44-72218 Big Beautiful Doll

Crew of the 78th Fighter Group lounge in front of P-51 Mustang (WZ-I, serial no. 44-72218) at Duxford air base. This aircraft, bearing the nose art 'Big Beautiful Doll', was flown by Colonel John D Landers, Commanding Officer of the 78th Fighter Group, 8th USAAF between February and June 1945. 1945. media-377519.jpg FRE 275 Crew of the 78th Fighter Group lounge in front of P-51 Mustang (WZ-I, serial no. 44-72218) at Duxford air base. This aircraft, bearing the nose art 'Big Beautiful Doll', was flown by Colonel John D Landers, Commanding Officer of the 78th Fighter Group, 8th USAAF between February and June 1945. 1945. Roger Freeman Collection

ID number logged above as 44-72218.

Object Number - FRE 275 - Crew of the 78th Fighter Group lounge in front of P-51 Mustang (WZ-I, serial no. 44-72218) at Duxford air base. This aircraft, bearing the nose art...

Big Beautiful Doll was credited with at least two of the five in air kills that Landers gained in Europe. It was also his most famous plane and remained so until it was decommissioned

Connections

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Units served with

People

John D Landers

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 357th Fighter Group 361st Fighter Group 55th Fighter Group 38th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-431968
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Commanding Officer

Places

Line up of P-47 Thunderbolts of the 82nd Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group, at Duxford air base. September 1944. Printed caption on reverse of print: '55432 AC - War Birds Home To Rest - Republic P-47 Thunderbolts lined up on an 8th Air Force field in England after a daylight sweep over Germany. Crews have finished inspections and refueling.'

Duxford

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: "Duckpond"
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

Events

Event Location Date Description

Assigned

Leiston, Leiston, Suffolk IP16, UK 10 October 1944 Assigned with pilot Lt Colonel John Landers to Britain and to Leiston where Landers commanded the 357th

Assigned

Duxford, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB22, UK 22 November 1944 Reassigned with Landers to Duxford. When he arrived however he started flying Anne Nihilator.

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

Linked to Roger Freeman Picture.

Date
Contributorjrugman
Changes
Sources

Page 40, The Mighty Eighth in Color, Roger Freeman
Pages on the AAM web page
78th FG History 0472 March 1945
http://mightyeighth.org/

Date
ContributorPyker
Changes
Sources

Details from photos.

44-72218: Gallery (5 items)

Men of the 78th Fighter Group sit gathered around a jeep. Behind them on the hardstanding at Duxford air base is a P-51D Mustang (WZ-I, serial no. 44-72218). This aircraft, bearing the nose art 'Big Beautiful Doll', was flown by Colonel John D Landers, Officer Commanding 78th Fighter Group, 8th USAAF. 1945.

Object number: FRE 268 - Men of the 78th Fighter Group sit gathered around...

Crew of the 78th Fighter Group lounge in front of P-51 Mustang (WZ-I, serial no. 44-72218) at Duxford air base. This aircraft, bearing the nose art 'Big Beautiful Doll', was flown by Colonel John D Landers, Commanding Officer of the 78th Fighter Group, 8th USAAF between February and June 1945. 1945.

Object number: FRE 275 - Crew of the 78th Fighter Group lounge in front of...

Lieutenant-Colonel John D. Landers, of the 84th Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group in the cockpit of his P-51 Mustang (WZ-I, serial number 44-72258) nicknamed "Big Beautiful Doll" before a mission over the Rhine, 24 March 1943 Printed caption on reverse: '56813 A.C. - Lt. Col. John D. Landers, 24-year-old ace from Joshua, Texas, settles into the cokpit of his North American P-51 Mustang before taking off to lead the 78th Fighter Group over the Rhine, Saturday, 24 March 1945, to sweep the area, looking f

Object number: FRE 2981 - Lieutenant-Colonel John D. Landers, of the 84th...

Ground personnel of the 78th Fighter Group check a P-51 Mustang (WZ-I, serial number 44-72258) nicknamed "Big Beautiful Doll" , flown by Colonel J.D. Lander, before a mission.

Object number: FRE 2983 - Ground personnel of the 78th Fighter Group check a...

Object number: UPL 24699 - Col Jack Landers CO 78th FG