Irving Brayer
Military | First Lieutenant | Communications and Photo Officer | 56th Fighter Group
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Military
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.
Schilling became an ace in December 1944 when he shot down five German aircraft. He was the 8th highest ranked fighter ace in the European Theater. He helped the 56th Fighter Group become the first Group to destroy more than 1,000 enemy planes.
After the war he was a pioneer of long-distance jet flight, making the first non-stop fighter jet crossing of the Atlantic.
At age 37 he died in a car crash driving his sports car in a narrow lane between RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall (still US Air Force bases in the UK today).
Schilling Air Force Base, in Kansas, is named after him.
Military | First Lieutenant | Communications and Photo Officer | 56th Fighter Group
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 507th Fighter Group
1st Lt Walter R. Frederick 8th AF 56th FG 63rd.
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Wing
Browse 65th Fighter Wing photographs and other documents in the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library digital archive here: www.2ndair.org.uk/digitalarchive/Dashboard/Index/51
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...
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Headquarters
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Presentation aircraft from Hewlett-Woodmere, Long Island. The artwork featured "Hairless Joe" from the comic strip Dogpatch. It was written off after a belly landing on Feb 3rd 1944. Pilot that day was James Fields.
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P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 62FS, 56FG, 8AF USAAF.
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...
Military site : airfield
Halesworth was constructed in 1942-1943. Initially planned as a bomber airfield, its location close to the Suffolk coast meant that it was in an ideal position to operate escort fighters, where range was a critical factor. Consequently, the 56th...
Military site : airfield
Horsham St Faith was an RAF Bomber Command Station opened in June 1940. It was home to Bristol Blenheim medium-bombers, and was for a time occupied by fighters, including those of No. 19 Squadron and No. 264 Squadron. From September 1942 the airfield...
Military site : airfield
Kings Cliffe began as a satellite air base for the Group based at nearby Wittering. The 56th Fighter Group, however, were all based at Kings Cliffe and it was here that the pilots trained in P-47 Thunderbolts and flew their first missions in the...
Event | Location | Date |
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Born | Leavenworth, KS, USA | 15 December 1918 |
Died | Eriswell, Brandon, Suffolk IP27, UK | 14 August 1956 |
Died in a car crash travelling between RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall. |
Date | Contributor | Update |
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09 March 2017 19:06:46 | dwgdallas | Changes to media associations |
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From the Personal Collection of Lt. Billy J. Murray |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 February 2015 15:21:01 | Emily | Changes to media associations |
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Selected Key image |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
01 October 2014 13:35:40 | Emily | Changes to service number, role, biography and unit associations |
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Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Fighter Aces of the U. S. A. and Aces and Wingmen II; Who's Who in the Eighth Air Force and/or Biographical Directory Command & Staff Officers Eighth Air Force 1942-45 / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
01 October 2014 11:46:37 | Emily | Changes to events |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
01 October 2014 11:44:54 | Emily | Changes to nickname, highest rank, role, biography, awards, events, unit associations, place associations, aircraft associations and media associations |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:07:00 | AAM | AAM ingest |
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Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / www.56thfightergroup.co.uk/personnel.htm |