1950.

Redeployed to Guam 14 October 1954 for 90 days, which established a succession of deployed B-36 squadrons to maintain a heavy bomber presence in the western Pacific.

On 15 April 1952, a borrowed 327th Bombardment Squadron B-36 with a 326th crew crashed on takeoff, killing 15 crewmen, 2 survived, severely burned.

In July 1960, the 326th began the movement of the squadron’s personnel, aircraft and equipment to Glasgow Air Force Base, Montana.