Republic P-47D-25-RE, 56thFG 61stFS, #42-26418, "HV-A", Boxted, Jun 1944. Flown by Lt Col Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski, CO of the 61st FS.
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Gabreski was the leading American air ace in Europe with a score of 28 kills when he was captured after having crash-landed his plane after a strafing run on what was to have been his last mission. As the USAAF's leading ace of the ETO, he was set to return home to help sell war bonds. He was to depart from the air base at Boxted, England, on July 20 for 30 days' leave. At the last moment, he asked to go along on a mission to escort
B-24 Liberator bombers that would attack railroad yards near Frankfurt, Germany. After the bombers completed their run, he strafed an airfield seven miles west of Koblenz, but he came in too low and his engine was damaged when his propeller struck the ground. He crash-landed in a wheat field and spent 5 days evading capture, but was eventually picked up by a farmer and turned over to German authorities. He spent 10 months as a prisoner of war.
