348th
Fighter
Group

 

Air Forced Assigned To:    5th AF (June '43) 
   
Stations Flown From:   Port Moresby, New Guinea (June '43 - Dec '43)
  Finschhafen, New Guinea (Dec '43 - March '44)
 Saidor, New guinea (March '44 - May '44)
    Wakde (May '44 - Aug'44)
    Noemfoor (ug '44 - Nov '44)
    Leyte (Nov '44 - Feb '45)
    San Marcelino, Luzon (Feb '45 - May '45)
    Floridablanca, Luzon (may '45 - July '45)
    Ie Shima (July - end WWII)
     
Campaigns Flown in:   Air Offensive, Japan
  China Defensive
New Guinea
Bismarck Archipelago
Western Pacific
 Leyte
    Luzon
    China Offensive
     
Awards Won:   Distinguished Unit Citation: New Britain 16 - 31Dec '43
 Distinguished Unit Citation: Philippine Islands 24 Dec '44
    Philippine Presidential Unit Citation
     

Aces were:
(scores in the group only- some scored victories while flying in other groups or squadrons)

      HQ:          

 

 N.E. Kearby (12)      
R.R. Rowland (8)      
        W.M. Banks (4)            
        W.M. Dunham (1)            
                     
  340th FS:     341st FS:     342nd FS:     460th FS:
  M.M. Brown (6)     S.V. Blair (7)     W.M. Dunham (9)     W.D. Dunham (6)
R.H. Fleischer (6)   J.T. Moore (7)   W.G. Benz (8)     G. Della (4)
M. Dikovitsky (5)   W.B. Foulis (6) E.F. Roddy (8)      
W.M. Dunham (1)   G. Della (1) G.A. Davis (7)      
      M.E. Grant (7)      
              E.S. Popek (7)      
              W.M. Banks (5)      
              R.D. Gibb (5)      
              R.H. Knapp (5)      
              L.F. O'Neill (5)      
              R.C. Sutcliffe (5)      
                     
Total Aircraft Claims in Air:  Destroyed    Probable    Damaged   
  349   21   5
 

Squadron Insignia:  
340th FS   341st FS   342nd FS   460th FS
Squadron codes: 1-25
(10-39 after  Oct'44)		   26-50
(40-69 after Oct '44)		   51-75
(70-99 after Oct '44)		   -
(100-129 after Oct '44)
Squadron Color: YELLOW   RED   BLUE   BLACK
          (aircraft assignments)    
Planes Flown: P-47
P-51
   

Neel Kearby

Photo courtesy of David L. Fetherston
 

348th FG Thunderbolts

USAF Museum photo

'My Jeanne' shortly after the group arrived in the Pacific

USAF Museum photo

Without identifying codes, this P47 is probably very recently arrived

USAF Museum photo

oops...

USAF Museum photo

Also without any identification codes, this P47 may either be on the way to the group or just arrived.

USAF Museum photo

Again, no codes!

Jim Sterling collection

342nd FS Ace 'Jim' Benz and his crew chief Robert Firestone

Jim Sterling collection

342nd FS ace Ed Roddy in his plane 'Babs'

Jim Sterling collection

342nd FS ace Ed Popek

Jim Sterling collection

HQ ace Dick Rowland in his P51

Jim Sterling collection

342nd FS ace Larry O'Neill on the wing of his Jug

Jim Sterling collection

Captain M.M. Zeine "somewhere in the Pacific" It would have been in New Guinea in late 1943 or 44' .Possibly near Deak.

Roger Zeine

The Blackjack Squadron

Roger Zeine

M. Burt, George Della, Vernon Turner

Photo courtesy of Tom Burt Cooney

340th members posed with the "Windy City Kitty"   front row, L. to Rt.; M.L. Burt, 1st lt., Breck, 2nd lt., Agenew, 2nd lt., Martin, Flt. Off., back row, L. to Rt.; Macken, Flt. Off., Hilton, 1st lt., Hooper, 2nd lt., Lambert, 2nd lt., McMillin, 2nd lt. 

Photo courtesy of Tom Burt Cooney

Marion Lake Burt with P-47, "Chris" at Port Moresby, 1943

Photo courtesy of Tom Burt Cooney

M.L. Burt, with his P51D and crew chief.  He wrote on the back of the original pic, "March 2, 1945, San Marcelino, Luzon".  I believe this is shortly after he received this aircraft as replacement for his jug

Photo courtesy of Tom Burt Cooney

Overall shot of M.L. Burt and "Chris".

Photo courtesy of Tom Burt Cooney

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