61st Fighter Squadron

Squadron

media-395183.jpg FRE 5240 The insignia of the 61st Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group. Designed by Walt Disney, based on the Squadron's bull dog mascot 'Buddy'. Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 5240 - The insignia of the 61st Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group. Designed by Walt Disney, based on the Squadron's bull dog mascot 'Buddy'.

Connections

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Unit stations

Station	Location	Date
Based	Boxted

People

Calvin W Klaus

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Civilian
Nationality: American
Unit: 56th Fighter Group 61st Fighter Squadron
Role/Job: Enlisted Man

Abe Mandel

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Civilian
Nationality: American
Unit: 56th Fighter Group 61st Fighter Squadron
Role/Job: Enlisted Man

Carl C Matsun

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 56th Fighter Group 61st Fighter Squadron
Role/Job: Enlisted Man

Arthur C Maul

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 56th Fighter Group 61st Fighter Squadron
Service Numbers: O-814722
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

Basil H McClaren

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 56th Fighter Group 61st Fighter Squadron
Role/Job: Enlisted Man

Aircraft

A pilot in the cockpit of his P-47 Thunderbolt.

42-76234

Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
Nicknames: Double Lucky, All Hell
Unit: 56th Fighter Group 61st Fighter Squadron

42-76509

Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
Unit: 56th Fighter Group 61st Fighter Squadron

42-7871

Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
Unit: 56th Fighter Group 61st Fighter Squadron

Four ground crew demonstrate the different jobs that an aircraft's ground crew had to perform. One stands in the cockpit with radio equipment, another rubs down the barrels of one of the machine guns, another peers at the edge of the engine cowling and the fourth kneels beside the fuel drop tank. This was probably taken at Halesworth (Holton) air base where the 56th Fighter Group were based between 8 July 1943 and 18 April 1944. The P-47 Thunderbolt is one of the 61st Fighter Squadron's, marked with the c

42-7877

Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
Nicknames: In The Mood- Jackson County Michigan Fighter
Unit: 56th Fighter Group 61st Fighter Squadron

42-7967

Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
Unit: 56th Fighter Group 61st Fighter Squadron

Revisions

Date12 Nov 2015 20:08:19

ContributorL'il Poison

Changes

Sources

Tanya Kelley, daughter Solon Chester Kelley III

Date12 Nov 2015 20:06:21

ContributorL'il Poison

Changes

Sources

Tanya Kelley, daughter Solon C. Kelley III

Date9 Apr 2015 21:55:32

ContributorEMBLEMHUNTER

Changes

Sources

my photo

Date13 Mar 2015 16:42:30

Contributorrossingtonj

Changes

Sources

Type added.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:42:50

ContributorAAM

Changes

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 / 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)