Joseph Bradley McManus
MilitaryPrinted caption on reverse: 'FORMAL PORTRAIT: They are, left to right, front row:
Hub Zemke, 479th Grp,
Roy Caviness, 361st Grp,
Dave Schilling, 56th Grp,
Everett Stewart, 355th Grp,
Ben Rimerman, 353rd Grp,
John Henry, 339th Grp,
Tod Crowell, 55th Grp.
REAR:
James Mayden, 352nd Grp,
WH Swanson, Unk,
Joe McManus, 364th Grp,
Claiborne Kinnard, 4th Grp,
Philip Tukey, 356th Grp.
Fred Gray, 78th Grp,
Don Graham, 357th Grp.
Date is unknown but it has to be from late August 1944 no later than 30 oct when Hub [Zemke] became a POW. On 12 Aug, Hub went to 479th and Dave Schilling took over 56th. Don Graham gave up 357th on 10 Oct, so it has to be before that. Missing are COs from 20th (Col Harold Rau, and 359th, Colonels Jacon or Randolph.) Now, one would guess that they were not available and maybe their deputy comdr sat in for them, whic would mean Swanson or Crowell. However, neither man is on the 30th Grp rosters (I have complete one) and I cannot find either name anywhere in the records. So that will remains a mystery for now. I have not used any ranks, but all would be Lt Col or Colonel. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do trying to solve these 50 plus year old mysteries!! PS Forgot to mention, I do not know location. I have a note that it might have been Bottisham, but I don't know where I got that.'
Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Bushey Hall Library.' Roger Freeman Collection
55th FG Records
Joseph McManus served as a pilot with the 364th Fighter Group. On 15 July 1942, his P-38 came down on ice cap on eastern side of Greenland while ferrying between BW8 and Iceland. Incident occured with 6 P-38s. McManus was the only pilot to land with wheels down.
DFC/ AM w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster
2 ground, 1 probable air
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: RAF Honington
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 3 May 1918 | |
Drexel Hill, Upper Darby, PA, USA | Exact dates not yet known |
Revisions
Combined two entries for Joseph McManus into a single entry. This entry now includes information from the following source:
Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Who's Who in the Eighth Air Force and/or Biographical Directory Command & Staff Officers Eighth Air Force 1942-45, Losees of the 8th and 9th AF by Bishop and Hey p. 20