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A large group of 4th Fighter Group pilots sitting on or standing in front of a P-47 Thunderbolt at Debden air base. The 4th Fighter Group flew P-47 Thunderbolts on missions between March 1943 and February 1944.
Standing L to R:
Selden Edner, Earl Carlow, Clemens Fiedler, Leon Blanding, Frank Bayles, Charles Anderson, Bernard McGrattan, James Happel, Paul Ellington and James W, Dye.
On the wing of the aircraft L to R:
Don Young, Kenneth G. Smith, Don Ross, ??, Cecil E. Manning, Robert Patterson, James H. Brandenburg, ?M. Thorpe?, Albert Schlegel and George Carpenter.
On the fuselage L to R: Roy Evans, Fonzo "Snuffy" Smith, Cadman V. Padgett, ?Ernest Beatie?, James Steel and ??.
This contains information written on the back of the original print and some of it may be inaccurate.
A large group of 4th Fighter Group pilots sitting on or standing in front of a P-47 Thunderbolt at Debden air base. The 4th Fighter Group flew P-47 Thunderbolts on missions between March 1943 and February 1944. Standing L to R: Selden Edner, Earl Carlow, Clemens Fiedler, Leon Blanding, Frank Bayles, Charles Anderson, Bernard McGrattan, James Happel, Paul Ellington and James W, Dye. On the wing of the aircraft L to R: Don Young, Kenneth G. Smith, Don Ross, ??, Cecil E. Manning, Robert Patterson, James H. Brandenburg, ?M. Thorpe?, Albert Schlegel and George Carpenter. On the fuselage L to R: Roy Evans, Fonzo "Snuffy" Smith, Cadman V. Padgett, ?Ernest Beatie?, James Steel and ??.
Group
Some of the pilots of the 4th Fighter Group had seen many hours of combat by the time they joined the 4th Fighter Group as they had volunteered with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Air Force. The three 'Eagle Squadrons' of RAF Fighter...
Squadron
The 335th Fighter Squadron was the offspring of No. 121 (Eagle) Squadron RAF. Formed on 21 May 1941, No. 121 was the second of the three Eagle Squadrons composed of American volunteers flying out of England. They were known as the "Chiefs" and were...
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Fighter pilot
Leon Blanding joined the RCAF and began flying as a sergeant pilot with No. 121 'Eagle' Squadron, and he rose to the rank of Major over the course of two tours with the 4th fighter Group.
...
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Fighter Pilot
As a youth, he was raised on a ranch near Santa Rosa, California. When his parents separated, he and his siblings lived with an English couple. While working at the railroad he wanted to be able to serve in defence of his country, so he took up...
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot
Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. A/C P-51B 43-7190 struck by flak while strafing Romarantin Airdrome in France. Determining he could not make it back, he called on the R/T informing his escorts of his intention to bail out. Twice he rolled the...
Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot
Joined the Royal Canadian Air Force Jul-41. After receiving his wings, he was posted to England and attached to the Royal Air Force. In Mar-43 he transferred to the USAAF. Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return target support mission,...
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot
Joined RAFVR, assigned 121S, transferred to 335th FS, 4th FG, 8AF USAAF, Promoted to 1st Lt, designated Assistant Squadron Engineering Officer 20-1-43, Promoted to Captain 30-11-43.
...
Military | Captain | Fighter pilot
Albert Schlegel was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1919. Lacking the two college certificates required by the US Army Air Corp, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), flight training was in Ontario, Canada, final service training taking place in...
Military | Major | Fighter pilot
Served in 121 Eagle Squadron then transferred to the AAF. Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. He scored 3 kills in P-47s. Failed to Return (FTR) bomber escort to Joigny, France. suffered engine failure. A/C abandoned. Major Fonzo Smith POW. 3-Aug-44....
Military | Major | Pilot
Captain Smith was from Boise, Idaho, and was born 8 June 1914. He attended the College of Idaho, then worked for the Idaho Power Co. About 1941 he moved to California. He joined the Army Aviation Cadet programme, but left abruptly and was accepted by...
Military site : airfield
RAF Debden, construction of which began in 1935, is perhaps most famous as a Battle of Britain fighter airfield, partly responsible for the defence of London in 1940. In 1942 it was also home to three RAF 'Eagle Squadrons’ of volunteer American pilots...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 24 June 2016 03:50:50 | Gerry Asher | Changes to unit associations |
| Sources | ||
Most of the names show up in the Little Friends database as sssigned to the 335th Fighter Squadron. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 September 2014 15:22:15 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
IWM, Roger Freeman Collection |
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