42-8476 | American Air Museum

42-8476 Little Demon

Airmen of the 353rd Fighter Group with a P-47 Thunderbolt (YJ-X, serial number 42-8476) nicknamed "Little Demon". Written on slide casing: '353 Walter Beckham.'

media-455963.jpg FRE 6348 Airmen of the 353rd Fighter Group with a P-47 Thunderbolt (YJ-X, serial number 42-8476) nicknamed "Little Demon". Written on slide casing: '353 Walter Beckham.'

L-R: Sgt. Marvin E. Eichstaedt, Sgt. Henry E. Bush Jr., Maj. Walter C. Beckham, and Sgt. Richard E. Verity.

Note: this photograph was used on the cover of the June 20, 1944 issue of Fairchild News (Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corp.), and identifies the men as (From left to right): Sgt. Marvin E. Eichstaedt of Sheboygan, Wisconsin; Sgt. Henry E. Bush Jr. of Easley, South Carolina; Maj. Walter C. Beckham of DeFuniak Springs, Florida; and Sgt. Richard E. Verity of Seaford, Long Island, New York -- who was a former office boy at Fairchild. Roger Freeman Collection

Cover of Fairchild News, Vol. VII, No. 4 (June 20, 1944).

Object Number - FRE 6348 - Airmen of the 353rd Fighter Group with a P-47 Thunderbolt (YJ-X, serial number 42-8476) nicknamed "Little Demon". Written on slide casing: '353...

Assigned to 351FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Personal aircraft of Major Walter C Beckham. Transferred to 78FS, 82FG, 8AF USAAF. Crashed Mar-44 - Lt Estel Ulerick severely burned on test flight. RAF Witchford. Cat 4 damage. Written Off.

Connections

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Units served with

351st Fighter Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Air base

353rd Fighter Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Fighter

From left to right: Captain Walker L. Boone, Flight Officer Manuel S. Martinez and Flight Officer Gerry E. Brasher, pilots of the 82nd Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group, sit on the bonnet of a jeep at Duxford air base. Passed for publication 28 October 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'Thunderbolts - the "Guardian Angels" of Flying Fortresses. Here are pictures of Thunderbolts P-47s, the famous American fighter planes, which escort Flying Fortresses on their daylight missions over Occupied Europe. Pho

78th Fighter Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Fighter

82nd Fighter Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Fighter

People

Ace pilot Major Walter C. Beckham of the 351st Fighter Squadron, 353rd Fighter Group, in front of P-47 Thunderbolt (YJ-X, serial number 42-8476), named "Little Demon". Beckham was flying this aircraft when he failed to return from a mission to Germany on 22 February 1944. He was held as a prisoner of war until the end of war in Europe.

Walter Carl Beckham

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 351st Fighter Squadron
Service Numbers: 14013487 / O-430771
Highest Rank: Colonel
Role/Job: Fighter pilot

Henry E Bush

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 351st Fighter Squadron
Service Numbers: 34211373
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Crew Chief

Marvin Elmer Eichstaedt

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 351st Fighter Squadron
Service Numbers: 16093777
Highest Rank: Sergeant (RAF)
Role/Job: Ground crew

Estel E Ulerick

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 82nd Fighter Squadron
Service Numbers: 35259335 / O-684795
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role/Job: Fighter pilot

Richard Edwin Verity

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 351st Fighter Squadron
Highest Rank: Sergeant (RAF)
Role/Job: Ground crew

Places

Duxford

Site type: Airfield
Known as: "Duckpond"

Raydon

Site type: Airfield

Events

Event	Location	Date	Description
Crashed	RAF Witchford, Wellington Rd, Ely CB6 3NW, UK	17 March 1944	Crashed Mar-44 - Lt Estel Ulerick severely burned on test flight. Cat 4 damage. RAF Witchford.
Manufactured	Farmingdale, NY 11735, USA		Built at Republic.
Delivered	New York, NY, USA		Delivered to USAAF.
Assigned	Raydon, Ipswich IP7, UK		Assigned to 351FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF.
Other Transferred	Duxford, Cambridge CB22, UK		Transferred to 78FS, 82FG, 8AF USAAF.