FRE 6348

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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.

Connections

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Units

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.
  • 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
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.'
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 351st Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 34211373
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Crew Chief
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.'
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 351st Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 16093777
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant (RAF)
  • Role/Job: Ground crew
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.'
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 351st Fighter Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant (RAF)
  • Role/Job: Ground crew

Aircraft

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.'
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Nicknames: Little Demon
  • Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 78th Fighter Group 351st Fighter Squadron 82nd Fighter Squadron

Locations

Revisions

Date:
ContributorAl_Skiff
ChangesChanges to caption, person associations and place associations
Sources

Roger Freeman Collection

Date:
Contributorollondo
ChangesChanges to caption
Sources

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

Date:
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection