357th Fighter Group

Group

media-395207.jpg FRE 5264 The insignia of the 357th Fighter Group. Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 5264 - The insignia of the 357th Fighter Group.

The 357th Fighter Group was the first P-51 Mustang Group in the Eighth Air Force, training with them from November 1943 at Raydon, England and entering combat with them in the February of the following year from their new base at Leiston. The Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations, first for defending bombers on what was their first mission over Berlin on 6 March 1944 and on a mission over Leipzig on 29 June 1944. The second was awarded for breaking up a group of enemy aircraft endangering bombers and destroying many of them on mission over Derben, Germany on 14 January 1945. On this mission the Group made a claim for 56 air victories, the highest enemy aircraft claim for a single mission.

Connections

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

Unit stations

Station	Location	Date
Based	Raydon	30 November 1943 - 31 January 1944
Based	Leiston	31 January 1944 - 8 July 1945

Encompassing

362nd Fighter Squadron

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

363rd Fighter Squadron

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

364th Fighter Squadron

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

50th Service Group

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

Headquarters (357th Fighter Group)

Unit Hierarchy: Headquarters
Air Force: Eighth Air Force

People

Alan Kent Abner

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 357th Fighter Group 363rd Fighter Squadron
Service Numbers: O-2059705
Highest Rank: Major
Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

Alan Alner

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 357th Fighter Group
Highest Rank: Lieutenant
Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

Bryant Yeck Anderson

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 66th Fighter Wing 357th Fighter Group 364th Fighter Squadron 82nd Fighter Squadron
Service Numbers: 13044062 / O-792943
Highest Rank: Colonel
Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

Allen P Baker

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 357th Fighter Group 364th Fighter Squadron
Service Numbers: O-562448
Highest Rank: First Lieutenant

Carroll S Barnwell

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 357th Fighter Group 362nd Fighter Squadron
Service Numbers: 14175318
Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
Role/Job: Crew Chief

Aircraft

42-100829

Aircraft Type: C-47 Skytrain
Unit: 357th Fighter Group

42-103041

Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
Unit: 357th Fighter Group 363rd Fighter Squadron

42-103286

Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
Unit: 357th Fighter Group 363rd Fighter Squadron

42-103389

Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
Unit: 357th Fighter Group 364th Fighter Squadron

42-106470

Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
Unit: 357th Fighter Group 364th Fighter Squadron

Mission

896

Date: 19 March 1945
Official Description:

8th Air Force

Date: 8 August 1944

8th Air Force 529FE

Date: 7 August 1944

368 (65th Fighter Wing Field Order 99 and 66th Fighter Wing Field Order 61)

Date: 24 May 1944

8th Air Force Field Order 339

Date: 15 May 1944

Revisions

Date24 Dec 2019 08:12:00

ContributorSOLIDKREATE

ChangesChanges to motto and insignia

Sources

https://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/3882
https://archive.org/details/generalarmoryofe00burk/page/n37

Date1 Apr 2015 17:30:39

Contributorusxpat

ChangesChanges to nicknames and mission associations

Sources

http://www.friendsofleistonairfield.co.uk/

Date13 Mar 2015 15:13:31

Contributorrossingtonj

ChangesChanges to type and mission associations

Sources

Type added.

Date27 Nov 2014 12:58:30

ContributorLucy May

ChangesChanges to mission associations and stations

Sources

Dates at different bases in England: http://www.8thafhs.org/fighter/357fg.htm

Date27 Sep 2014 18:42:45

ContributorAAM

ChangesAAM ingest

Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / The Mighty Eighth. A History of the Units, Men and Machines of the US 8th Air Force.' by Roger A. Freeman (1989). 'Air Force Combat Units of World War II' compiled by the Department of the US Air Force, edited by Maurice Maurer (1983). / Units in the UK from ETOUSA Station List, as transcribed by Lt. Col. Philip Grinton (US Army, Retired) and extracted by IWM; air division data from L.D. Underwood, based on the 8th Air Force Strength Report of 6th August 1944, as published in 'The 8th Air Force Yearbook' by Lt. Col. John H Woolnough (1980)

357th Fighter Group: Gallery (377 items)

A P-51 Mustang (B6-K) nicknamed "Berlin Express" of the 363rd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group in flight.

Object number: FRE 10778 -

A P-51D Mustang (G4-Q, serial number 44-72710) of the 362nd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group. Handwritten on slide casing: 'P-51, 357th F.G.'

Object number: FRE 10779 -

A P-51D Mustang (B6-R, serial number 44-14519) of the 363rd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group in spring 1945, at Munich airbase in Germany. Handwritten on slide casing: '357 F.G.'

Object number: FRE 10780 -

A P-51 Mustang (G4-P, serial number 42-106829) of the 362nd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group. Handwritten on slide casing: '357th F.G.'

Object number: FRE 10781 -

A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 43-38726) of the 385th Bomb Group is escorted on a mission by two P-51 Mustangs, including a P-51 (G4-K, serial number 44-63195) nicknamed "Marymae" of the 357th Fighter Group. Handwritten caption on revese: '2 363FS P-51Ds escort a B-17 of 385th BG back to its UK base.'

Object number: FRE 1404 -

A memorial service is held for the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt at Leiston air base where the 357th Fighter Group were stationed, 15 April 1945.

Object number: FRE 142 -

A B-24 Liberator (serial number 44-40437) nicknamed "Hairless Joe" of the 493rd Bomb Group (at the time of this image) is escorted by P-51 Mustangs of the 357th Fighter Group, including P-51(B6-F) flown by Captain Don Bochkay.

Object number: FRE 2154 -

P-51 Mustangs (CV-Q) of the 359th Fighter Group, (LC-D) of the 20th Fighter Group, (LH-V) of the 353rd Fighter group and (C5-Q) of the 357th Fighter Group, at Debden, home of the 4th Fighter Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Debden/ G Weckbader.'

Object number: FRE 2329 -

Captain Clarence "Bud" Anderson of the 357th Fighter Group with his P-51 Mustang nicknamed "Old Crow", March 1944. Passed for publication 12 Mar 1944. Handwritten caption on reverse: '8/3/44 D. Clarence Anderson 357FG.' On reverse: Associated Press, US Army Press Censor ETO and US Army General Section Press & Censorship Bureau [Stamps]. Press caption from reverse: 'MUSTANG PILOT "KILL" 59 IN 30 DAYS. ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO SHOWS: Capt. C. Anderson, of Newcastle, Sacramento, Calif., who shot down an enemy

Object number: FRE 3102 -

Lieutenant Warren Corwin, of the 362nd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group in the cockpit of his P-51 Mustang at Leiston. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Lieutenant Warren Corwin of the 362nd Sqdn at Leiston. Note the cloth flying helmet, goggles and oxygen breathing equipment. P. Barber.'

Object number: FRE 3103 -

A P-51 Mustang (G4-J) nicknamed "Texas Fire Fly" of the 362nd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group. On reverse: Photo From The Collection Of Merle Olmsted [Stamp].

Object number: FRE 3104 -

A damaged P-51 Mustang of the 357th Fighter Group.

Object number: FRE 3105 -