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Squadron
1944 - This last-minute briefing of 336th Fighter Squadron pilots includes Capt Kenneth D. Peterson (top left), 1st Lt Willard Millikan (left) and Capt James 'Goody' Goodson (back to camera).
Lieutenant Peter G. Lehman, of the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, and Crew Chief Staff Sergeant Elwood Briel, in front of a P-47 Thunderbolt (VF-S, serial no. 41-6573), named "B.E.V.O.A.P.A.B.M.", at Debden air base. Winter 1943-1944.
Lieutenant-Colonel Oscar Coen and a ground crewman, both of the 4th Fighter Group, on the wing of P-47 Thunderbolt at Debden air base, October 1943. Printed caption attached to print: 'American Thunderbolt Fighters are proving a terror to the Germans. The pilots (former members of the RAF) flying their high altitude fast diving fighters that have accounted for many enemy planes. In one raid over Paris the fighters of this Station accounted for 17 down, 5 probables and one damaged 15/10/43'. And 'Lt. Col. Oscar Coen of Illinois is an ace and one of the original Eagle Squadron. He has won the British and US D.F.C. He is here seen on the wing of his plane with a mechanic'.
Colonel Everett W. Stewart in the cockpit of his P-51D Mustang ( serial no. 44-72181) nicknamed "Sunny VIII". "Sunny VIII" flew its first combat mission on 27 February 1945 with a further 6 missions flown before the last mission on 20 April 1945. The aircraft was lost on 29 May 1945 in a crash.
Captain Frederick W. Glover of the 336th Fighter Squadron of the 4th Fighter Group with P-51C Mustang (VF-C, serial no. 42-103602) nicknamed "Connie", Autumn, 1944.
Staff Sergeant Melvin J. Weddle, of the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, refueling a P-51 Mustang (VF-F?) at Debden, spring 1945.
Captain Don Gentile and Crew Chief Staff Sergeant John Ferra, of the 4th Fighter Group, in front of their P-51B Mustang "Shangri-La" (VF-T, serial no. 43-6913) at Debden air base, March 1944.
Lieutenant Charles H. Shilke of the 336th Fighter Squadron, of the 4th Fighter Group, beside a P-51 Mustang named "Black Lace", at Debden air base, 1944-1945.
Pilots of the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, at Debden air base, winter 1943. In the centre is flying ace Captain Don Gentile, on the right is Lieutenant-Colonel Claiborne H. Kinnard, who would become Group Commanding Officer November and December 1944, and on the left is Major James A. Goodson, who would become Squadron CO between 8 March 1944 and 20 June 1944.
John Godfrey and Don Gentile, two pilots of the 336th Fighter Squadron, the 4th Fighter Group, at Debden. Handwritten on slide:"John Godfrey Don Gentile 36"
The 336th Fighter Squadron was constituted by the War Department on 22 august 1942, and was activated at Bushey Hall, England, on 12 September. It had been designated as No. 133 (Eagle) Squadron, and was made up of American volunteers to the Royal Air Force. They were transferred to the US 4th Fighter Group, based at Debden Aerodrome, England, and they were known as "The Rocketeers".
The squadron flew Spitfires until American P-47 Thunderbolts became available in sufficient numbers to equip the group in 1943. A year later the group was re-equipped with P-51 Mustangs, which became the standard until the end of the war.
The 336th Squadron was credited with the destruction of 358 enemy aircraft. The group was deactivated at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, on 10 November 1945 after the war's end.
Group
Some of the pilots of the 4th Fighter Group had seen many hours of combat by the time they joined the 4th Fighter Group as they had volunteered with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Air Force. The three 'Eagle Squadrons' of RAF Fighter...
Squadron
The 335th Fighter Squadron was the offspring of No. 121 (Eagle) Squadron RAF. Formed on 21 May 1941, No. 121 was the second of the three Eagle Squadrons composed of American volunteers flying out of England. They were known as the "Chiefs" and were...
