All photos courtesy of Lt. R. Leech, Official Historian of the 11th Bomb Squadron.

The history of the 11th Bombardment Squadron begins June 26, 1917, when it was organized at Kelley Field, Texas, under the designation of the 11th Aero Squadron. The Squadron served overseas in the first World War from December 17, 1917, to May 1, 1919, and participated in the following battles:

George McManus, famous creator of the "Jiggs" comic strip, was a member of the unit and the designer of the Squadron Insignia, which shows Jiggs hustling along with a bomb under one arm and an expression indicating fine plans of mischief afoot for someone.

Battle honors, carried by the 7th Bombardment Squadron, that the 11th won in World War 1 were: Lorraine, St.Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne

In 1921 the squadron was redesignated as the 11th Squadron (Bombardment) and in 1922 as the 11th Bombardment Squadron. As part of the 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy) the Squadron was redesignated the 11th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) in 1939, and in the same year furnished the cadre to activate the 22nd Bombardment Squadron of the Group.

On November 11,1941 ground units of the Group left the States by way of the Army Transport "Republic." The Republic crossed the Equator on December 6, 1941, refueled in the Lau Group on December 13, 1941, and docked in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia on December 21, 1941. The 11th and 22nd ground echelons left Brisbane January 16, 1942, for Java.

The air echelons left Sacramento Air Depot in successive flights between December 15, 1941, and January 1. 1942, and all reached the scene of action in time to take part in the Macassar Straits and subsequent Java engagements.