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Four P-47 Thunderbolts of the 351st Fighter Squadron, 353rd Fighter Group, 1943-1944.

Flight leader is Vic Byers in YJ-V "Hawk-Eye" (a/c 42-7958). To his right is Jack Terzian in YJ-Z "Marty" (a/c 42-22469). To Byers' left is Harold J. Morris in YJ-Y "Barbara" (a/c 42-8478). Nearest to the camera is Edgar J. Albert in YJ-U "Doris" (a/c 42-74736). The photo is likely to have taken in late 1943 as Morris left the Squadron before the end of the year to transfer to the 78th FG where he was killed in action. Albert was killed in action 5th February 1944 and Terzian became a POW 22nd May 1944.

IWM catalogue record

This contains information written on the back of the original print and some of it may be inaccurate.

Four P-47 Thunderbolts of the 351st Fighter Squadron, 353rd Fighter Group, 1943-1944.

Connections

Units

  • 353rd Fighter Group

    353rd Fighter Group

    Group
    The 353rd Fighter Group was assigned to the Eighth Air Force on 7 June 1943. The group flew P-47 Thunderbolts, and from October 1944, P-51 Mustangs, as escorts for bombing missions across occupied Europe and to strafe targets on the ground. Tactical...

  • 351st Fighter Squadron

    351st Fighter Squadron

    Squadron

People

  • Edgar Albert

    Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot
    Assigned to 351FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) bomber escort Romilly Sur Seine, having attacked some Fw190's, section was bounced by three Bf109's out of the sun. Lt Albert broke left whilst his element leader broke right and into the E/A....

  • Vic Byers

    Military | Colonel | Fighter pilot
    Assigned to 351FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Credited 2.5 kills. Completed 2 x tours of duty. Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Harold Morris

    Military | Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot
    Born and raised in Oklahoma, Harold Morris studied at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond City. After two years at College there, he moved to Pensacola, Florida. He enlisted in the Air Corps in January 1942 in Oklahoma and followed training...

  • Jack Terzian

    Military | Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot, Pilot
    Prisoner of War (POW) crashed at Letterhouten on 22 May 44 in P-47 #4225730 Evaded capture through the Belgium Underground until 12 July 1944 when he was captured by the Gestapo and imprisoned in St. Gilles prison in Brussels. . He escaped when the...

Aircraft

Locations

  • Metfield

    Military site : airfield
    Built during 1942-43 as an Eighth Air Force bomber base, Metfield had three concrete runways, 39 pan plus 15 loop hardstandings, and two dispersed T2 hangars. It was first occupied by the 353rd Fighter Group, equipped with P-47s, from August 1943 to...

Edit entry 

Collection name
Roger Freeman Collection
Object number
FRE 389

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
14 February 2016 14:52:49 ------- Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

353rd FG Records
Date Contributor Update
14 February 2016 14:41:24 ------- Changes to caption, person associations, place associations and aircraft associations
Sources

353rd FG Records and a clearer wartime original print of this photo.
See also G E Cross, Jonah's Feet Are Dry (Ipswich, 2001) p.59.
Date Contributor Update
08 September 2014 15:23:16 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

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