Squadron
The 336th Fighter Squadron was constituted by the War Department on 22 august 1942, and was activated at Bushey Hall, England, on 12 September. It had been designated as No. 133 (Eagle) Squadron, and was made up of American volunteers to the Royal Air...
Squadron
The 336th Fighter Squadron was constituted by the War Department on 22 august 1942, and was activated at Bushey Hall, England, on 12 September. It had been designated as No. 133 (Eagle) Squadron, and was made up of American volunteers to the Royal Air...
| Station | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Based | Debden |
Military | Sergeant
Military | First Lieutenant
Military | Sergeant
Military | Technical Sergeant | Crew Chief
Military | Staff Sergeant
Military | Captain | Pilot | 4th Fighter Group
He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in October 1940, and was awarded his pilot wings on September 15, 1941, joining the 133 Eagle Squadron in England. Alexander was credited with destroying 1 enemy aircraft in aerial combat, plus 1 probable, before...
Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot
Carl was from Atwater, Ohio, and was assigned to the 4th Fighter Group, 336th Squadron from 12 July 1944 to 16 April 1945. While strafing Praha Airfield in Czechoslovakia his plane was hit by flak, went into a shallow dive, and exploded upon impact.
...
Military | Corporal
Military | Staff Sergeant
Military | GP
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred 53FS, 36FG, 9AF USAAF.
P-51 Mustang
Assigned to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) strafing mission to Rouen area, made 3 passes to strafe a truck convoy over a grass airfield and was shot down by flak on 6-Jun-44. Pilot Lt Harold H Fredericks evaded capture and was returned...
P-51 Mustang
Assigned to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) bombing mission to Rouen area. A/C hit by flak in engine attempting to bomb train in ravine, engine oil spilling from nose to tail. A/C abandoned Lyons area. Pilot 1st Lt Oscar Lajeunesse baled...
P-51 Mustang
Assigned to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) strafing mission to Strausberg 28-Aug-44. Pilot 1st Lt Ferris Harris KIA. MACR 8301.
P-51 Mustang
Assigned to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Personal aircraft of Conrad Netting III. Named 'Conrad IV' for his unborn son. Failed to Return (FTR) fighter sweep to Evreux, struck trees on pull-up from a strafing run on a truck convoy. 10-Jun-44 - Pilot 2nd Lt...
P-51 Mustang
Assigned to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Named for Capt Otey M Glass Jr's baby daughter. A/C struck by cannon fire while pursuing an Bf109, engine gave out while exiting the area. Pilot Capt Otey M Glass Jr evaded EVD - was hidden by a French family on their...
P-51 Mustang
Assigned to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Lost strafing Valence aerodrome, on pull out A/C seen to be streaming glycol, last seen heading for Switzerland. A/C abandoned 29 April 44 - Major Frederick W "Freddie" Glover Evaded MACR 5286.
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Personal aircraft of Lt Robert J Messenger. Transferred to 377FS, 362FG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) from strafing mission, hit trees strafing armed vehicles on edge of woods. With a dead engine pilot Lt Robert...
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. A/C failed to return, crashed near Amiens 14-Jul-43 Lt Ward K Wortman KIA. MACR 3149.
P-47 Thunderbolt
Assigned to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 313FS, 50FG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) support mission to Vande. Shot down by Fw190 whilst strafing enemy trucks, pilot 2nd Lt John R Nowlin KIA. 30-Jul-44. MACR 7403.
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 11 May 2016 21:25:13 | WD-C Mustang | Changes to unit previously was association |
| Sources | ||
Key image chosen |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 11 March 2015 20:15:48 | apollo11 | Changes to type, nicknames, description, aircraft types, unit part of associations, unit encompassing associations, unit previously was association and unit became association |
| Sources | ||
'Eighty-One Aces of the 4th Fighter Group' by Frank Speer. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:42:48 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Units in the UK from ETOUSA Station List, as transcribed by Lt. Col. Philip Grinton (US Army, Retired) and extracted by IWM; air division data from L.D. Underwood, based on the 8th Air Force Strength Report of 6th August 1944, as published in 'The 8th Air Force Yearbook' by Lt. Col. John H Woolnough (1980) |
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