FRE 10014

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Commanding officers of Fighter Groups of the 8th Air Force, 1944. Printed caption on reverse: 'FORMAL PORTRAIT: They are, left to right, front row: Hub Zemke, 479th Grp, Roy Caviness, 361st Grp, Dave Schilling, 56th Grp, Everett Stewart, 355th Grp, Ben Rimerman, 353rd Grp, John Henry, 339th Grp, Tod Crowell, 55th Grp. REAR: James Mayden, 352nd Grp, WH Swanson, Unk, Joe McManus, 364th Grp, Claiborne Kinnard, 4th Grp, Philip Tukey, 356th Grp. Fred Gray, 78th Grp, Don Graham, 357th Grp. Date is unknown but it has to be from late August 1944 no later than 30 oct when Hub [Zemke] became a POW. On 12 Aug, Hub went to 479th and Dave Schilling took over 56th. Don Graham gave up 357th on 10 Oct, so it has to be before that. Missing are COs from 20th (Col Harold Rau, and 359th, Colonels Jacon or Randolph.) Now, one would guess that they were not available and maybe their deputy comdr sat in for them, whic would mean Swanson or Crowell. However, neither man is on the 30th Grp rosters (I have complete one) and I cannot find either name anywhere in the records. So that will remains a mystery for now. I have not used any ranks, but all would be Lt Col or Colonel. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do trying to solve these 50 plus year old mysteries!! PS Forgot to mention, I do not know location. I have a note that it might have been Bottisham, but I don't know where I got that.' Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Bushey Hall Library.'

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Captain Henry W "Baby" Brown and Lieutenant-Colonel Claiborn H "Zoot" Kinnard Jr of the 355th Fighter Group with Brown's P-51 Mustang (WR-Z, serial number 42-106448) nicknamed "The Hun Hunter ~ Texas". Image stamped and signed on reverse to pass base censorship. First handwritten caption on reverse: 'HW Brown (Left) & unknown commander 355 FG.' Second handwritten caption on reverse, in different script, refers to the "unknown commander": 'He is Lt Col Kinnard.'
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 355th Fighter Group 356th Fighter Group 354th Fighter Squadron 360th Fighter Squadron Headquarters (355th Fighter Group) Headquarters (4th Fighter Group) Headquarters (65th Fighter Wing)
  • Service Numbers: O-383753
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot / Commanding Officer
Commanding officers of Fighter Groups of the 8th Air Force, 1944. Printed caption on reverse: 'FORMAL PORTRAIT: They are, left to right, front row: Hub Zemke, 479th Grp, Roy Caviness, 361st Grp, Dave Schilling, 56th Grp, Everett Stewart, 355th Grp, Ben Rimermann, 353rd Grp, John Henry, 339th Grp, GT Crowell, Unk. REAR: James Maydon, 352nd Grp, WH Swanson, Unk, Joe McManus, 364th Grp, Calirborn Kinnard, 4th Grp, Philip Tukey, 356th Grp. Fred Gray, 78th Grp, Don Graham, 357th Grp. Date is unknown but it has
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron Headquarters (352nd Fighter Group)
  • Service Numbers: O-022831
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
Commanding officers of Fighter Groups of the 8th Air Force, 1944. Printed caption on reverse: 'FORMAL PORTRAIT: They are, left to right, front row: Hub Zemke, 479th Grp, Roy Caviness, 361st Grp, Dave Schilling, 56th Grp, Everett Stewart, 355th Grp, Ben Rimermann, 353rd Grp, John Henry, 339th Grp, GT Crowell, Unk. REAR: James Maydon, 352nd Grp, WH Swanson, Unk, Joe McManus, 364th Grp, Calirborn Kinnard, 4th Grp, Philip Tukey, 356th Grp. Fred Gray, 78th Grp, Don Graham, 357th Grp. Date is unknown but it has
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 364th Fighter Group 383rd Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-431466
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Deputy Commanding Officer
Colonel Glenn E. Duncan, Commanding Officer of the 353rd Fighter Group from 25 November 1943 until 7 July 1944, when he was reported MIA. He evaded and resumed his command on 22 April 1945. Colonel Ben Rimerman, the officer on the right, was the 353rd Fighter Group's Commanding Officer in Col. Duncan's absence. May - August 1945. Colonel Rimerman was killed when the P-51 Mustang he was a passenger in crashed near Great Dunmow, Essex, on 11 August 1945. The pilot Captain William J. Maguire, who had flown w
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 55th Fighter Group 350th Fighter Squadron Headquarters (353rd Fighter Group) Headquarters (55th Fighter Group)
  • Service Numbers: 17011259 / O-346830
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot / Commanding Officer
Lieutenant-Colonel David C. Schilling, an ace P-47 Thunderbolt pilot of the 56th Fighter Group, holds an adapted hand gun. Schilling was Commanding Officer of the 56th FG between 12 August 1944 and 27 January 1945.
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 65th Fighter Wing 56th Fighter Group 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron 62nd Fighter Squadron 63rd Fighter Squadron Headquarters (56th Fighter Group)
  • Service Numbers: O-393204
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot; Commanding Officer; Assistant Director Intelligence

Locations

Revisions

Date:
ContributorLucy May
ChangesChanges to caption, person associations and place associations
Sources

Associated airmen from information in the image caption.

Date:
Contributorshabbyabbey
ChangesChanges to caption
Sources

55th FG Records

Date:
Contributorshabbyabbey
ChangesChanges to unit associations
Sources

55th FG Records

Date:
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection