Maj. George Ross Bickell, Sr.
P-51B-1-NA "Peg O'My Heart" (GQ*A)
S/N 43-12173
354th Fighter Group, 355th Fighter Squadron
Boxted, England, December 1943
This is the P-51B-1-NA Mustang (S/N 43-12173) coded GQ*A and nicknamed "Peg O' My Heart" of the 355th Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group--known as the Pioneer Mustang Group--flown by then-Squadron Commander, Major George R. Bickell. A veteran of Pearl Harbor, he flew the group's first mission and would rise to be the group's third Commander at the age of 28, a position he held on VE-Day, ending the war as a Colonel with 4.5 victories (some sources say 3.5).
As a Lieutenant, on 7 December 1941, Bickell was eating breakfast with his wife Peggy and their three-year old child when the first wave of Japanese planes came over Oahu. He raced in his car ten miles while dodging fire from low-flying Japanese aircraft to Haleiwa Field, leapt into his fighter, and attacked a formation of twelve planes. He was shot down in the pattern at Wheeler field winding up in the water 200 yards from the beach. Undeterred, he swam back to shore, commandeered a second fighter, and rejoined the fray.
"Peg O'My Heart" had a long career as well, starting with the very first Pioneer Mustang Group missions and going on to fly with a total of four different groups before being marked war weary.
- 355th Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group, 9th Air Force
- 362nd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force
- 555th Fighter Training Squadron, 496th Fighter Training Group, 8th Air Force
- 359th Fighter Squadron, 356th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force, marked war weary.
Col. Bickell was born in Passaic, N.J. He attended Drew University and New York University. After his WWII service, he was a fighter wing commander in West Germany, [a student and later] a faculty member at the National War College in Washington, a NATO officer in Italy, vice commander of the Air Defense Command at Hancock Field in Syracuse, N.Y., and director of a reserve unit at Andrews Air Force Base.
His decorations include the Air Medal with 12 oak leaf clusters (2 silver, 2 bronze), American Campaign Medal, American Defense Medal, Army of Occupation Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Bronze Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with 2 oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Silver Star, World War II Victory Medal, Croix de Guerre (French), Croix de Guerre (Belgian), Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Longevity Service Award with 5 oak leaf clusters (1 silver oak leaf cluster), and European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 1 silver star and 1 bronze star.
Col. Bickell retired from the Air Force in 1969 and passed away from cancer on 4 October 1987 at the age of 71. He and his wife had four children (two sons and two daughters).
(His obituary spells his name Bickel with a single L. I don't know what is correct as the USAAF victory credits use two Ls.)
