FRE 2697

IMAGE
Lieutenant-General Spaatz awards Colonel Hubert Zemke, commanding officer of the 56th Fighter Group the Distinguished Service Cross at Halesworth,March 1944. Handwritten caption on reverse: '3-17. Lt. Gen. Spaatz C/Gen. Allied Air Forces - Europe pins the Distinguished Service Cross on Col. Hub Zemke, C.O. 56th Fighter Group, Officers Mess, Halesworth Air Base, Mar. 1944. Back row: Lft. to Rgt.: 1. Walker Mahurin. 2. Gerald Johnson. 3. D.C. Schilling. 4. Mike Quirk. 5. James Stewart. 6. Joe Powers. 7. Fre
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Lieutenant-General Spaatz awards Colonel Hubert Zemke, commanding officer of the 56th Fighter Group the Distinguished Service Cross at Halesworth,March 1944. Handwritten caption on reverse: '3-17. Lt. Gen. Spaatz C/Gen. Allied Air Forces - Europe pins the Distinguished Service Cross on Col. Hub Zemke, C.O. 56th Fighter Group, Officers Mess, Halesworth Air Base, Mar. 1944. Back row: Lft. to Rgt.: 1. Walker Mahurin. 2. Gerald Johnson. 3. D.C. Schilling. 4. Mike Quirk. 5. James Stewart. 6. Joe Powers. 7. Fred Christensen. 'All Aces or Better.''

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Units

People

Captain Frederick J. Christensen, of the 56th Fighter Group with his P-47 Thunderbolt. Printed caption on reverse: 'AP 30306. Top Scoring U.S. Fighter Group. Captain Frederick J. Christensen of Watertown, Massachusetts, an ace in the "Zemke Wolf Pack," the top-scoring U.S. fighter group in England, has shot down 22 enemy planes, six of these on Independence Day, July 4, 1944. He is the holder of the Air Medal and three clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross with the four clusters and the Silver Star. The "Z

Frederick Joseph Christensen

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 56th Fighter Group 62nd Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 11047421 / O-794920
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Fighter pilot
Major Gerald Johnson, of the 56th Fighter Group, climbs into the cockpit of his P-47 Thunderbolt. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Maj. Gerald Johnson. MIA - France.'

Gerald Walter Johnson

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 56th Fighter Group 61st Fighter Squadron 63rd Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-659306
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Pilot
Walker Mahurin, of the 63rd Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, in the cockpit of his P-47 Thunderbolt.

Walker Melville Mahurin

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 56th Fighter Group 63rd Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 15081882 at enlistment, then O-659316
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
Lieutenant Joe H. Powers of the 56th Fighter Group, 7 February 1944. Printed caption on reverse: 'Passed By The Censor - No. 303819. "Aces" Who Fly The P-47. Associated Press Photo Shows:- One of the crack Thunderbolt pilots in ETO - Lt. Joe H. Powers of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He has seven enemy planes to his credit. (See companion p[iece?]). WOR 264594. 7-2-44-Y.' On reverse: Associated Press [Stamp].

Joseph Harry Powers

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 495th Fighter Training Group 56th Fighter Group 61st Fighter Squadron 62nd Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-665441
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot
A briefing for pilots of the 56th Fighter Group which took place in January 1944. Handwritten on slide:"Briefing Halesworth C1/44 AFM" Printed on slide:"JAN 91 F01"

Michael Joseph Quirk

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 56th Fighter Group 62nd Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13042594 / O-790712
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot, Pilot

Locations

Revisions

Date:
Contributorjrugman
ChangesChanges to person associations
Sources

Associated Lt General Spaatz, Major General Johnson, Colonel Schilling, Lieutenant Colonel Stewart and Lieutenants Powers and Quirk to the picture.

Date:
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection