Alfred C H Sharp CBE DSO AFC

Military
media-19741.jpeg UPL 19741 Lockheed P-38J Lightning 'Droop Snoot*' 44-23517 personal aircraft of Air Commodore Alfred C H Sharp RAF, pictured at No 51 MU Lichfield, Staffordshire between 1946-48.

* The 'Droop Snoot' field conversion entailed the removal of the nose armament and associated equipment to make room for a prone bombardiers/observers position with the installation of a plexiglass nose, a Norden bombsight, side windows and an emergency hatch. The theory was for a formation of P-38's to drop their bombs on the formation lead 'Droop snoots' signal with the precision of the Norden bombsight ensuring the accuracy of the formations bombing. An idea championed by Lt Col Cass Hough and Lt Col Dan Ostrander.

Object Number - UPL 19741 - Lockheed P-38J Lightning 'Droop Snoot*' 44-23517 personal aircraft of Air Commodore Alfred C H Sharp RAF, pictured at No 51 MU Lichfield,...

RAF: - Plt Off (Probation): 16 Jul 1924, Plt Off: 16 Jan 1924, Fg Off: 18 Jan 1926, Flt Lt: 8 Oct 1930, Sqn Ldr: 1 Apr 1937, (Temp) Wg Cdr: 1 Mar 1940, (Temp) Gp Capt: 1 Mar 1942, Wg Cdr: 20 Nov 1942 [1 Oct 1941], Acting A/Cdre: 1 Feb 1943.

Appointed Deputy Chief of Staff, HQ 8th USAAF. 1-2-43.

Served as waist gunner on B-17 whilst 1st Air Division attacked Villacoublay. 14-7-43.

Served as waist gunner on B-17 whilst 1st Air Division attacked Hannover. 26-7-43.

On his return to RAF posting was gifted a new P-47 as a personal A/C, finding this not to his liking, managed to 'trade' it in for a new P-38 which he kept till 1947.



Awards CBE, DSO, AFC, SS, LoM[Cmdr]

Connections

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Units served with

Danish civillians inspect the wreckage of a crashed B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-107082) of the 379th Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'St Heddinge 13th May 1944 at 18:30 Hrs. 8th AAF, 1st Air Division, 41st Combat Wing, 379th Bombardment Group, Squadron?.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Division
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Combat organisation

Aircraft

French countryside, photographed through the nose of a P-38 Lightning of the 367th Fighter Group on landing. Image stamped on reverse: 'Not to be published 30 Aug 1944.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 31 May 1945.' [stamp] and '354528 .' [censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'P-38s over the Seine. No.1 of a series of pix taken through the nose of the P-38 as it comes in to land. Scherschel LIFE.'
  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Unit: Base Air Depot 3 Headquarters (Eighth Air Force)

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India 13 November 1904 Born in Bangalore, India 13th Nov 1904.

Other

Retired

1 February 1953 Retired: 1 Feb 1953

Died

Baltimore, MD, USA 1 February 1956 Died: 1 Feb 1956 Baltimore, USA, having suffered a heart attack.

Other

Post RAF Career

Boston, MA, USA Executive Vice-President of Industrial and Management Associates Inc. in Boston, Mass. He later became Director of Sale for the Glenn L Martin Corporation.

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes

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