George Russell
Military | Staff Sergeant | Crew Chief
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Thomas S Sharp
Military
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Lieutenant Thomas S Sharp of the 4 Fighter Group with his P-51 Mustang
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Lieutenant Thomas S Sharp and Crew Chief George F Russell of the 4th Fighter Group.
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1st Lt Thomas S Sharp 334FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF.
Lt Thomas S Sharp, McArthur, Ohio graduated in class 43J, US Army Air Corps. He was a P-51B pilot assigned to the 334th FS, 4th FG, Debden AB, UK and was part of ‘Shuttle to Russia’ mission. On a sortie out of Foggia, Italy on 2 July 1944, Tom had difficulty releasing the wing tanks and was killed over Budapest, Hungary.
Killed in Action (KIA), crashed at Budapest in P-51 #42106650, hit by fighters
In Memoriam
Remembered by Louis M Sharp, Kettering, OH.
Service
Units served with
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334th Fighter Squadron
Squadron
The 334th Fighter Squadron was the successor to No. 71 Eagle squadron of the Royal Air Force when the 4th Fighter Group was activated on 12 September 1942. They were based at Debden Field, Essex. The "Fighting Eagles" as they were called, flew...
Aircraft
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42-106650
P-51 Mustang
One-time aircraft of Lt. Col. James Averell Clark. A/C last seen while the group was climbing to meet 50-75 inbound German fighters over Budapest. Pilot Lt Thomas Sharp could not get tanks to drop, he was ordered to return to base. He was not heard... -
43-6433
P-51 Mustang
Assigned to 334FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. While on local training flight aircraft caught fire and exploded in midair, crashing near Little Glemham northwest of Blaxhall, Cat 5 damage, pilot Lt James T Byrd KIA, 8-Jun-44.
Associated Place
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Debden
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...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Born | McArthur, Ohio | 7 June 1920 |
| Assigned | Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 1 May 1944 – 2 July 1944 |
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Assigned to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| Promoted | Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 26 June 1944 |
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Promoted to 1st Lieutenant. |
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| Died | Budapest, Hungary | 2 July 1944 |
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Last seen while the group was climbing to meet 50-75 inbound German fighters over Budapest. Could not get tanks to drop, was ordered to return to base. He was not heard from again. KIA. MACR 6798. |
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| Buried | McArthur, OH 45651, USA | 1945 |
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Elk Cemetery |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 22 March 2016 18:59:31 | Al_Skiff | Changes to highest rank, awards, events, person associations, unit associations, place associations and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.4thfightergroupassociation.org/uploads/8/2/0/3/8203817/334_sh... |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 November 2014 16:04:09 | Emily | Changes to memoriam |
| Sources | ||
Louis M Sharp, via American Air Museum memory book correspondence. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 October 2014 10:55:00 | Emily | Changes to biography and events |
| Sources | ||
Via AAM Memory Bank |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:26:09 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 6798 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list |
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