Help From Dan or Widewing?

[Stoney74]

Gents,

I'm having trouble finding some information regarding the 348th FG.  First, I can't find a group insignia that dates during the war.  There's one posted on the net with a flash that reads "per caelum victory" but read somewhere that this insignia was accepted after the war.

Then, there's the question of the wheel cover emblem on a picture (page 26 of Osprey of the Aces "Mustang and Thunderbolt Aces of the Pacific and CBI" of Fiery Ginger that shows a compass rose-like emblem.  As a lot of 5th AF pilots used custom wheel cover emblems to represent units (Dick Rowland had the 5th AF emblem on his for example). I was wondering if this emblem was possibly a unit emblem.  Furthermore, the picture is black and white, and obviously I can't discern the colors.  It appears the emblem is two-tone, with one color being black and the other possibly red or blue superimposed on a white background.

I was curious as to whether either of you had a reference or resource that may clear up either of these two questions.  Didn't see anything in "Kearby's Thunderbolts" either.

Thanks

[Guppy35]

Can't find a thing Stony.  Apparently the Group emblem was approved in 1951.  Doesn't mean it wasn't in use previously though.

I'd have thought that "Kearby's Thunderbolts" would have had more photos of the different Kearby birds.

That's not one I have in my unit history collection yet.

[Sweet2th]

I found this much so far, and i seem to find that there is more.



I Volunteer at the Museum so next time i am there i will do an archives search.

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=1073

http://www.web-birds.com/5th/348/348th.htm

[Stoney74]

Originally posted by Guppy35
Can't find a thing Stony.  Apparently the Group emblem was approved in 1951.  Doesn't mean it wasn't in use previously though.

I'd have thought that "Kearby's Thunderbolts" would have had more photos of the different Kearby birds.

That's not one I have in my unit history collection yet.

There are lots of pictures in Kearby's T-Bolts, but most are either of the classic "pilot in front of the nose art" or classic "pilot in the cockpit" shot.  There are copious pictures of the aircraft bearing the individual squadron emblems, but I haven't yet seen a picture of the 56th FG-esque emblem mentioned in my first post, even on the shots of the squadron killboards.  So, just wondering.  I even tried to find a patch on some of those WWII patch websites and still have not.  The only definitive resource I haven't checked is Bodie's book, but I have no idea if it even talks about the 348th or any of the other units, or just focusses on the aircraft itself.

At first I thought, hey, the 348th emblem looks a lot like the 56th emblem, until I noticed the 56th's was approved during the war, with the 348th being approved some 8 years later.  Not a huge issue, just wondering if someone knew something I didn't.

I was more worried about the design of the wheel covers being accurate if anyone could actually describe the colors used.  I thought possibly that an "unofficial" group emblem, if that's indeed what it was, may clear up the question.

Thanks,

[Widewing]

I have never seen a 348th P-47 or P-51 with any kind of group or squadron emblem on it.

You can take a look here at the patches used by the three individual sqaudrons.

My regards,

Widewing

[Guppy35]

Originally posted by Stoney74
There are lots of pictures in Kearby's T-Bolts, but most are either of the classic "pilot in front of the nose art" or classic "pilot in the cockpit" shot.  There are copious pictures of the aircraft bearing the individual squadron emblems, but I haven't yet seen a picture of the 56th FG-esque emblem mentioned in my first post, even on the shots of the squadron killboards.  So, just wondering.  I even tried to find a patch on some of those WWII patch websites and still have not.  The only definitive resource I haven't checked is Bodie's book, but I have no idea if it even talks about the 348th or any of the other units, or just focusses on the aircraft itself.

At first I thought, hey, the 348th emblem looks a lot like the 56th emblem, until I noticed the 56th's was approved during the war, with the 348th being approved some 8 years later.  Not a huge issue, just wondering if someone knew something I didn't.

I was more worried about the design of the wheel covers being accurate if anyone could actually describe the colors used.  I thought possibly that an "unofficial" group emblem, if that's indeed what it was, may clear up the question.

Thanks,

Came up dry in the Bodie Thunderbolt book.