Clayton Kelly Gross

Military
media-23406.jpeg UPL 23406 1Lt Clayton Kelly Gross 355th FS 354th FG J Cook photo collection and archives

Jcook

Object Number - UPL 23406 - 1Lt Clayton Kelly Gross 355th FS 354th FG

6 kill ace including 1 Me 262, plus two destroyed on the ground.

P-51B-1, 43-12208, GQ-F (11 Dec '43 to a few days after 4 Feb'44 to 359th FG)
P-51B-1, 43-12451, GQ-I, "Live Bait" - "Peggy" (flown until end of 1st tour)

P-51C-10, 42-103687, GQ-I, "Live Bait", Malcolm Hood (begin of 2nd tour - LIA 18 Nov '44, Gross bailed out)

P-47D-26, 42-28750, GQ-I, "Live Bait" (27 Nov'44 - Feb'45)
P-51D-20, 44-63779, GQ-I, "Live Bait" (16 Feb'45 - LIA 31 Mar'45, Neidigh POW)
P-51D-20, 44-63668, GQ-I, "Live Bait" - "Peggy" (pre 14 Apr'45 - end of 2nd tour)

Crew Chief: SSgt C.E. "Smitty" Smith

Flew combat missions with the 355th FS from 11 Dec 1943 to 28 Jun 1944 (first tour) and 28 Oct 1944 to 25 Apr 1945 (second tour).

Connections

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Units served with

Aircraft

Places

Orconte

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Orconte, Champagne-Ardennes

Revisions

Date
Contributorjfbecker
Changes
Sources

Clayton Kelly Gross, "Live Bait", 2006, bailed out of P-51C on 18 Nov 1944 (Blake lists 28 Nov).

Steve Blake, "The Pioneer Mustang Group", 2008, pages 416, 417, 421, 426, 427 - aircraft flown by Gross.

William Hess, "The 354th Fighter Group", 2002, page 55 - 12451 passed from Talbot to Gross in Mar 1944.

Steve Blake - 12451 passed from Talbot to Gross a few days after 4 Feb 1944 (pg 70)

Date
Contributorjfbecker
Changes
Sources

Nickname Windy - from "Live Bait", Clayton Kelly Gross, 2006, pg 116.

Dates - "Live Bait" the book.  Wasn't at Gael airfield A-31 due to being on leave.

354th FG Airfield names - "The Pioneer Mustang Group", Steve Blake, 2008.

Date
Contributorfugari
Changes
Sources

JCook

Date
Contributorfugari
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Clayton Kelly Gross: Gallery (2 items)