Kings Cliffe

Airfield
Captain Jack M. Ilfrey, one of the COs of the 79th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Group, at Kings Cliffe air base. He stands with other crew members beside P-38J Lightning (MC-O, serial number 43-28431), called "Happy Jack's Go Buggy". media-377007.jpg FRE 1439 Captain Jack M. Ilfrey, one of the COs of the 79th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Group, at Kings Cliffe air base. He stands with other crew members beside P-38J Lightning (MC-O, serial number 43-28431), called "Happy Jack's Go Buggy". Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 1439 - Captain Jack M. Ilfrey, one of the COs of the 79th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Group, at Kings Cliffe air base. He stands with other crew members...

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 aircraft.



The 56th Fighter Group moved on to Horsham St. Faiths in April 1943 and the air base was used by the RAF until August when another American Fighter Group, the 20th, moved in. This time, there was not sufficient accommodation for all of the Group's personnel at Kings Cliffe so when additional blocks were being built, some of them had living quarters at Wittering.



Kings Cliffe was the furthest west of any Eighth Air Force bases and this made long escort missions that much harder for the pilots.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

People

Barton M Russell

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 20th Fighter Group 77th Fighter Squadron Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron (20th Fighter Group)
  • Service Numbers: O-357600
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot 1056 multi-engine. Group Commander

Donald A Sass

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 20th Fighter Group 79th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-686021
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
Lieutenant-Colonel David C. Schilling, an ace P-47 Thunderbolt pilot of the 56th Fighter Group, holds an adapted hand gun. Schilling was Commanding Officer of the 56th FG between 12 August 1944 and 27 January 1945.

David C Schilling

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 65th Fighter Wing 56th Fighter Group 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron 62nd Fighter Squadron 63rd Fighter Squadron Headquarters (56th Fighter Group)
  • Service Numbers: O-393204
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot; Commanding Officer; Assistant Director Intelligence

Ethan Allen Schrader

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 20th Fighter Group 79th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 38087592
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Crew Chief

David Stewart

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 20th Fighter Group 79th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-721554
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

Aircraft

44-14003

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: Kentucky Kernel V Puddin Danny Boy
  • Unit: 20th Fighter Group 356th Fighter Group 359th Fighter Squadron 79th Fighter Squadron

44-14157

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 20th Fighter Group 55th Fighter Squadron
An airman of the 361st Fighter Group with a shark mouth P-51 Mustang.

44-14678

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: Pat
  • Unit: 361st Fighter Group 375th Fighter Squadron

44-14975

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 20th Fighter Group 77th Fighter Squadron
A P-51 Mustang (QP-H) nicknamed "Sizzlin' Liz" of the 334th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group at Debden. Handwritten caption on reverse: '402nd F.S., 370th F.G., 9th Air Force.'

44-15326

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: Sizzlin Liz
  • Unit: 20th Fighter Group 4th Fighter Group 334th Fighter Squadron 77th Fighter Squadron

Revisions

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Added alternative spelling 'Kingscliffe'.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Barry Anderson, Army Air Forces Stations (Alabama, 1985) / Roger Freeman, Airfields of the Eighth Then And Now (London, 1978)

Kings Cliffe: Gallery (148 items)

Ground crew of the 20th Fighter Group carry a drop tank in front of a P-38 Lightning while other crew members are at work on an engine, at Kings Cliffe air base, November 1943.

Object number: FRE 92 - Ground crew of the 20th Fighter Group carry a drop...

A German soldier stands beside Captain Carl E. Jackson's captured P-38 Lightning (MC-J) of the 79th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Group. Nose art is a hand of cards. 20 February 1944.

Object number: FRE 93 - A German soldier stands beside Captain Carl E...

Ground crewman of the 20th Fighter Group with piece of fuselage plating, decorated with "Lucky Lady", the name chosen for this P-38 Lightning.

Object number: FRE 94 - Ground crewman of the 20th Fighter Group with...

First Lieutenant Richard O. Loehnert and Crew Chief Technical Sergeant Thomas W. Dickerson sitting on their P-38J Lightning named "California Cutie". Both American personnel were part of the 55th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Group.

Object number: FRE 95 - First Lieutenant Richard O. Loehnert and Crew...

Pilot and ground crew of P-38J Lightning (serial number 42-68176), named by the crew "Sky Cowboy". Pilot of the aircraft was First Lieutenant Walker L. Whiteside, Crew Chief was Staff Sergeant Harry G. Keife and Armorer was Corporal James J. Wentworth. They were all part of the 77th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Group, based at Kings Cliffe air base.

Object number: FRE 96 - Pilot and ground crew of P-38J Lightning (serial...

Pilot and ground crew of P-38J Lightning, named by the crew "Betsy VI". Pilot of the aircraft was First Lieutenant Russell W. Bebout of the 79th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Group, which was based at Kings Cliffe air base.

Object number: FRE 97 - Pilot and ground crew ( Cpl Edwin Everhart, T/Sgt...

Pilot of the 20th Fighter Group in flying gear. Portion of the aircraft's serial number is visible on the tail as 26810.

Object number: FRE 98 - Pilot of the 20th Fighter Group in flying gear...

Staff-Sergeant Jack E Snell of the 303rd Bomb Group meets the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Colonel Hubert Zemke of the 56th Fighter Group. Image stamped on reverse: 'Confidential.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 29 Apr 1943.' [stamp]. Printed caption on reverse: 'During a recent inspection tour of an American airdrome the Duke of Gloucester pauses to shake hands with S/Sgt Jack E Snell, of Sedalin, Miss. Sgt Snell is a member of a Flying Fortress crew. In the foreground is Lt Col Hubert Zemke, Mis

Object number: FRE 9812 - Staff-Sergeant Jack E Snell of the 303rd Bomb...

Lieutenant Colonel Hubert Zemke of the 56th Fighter Group and The Duke of Gloucester during a visit to the 303rd Bomb Group. Image stamped on reverse: 'Confidential.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 29 Apr 1943.' [stamp] and '26310.' [censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Shown inspecting the guard of honor at an American Airdrome in England are Lt Col Hubert Zemka, Missoula, Mount, and the Duke of Gloucester. Kingcliff [obscured by censor] airdrome, nr Peterborough[obscured by censor], Eng.'

Object number: FRE 9813 - Lieutenant Colonel Hubert Zemke of the 56th...

Pilot of the 20th Fighter Group stands beside a P-38 Lightning. The pilot has the rank of a Lieutenant.

Object number: FRE 99 - Pilot of the 20th Fighter Group stands beside P...