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Lieutenant George F. Perpente, Lieutenant Francis N. King and Lieutenant William Thistlewaite of the 353rd Fighter Group with a P-47 Thunderbolt before a mission, 28 November 1943. Not To Be Published 28 Nov 1943, Passed for publication Dec 4 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'U.S. Fighters Now Carry Bombs. Photo Shows:- U.S. fighter pilots discuss their first fighter bomber raid while waiting for their Thunderbolts to be bombed up in readiness for further attacks on the enemy. Left to right: Lieut. George F. Perpente, of New Brunswick, New Jersey. Lieut. Francis N. King, of St. Petersburg, Florida, and Lieut. William Thistlewaite of Richmond, Indiana. G. November 1943. PN.' On reverse: Not To Be Published , Ministry of Information, Planet News, US Army Press Censor ETO and US Army General Section Press & Censorship Bureau [Stamps].
Group
The 353rd Fighter Group was assigned to the Eighth Air Force on 7 June 1943. The group flew P-47 Thunderbolts, and from October 1944, P-51 Mustangs, as escorts for bombing missions across occupied Europe and to strafe targets on the ground. Tactical...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot
DFC w/ Oak Leaf Cluster/ AM w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster
2
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot
On return from escorting B17s, ran out of gas and made a forced landing near Oxfordness, Suffolk on Sept. 27, 1943
Military | First Lieutenant
Military | Second Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot
Crashed into North Sea on 12 May 44 in P-51 42-76352 He had been seconded to the 365th FG/9th AF for a 7 day dive bombing mission according to Capt. Cornell who was the last to see him. He bailed out of his failing plane and got in his dinghy. It took...
