44-14884 Baby Jo

Ground crew attend to a crashed P-51 Mustang nicknamed "Baby Jo" of the 357th Fighter Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: ' Lt Noel Breen ran out of fuel 9 Feb '45.' media-377189.jpg FRE 491 Ground crew attend to a crashed P-51 Mustang nicknamed "Baby Jo" of the 357th Fighter Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: ' Lt Noel Breen ran out of fuel 9 Feb '45.' * * * * * This is P-51-D "Baby Jo" - Serial 44-14884 of 357th Fighter Group / 364th Fighter Squadron. Freeman's "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" : "Orbiting the field after return from the 9 February (1945) escort, one 357FG Mustang ran out of fuel. Lt Noel Breen managed to crash-land, ending up in a farmyard with the tail of his broken fighter resting against the house." Roger Freeman Collection

Research on aircraft and pilot.
Little friends website : http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/357thfg.php?action=list_records&recs=50&…
Accident report
Freeman's "The Mighty Eighth War Diary"

Object Number - FRE 491 - Ground crew attend to a crashed P-51 Mustang nicknamed "Baby Jo" of the 357th Fighter Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: ' Lt Noel Breen ran out...

P-51-D "Baby Jo" of 357th Fighter Group / 364th Fighter Squadron.

Crashed 5 miles South of its base at Leiston on return from the 9 February 1945 escort mission to targets in Germany.

Freeman's "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" : "Orbiting the field after return from the 9 February escort, one 357FG Mustang ran out of fuel. Lt Noel Breen managed to crash-land, ending up in a farmyard with the tail of his broken fighter resting against the house."

Connections

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Units served with

People

Noel M Breen

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 357th Fighter Group 364th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 12200224 / O-2059730
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

Places

Aerial photograph of Leiston airfield looking south, the control tower and technical site are to the right, 16 October 1945. Photograph taken by No. 541 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/929. English Heritage (RAF Photography).

Leiston

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Theberton/Saxmundham

Missions

Ground crew attend to a crashed P-51 Mustang nicknamed "Baby Jo" of the 357th Fighter Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: ' Lt Noel Breen ran out of fuel 9 Feb '45.'

824

  • Date: 9 February 1945

Revisions

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

Research on aircraft and pilot.
Little friends website : http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/357thfg.php?action=list_records&recs=50&…
Accident report
Freeman's "The Mighty Eighth War Diary"

44-14884: Gallery (2 items)

The wreckage of a P-51 Mustang of the 357th Fighter Group following a crash landing in a front garden. Handwritten caption on reverse: '9 Feb 1945.'

Object number: FRE 482 - Original caption : The wreckage of a P-51 Mustang...

Ground crew attend to a crashed P-51 Mustang nicknamed "Baby Jo" of the 357th Fighter Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: ' Lt Noel Breen ran out of fuel 9 Feb '45.'

Object number: FRE 491 - Ground crew attend to a crashed P-51 Mustang...