Image of "American on Patrol" © 1999 Troy White, used with permission
Image of "American on
Patrol" © 1999 Troy White, used with permission
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| 328th F.S. P47 | 486th F.S. P47 | 487th F.S. P47 |
| 328th F.S. P51 | 486th F.S. P51 | 487th F.S. P51B |
| 487th F.S. P51 | ||
Aces were:
(scores in the group only- some scored victories while flying in other groups or
squadrons)
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HQ: | J. Mason (5) | ||||||
| 328th FS: | J. Thornell (17¼) | 486th FS: | S. Andrew (8) | 487th FS: | John Meyer (24) | |||
| Don Bryan (13.33) | F. Cutler (7½) | George Preddy (22.83) | ||||||
| C. Cesky (8½) | H. Miklajcyk (7½) | W. Whisner (15½) | ||||||
| F. Horne (5½) | W. Jackson (7) | G. Moran (13) | ||||||
| W. Stangel (5) | Ed Heller (5½) | R. Littge (10½) | ||||||
| George Preddy (4) | E. Bostrom (5) | W. Halton (9½) | ||||||
| W. Halton (1) | E. Lazear (5) | V. Meroney (9) | ||||||
| E. Stewart (.83) | C. Luksic (8½) | |||||||
| Sanford Moats (8½) | ||||||||
| W. Starck ()7 | ||||||||
| C. Davis (5) | ||||||||
| D. Schuh ()5 | ||||||||
| A. Sears (5) | ||||||||
| C. Johnson (2) | ||||||||
| Air Force Assigned to: | 8th AF (July '43 - end WWII) |
| Stations flown from: | Bodney, England (July '43 - Jan '45) |
| Chievres, Belgium (Jan '45 - April '45 | |
| Bodney, England (April '45 - end WWII) | |
| Campaigns: | Air Offensive, Europe |
| Normandy | |
| Northern France | |
| Rhineland | |
| Arnennes-Alsace | |
| Central Europe | |
| Decorations: | Distinguished Unit Citation: Brunswick, Germany, 8 May '44 |
| French Croix de Guerre with Palm, 1 Jan '45 | |
| Squadron insignia - |
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328th F.S. |
486th F.S. |
487th F.S. |
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| Squadron Codes - | PE | PZ | HO |
Next
reunion will be held Oct. 9-12, 2004 at the Marriott Riverfront in Savannah,
GA, birthplace of the 8th AF and home of the 8th AF Heritage Museum.
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This is the third plane of Maj. Preddy
named "Cripes A'Mighty" - his favorite expression. Here he slides
into his cockpit ready for takeoff. Jim Sterling Photo |
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As soon as the wheels touch the ground
the ground crew scrambles all over the wings, cockpit and fuselage testing
every mechanical part. This is once again "Cripes A'Mighty 3rd" Jim Sterling Photo |
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1/Lt. Richard C. Brookins (left) and
the other two pilots in this picture recently accounted for a total of four
enemy planes on a mission to Frankfurt, Germany.Lt. Brookins destroyed a
Fw190.Capt. Donald Bryan (center) accounted for 2 Me109s, and F/O William
Montgomery a 109. Read about the mission here Jim Sterling Photo |
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Capt. Donald S. Byran, who has started
his second combat tour in the European Theatre of Operations after spending
leave in the States, recently destroyed two ME109s and probably destroyed a
third while flying his P51 Mustang "Little One"
Read about the mission here Jim Sterling Photo |
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2/Lt. Joseph Carter (left) and 1/Lt.
Ernest Bostrom congratulating each other after each had shot down a FW 190
over Germany. Read about the mission here Jim Sterling Photo |
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Eight days after he scored his first
victory, 1/Lt. Charles J. Cesky went on a bomber escort mission deep into
Germany and destroyed two more enemy planes, one without even firing a shot.
Lt Cesky flies the P51 Mustang "Diann" named after his daughter...
Read about the mission here Jim Sterling Photo |
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For Meritorious achievement during
sustained combat operations over Germany and other German-held territory , a
fourth Oak Leaf cluster to the Air Medal has been awarded to 1/Lt. Glenn R.
Clark. Lt. Clark, who has credit for the destruction of a ME 109 , also has
been decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross. A cluster signifies an
award equal to another Air Medal. Jim Sterling Photo |
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Flight Officer Cy Doleac shown writing
down signatures and addresses on his plane after being forced down in France
where the locals signed his plane. Jim Sterling Photo |
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Capt. Richard Gates (lower center) with
six enlisted men- Front row left to right is T/Sgt Robert Lyons ground
flight chief; Sgt. Raymond Cleary, armorer; Capt. Gates, S/Sgt. James
Loughrey, ground crew chief; Sgt. Carmine Galasao, parachute rigger; Back
row left to right - Sgt. Anthony Tenore, assit. ground crew chief; M/Sgt.
