8th Air Force
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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Cecil E Manning Sr
Military
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A large group of 4th Fighter Group pilots sitting on or standing in front of a P-47 Thunderbolt at Debden air base. The 4th Fighter Group flew P-47 Thunderbolts on missions between March 1943 and February 1944. Standing L to R: Selden Edner, Earl Carlow, Clemens Fiedler, Leon Blanding, Frank Bayles, Charles Anderson, Bernard McGrattan, James Happel, Paul Ellington and James W, Dye. On the wing of the aircraft L to R: Don Young, Kenneth G. Smith, Don Ross, ??, Cecil E. Manning, Robert Patterson, James H. Brandenburg, ?M. Thorpe?, Albert Schlegel and George Carpenter. On the fuselage L to R: Roy Evans, Fonzo "Snuffy" Smith, Cadman V. Padgett, ?Ernest Beatie?, James Steel and ??.
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Thunderbolt pilots of the 4th Fighter Group in the briefing room at Debden. The 4th Fighter Group flew P-47 Thunderbolts on missions between March 1943 and February 1944. In the centre of the image, looking straight at the camera is James A. Goodson. On the far right of the shot, wearing a garrison cap, is Lieutenant Paul S. Riley. The two men at the front of the shot, sitting on wicker chairs, are, left to right Lieutenant James A Clark and Lieutenant Spiros S Pisanos. The airman in the back row, with his hand on his chin is Second Lieutenant Kenneth D Peterson. Printed caption attached to print: 'P-47 Thunderbolt pilots listen intently as Intelligence Officers brief them before the start of a mission over France.' Others in frame: 1st Lt's Jack L Raphael, Earle W Carlow, Vernon A Boehle, Douglas E Booth, Aubrey Stanhope, Pierce L Wiggin, Frank M Fink, Donald H Ross. Capt's Cecil E Manning, Richard G Braley, Nicholas 'Cowboy' Megura, Robert G 'Digger' Williams and Major's Howard W 'Deacon' Hively, Duane W Beeson.
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Captain Cecil Manning standing next to a P-47 Thunderbolt at Debden.
Joined the Royal Canadian Air Force Jul-41. After receiving his wings, he was posted to England and attached to the Royal Air Force. In Mar-43 he transferred to the USAAF. Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return target support mission, reported engine difficulties, abandoned A/C P-51B 43-6887 Leeuwarden, Holland. Capt Manning captured POW. MACR 3049.
Service
Units served with
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335th Fighter Squadron
Squadron
The 335th Fighter Squadron was the offspring of No. 121 (Eagle) Squadron RAF. Formed on 21 May 1941, No. 121 was the second of the three Eagle Squadrons composed of American volunteers flying out of England. They were known as the "Chiefs" and were...
Aircraft
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43-6887
P-51 Mustang
Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return target support mission, reported engine difficulties, abandoned A/C Leeuwarden, Holland. Pilot Capt Cecil Manning POW. MACR 3049. -
42-74718
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 53FS, 36FG, 9AF USAAF. Assigned to Lt. Cecil Manning 4FG 335 FS September 1943 per his logbook.
Associated Place
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Debden
Military site : airfield
RAF Debden, construction of which began in 1935, is perhaps most famous as a Battle of Britain fighter airfield, partly responsible for the defence of London in 1940. In 1942 it was also home to three RAF 'Eagle Squadrons’ of volunteer American pilots...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Born | Eudora, AR 71640, USA | 20 June 1920 |
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Son of John Dee and Ossie [Gregory] Manning. |
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| Lived in | Lake Providence, Louisiana, USA | 1940 |
| Enlisted | Canada | July 1941 |
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Joined RCAF. |
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| Training RCAF / Attached RAF | United Kingdom | July 1941 – March 1943 |
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Trained with RCAF, shipped out to England. Attached to RAF. |
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| Transferred | England, UK | March 1943 |
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Transferred to USAAF. |
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| Assigned | Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 10 July 1943 – 6 March 1944 |
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Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| Promotion | Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 8 October 1943 |
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Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. |
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| Promotion | Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | January 1944 |
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Promoted to 1st Lieutenant. |
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| Abandoned A/C / baled out | Leeuwarden, Netherlands | 6 March 1944 |
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Failed to Return target support mission, reported engine difficulties, abandoned A/C P-51B 43-6887 Leeuwarden, Holland. Capt Manning captured POW. MACR 3049. |
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| Prisoner of War (POW) | Zagan, Poland | 6 March 1944 – 1945 |
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Prisoner of War (POW). |
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| Died | Lake Providence, LA 71254, USA | 23 November 2006 |
| Buried | Kilbourne, LA 71263, USA | |
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Kilbourne Cemetery |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 24 April 2016 18:17:30 | Al_Skiff | Changes to suffix, role, biography, awards, events and unit associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=MANNING&GSfn=Cecil... |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 21 March 2015 20:44:27 | apollo11 | Changes to highest rank, biography, events and place associations |
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Personal research & 'The Debden Warbirds' by Frank Speer. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:05:18 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 3049 / MACR 3049, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list |
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