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Pilots of the 56th Fighter Group celebrate 800 victories and the second anniversary of their arrival in England at a party on 6 January 1945 at Boxted air base. Left to right the pilots are: Major James R. Carter, Lieutenant-Colonel Donovan F. Smith, Lieutenant Harold E. Comstock, Lieutenant-Colonel David C. Schilling, Major Lucian A. Dade and Lieutenant-Colonel Leslie C. Smith.
Group
Flying P-47 Thunderbolts throughout their time stationed in England, the Group, known as "the Wolfpack", had more ace pilots than any other Eighth Air Force Fighter Group. The 56th Fighter Group also destroyed more enemy aircraft in air combat than any...
Military | Colonel | Fighter pilot
Assigned to 61FS, 56FG, 8AF USAAF. 137 x combat missions, 367 x combat hrs. Credited 6 x kills, 3 x probables and 3 x damaged. Completed 2 tours of duty. Married to Marion N. Carter.
...
Military | Colonel | Fighter Pilot 1055 single engine/Squadron Commander
CO 63rd FS 56th FG July 1944 - Jan. 1945
Flew 2 combat tours totalling 136 missions from April 1943 thru Jan. 1945.
6 kills air + 3 kills by strafing
CO 481st TFS and flew 132 combat missions over S. Vietnam.
Col. USAF retired
Military | Colonel | Commanding Officer
Pete Dade served as a fighter pilot with the 62nd Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group, flying missions from Boxted, England. He became an ace, credited with shooting down 5 enemy aircraft in aerial combat. After the war he remained in what soon...
Military | Colonel | Pilot; Commanding Officer; Assistant Director Intelligence
Schilling flew P-47 Thunderbolts and was one of the leading aces of the war. He was Commanding Officer of the 56th Fighter Group between August 1944 and January 1945, taking over from Colonel Hubert A Zemke.
...
Military | Major | Commanding Officer
Donavon Smith served as a fighter pilot with the 56th Fighter Group.
DSC/ DFC w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster/ AM w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster
5.5 victories
Military | Brigadier General | Fighter Pilot-1055
Military site : airfield
Boxted was built for heavy bombers and became operational from May 1943. In the few months B-26 Marauders of the 386th Bomb Group were stationed there, there were two night attacks by the Luftwaffe. On 17 August 1943, one man was killed when bombs...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 08 September 2014 15:22:19 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
IWM, Roger Freeman Collection |
||
