media-400745.jpg FRE 2826 A P-47 Thunderbolt of the 351st Fighter Squadron, 353rd Fighter Group after a nose landing.

This is aircraft 42-75670 YJ-W "Hairless Joe" piloted on a transition and instrument training flight by 2nd Lt Paul J. Trudeau on 15th March 1944. Lt Joseph E. Wood was the assigned pilot and was responsible for the name but had been previously killed in action 22nd February 1944. Lt Trudeau reported on the accident at Metfield:

I made a normal landing and started to roll within the first third of the field. Having noticed that another plane had pulled onto the runway, preparing to take off, I pulled up my flaps and increased my rolling speed in order to clear the runway as quickly as possible. I saw the checkered flags beside the runway , which indicate the last 1000 feet, but I did not realize my excessive speed. When I saw the end of the runway nearing I applied both brakes simultaneously and the tail started up. I released the brakes but the tail continued to rise until the propellor [sic] contacted the ground and the airplane came to a stop resting on its nose. Roger Freeman Collection

USAAF Crash report
353rd FG Records