New book I aquired on the 4th Fighter Group

[Guppy35]

I have the operational logs of the 4th FG.  I will do a little searching and will send you any information I can find.

I was wondering when you'd show up?  Guy talking 4th FG and it takes you a day.  You are slipping in your old age Fencer

[Fencer51]

I was wondering when you'd show up?  Guy talking 4th FG and it takes you a day.  You are slipping in your old age Fencer

Well there was this Team Speak Meeting Thing, this Scenario Thing, and this Real Life Work Thing, and then there was this FSO Thing.. I has been busy.

I checked the 334th and he never flew for them.  I am into Mid April with the 336th and no sign of him.  He may have flown 4 missions and gotten the golden BB on his 4th.

[edit] Yep, he never flew with the 334th or 336th.  He flew 4 missions with the 335th starting after D-Day.

[1pLUs44]

Do you think he wouldn't have flown into combat his first month? He was in from mid-April till mid-June.

[Guppy35]

Do you think he wouldn't have flown into combat his first month? He was in from mid-April till mid-June.

Probably going through group orientation etc, better known as clobber college

[Fencer51]

I checked the logs from all three squadrons and there was no mention of his flying any operational sorties.  He is first noted as arriving at the 335th FS on June 7th.

[1pLUs44]

huh, he wrote in the book, he was with the unit from April 14th, 1944, till June 18th, 1944, at 2100 hours. Do you think perhaps he shipped off on April 14th? And then actually got shipped to the 335th on June 7th?

Edit: I looked up the planes, is it possible he flew P-47s during this time?

[Fencer51]

No, the 4th FG was entirely equipped with P-51B/Cs or P-51Ds at this time.  As best as I can tell he flew 4 missions, all patrols with strafing and bombing.  There was no air to air contact on any of his missions.

[1pLUs44]

No, the 4th FG was entirely equipped with P-51B/Cs or P-51Ds at this time.  As best as I can tell he flew 4 missions, all patrols with strafing and bombing.  There was no air to air contact on any of his missions.

Huh, I looked up the letters on the side, on the 8th AF website, and I got 2 P-47Ds, and 2 P-51Bs. I'll look a little bit harder. (one 51B, that he flew, I think was captured. Had the right lettering on the side, and the serial # that I looked up.)

[fudgums]

scan the letters?

[1pLUs44]

scan the letters?

I'll give it a shot, I don't really know how to scan 'em. So, it may take a little bit, so I can figure it out.

[Fencer51]

Huh, I looked up the letters on the side, on the 8th AF website, and I got 2 P-47Ds, and 2 P-51Bs. I'll look a little bit harder. (one 51B, that he flew, I think was captured. Had the right lettering on the side, and the serial # that I looked up.)

Aircraft changed code letters almost as much as they changed pilots as time went on.  Also the P-47s would of course had the same aircraft codes, there are only 26 letters in the alphabet.. oh and the "bar".

[1pLUs44]

Aircraft changed code letters almost as much as they changed pilots as time went on.  Also the P-47s would of course had the same aircraft codes, there are only 26 letters in the alphabet.. oh and the "bar".

Oh, okay. Thanks a bunch Fencer. My sister is gonna really like the info I got from you.

[Guppy35]

Quoting from "The Debden Warbirds" by Frank E. Speer

"June 18-Col. Blakeslee lead a Fighter Sweep in the area of Combourg where 334 flew top cover while 335 and 336 beat up a horse drawn convoy.

T-2228  Caboose 45, Lt. Bowyer in WD-O landed after we had homed him.  He asked for an emergency landing.  He was given permission to land immediately.  He made a good landing and asked for an ambulance to meet him.  He taxied up by the watch office and an ambulance met him.  The pilot was helped out of the plane as he had a bullet wound in the arm.  The duty MO and another ambulance were sent up immediately."


Frank Speer was a pilot with the 4th and he compiled his information from the squadron diaries of the 334, 335 and 336th FS  He also used the Debden Tower diary and combat reports.  I don't know where the quote is from but would guess it's from the Debden Tower diary.

[1pLUs44]

Thanks a bunch. Each different account puts in a little bit more detail into it.

[Hajo]

Well done gents!