Jacobs Messinoff, Technical Inspector; Sgt. Josseph DelCorso, armorer. Jim Sterling Photo |
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Capt. Chester Harker (left) and 1/Lt.
William Gerbe a few minutes after they returned from a mission over
Germany where they shared in shooting down a jet-propelled ME 262.
Read about the mission here Jim Sterling Photo |
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Capt Edwin Heller after having
destroyed seven planes on an airfield in southeastern Germany on April 16,
1945. Capt Heller has scored 15 on the ground, and 5½ in the air with his
Mustang "Hell-er Bust" Jim Sterling Photo |
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1st Lt. Leo Johnson (left) and 2nd Lt.
Eugene James shown discussing Lt. James' plane. Lt. Johnson is the assistant
engineering officer and is in charge of his squadrons technical supplies. Jim Sterling Photo |
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1st Lt. Earl Lazear shown stepping from
his P51 Mustang after having destroyed three Me109's in a single mission
over Germany. Read about the mission here Jim Sterling Photo |
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1st Lt. Russell Leibferth, (left) and
his crew chief Staff Sargent Carl Scoffone standing next to his autographed
Mustang. Read about the event here Jim Sterling Photo |
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Capt Henry Miklajcyk explaining to
fellow pilots how he scored his victories on a recent mission to
Germany. They are standing in front of his Mustang "The Syracusan
the 3rd" in which he shot down a Fw190, shared in another Fw190,
and destroyed a Ju52 on the ground. The other pilots accounted for a total
of twelve enemy planes on that mission, with Capt. Miklajcyk leading the
squadron. Read about the mission here Jim Sterling Photo |
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1st Lt. Sanford Moats standing next to
his Mustang "K", showing a damaged rudder that just "broke
loose" Jim Sterling Photo |
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1st Lt. Sanford Moats
Photo courtesy of Jeff Moats |
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1st Lt. Sanford Moats and ground crew
Photo courtesy of Jeff Moats |
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Lt. Earl Mundell after a mission where
his flight of three Mustangs broke up a bunch of Me109's and scored
victories. Jim Sterling Photo |
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For gallantry in action against the
enemy, the Silver Star has been awarded to these three P51 pilots, who have
a total of 41 enemy planes, both in air and on the ground. They are from
left to right- Capt, Henry Stewart II (4 air, 1 ground), Lt. Col
William Halton (10½ air, 2 ground) and Capt Raymond Littge (10½ air, 13
ground) Jim Sterling Photo |
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2nd Lt. Kenneth Wittekiend (left) and
1st Lt. John Stearns shown talking near Lt. Stearns Mustang "Delivery
Boy" Jim Sterling Photo |
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USAF Museum photo |
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Fremont "Big" Miller seated on his P-47D Thunderbolt "Red Raider", 328th FS, 352nd FG, code PE-W, serial 42-8511. Fremont is seen indicating his first victory over an Fw-190, February 4th, 1944. Fremont survived three days in the English Channel in April 1944 and went on to become a beloved and long-serving Wyoming State politician. Courtesy Fremont Miller |
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Edward "Pappy" Gignac of the 486th FS
and later Operations Officer for the 352nd FG. Gignac won the Silver Star
for combat against the Japanese in New Guinea, and was our nation's top ski
jumper in 1938. He was KIA strafing in France on June 7, 1944. The plane is
his P-47D "GIG'S-UP", code PZ-G, serial 42-22548. Gignac scored the first
kill for the Group using a Mustang on March 8, 1944, a victory over an
Me-109.
Courtesy Cyrus V. Hall, crew chief of PZ-G. |
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Lt. Col. (later Major General) Luther
Richmond posing on his P-47D "Sweetie". Luther was CO of the 486th FS, and
was considered one of the finest pilots in the 8th FC, being singled out as
"that pilot's pilot" in Col. Farnol's wartime tome "To The Limit Of Their
Endurance". Luther was downed by flak on April 15th 1944 over Vechta
Airfield, Germany, and was held as POW at Stalag Luft I. Richmond was
instrumental in the rebuilding of the Luftwaffe post-war. The aircraft is
P-47D "Sweetie" with Vargas nude by Nilan Jones. Code PZ-R, serial 42-8412.
Courtesy Ed Heller |
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George Preddy, Howard McClatchy, and
Edward "Pappy" Gignac at a huge party thrown at Snetterton Heath bomber base
in November 1943. McClatchy recalls that it was labeled the "Red Dress
Party" and that the base was 'stood-down' for three days. Preddy was the top
ace to fly a Mustang and flew with the 487thFS and later commanded the 328th
FS. He earlier flew with the 49th FG in Australia. George was KIA by
friendly AA fire on Christmas Day 1944. Howard McClatchy was flight school
mates with Preddy and Gignac, and flew as lead pilot for the 96th BG, and
later went on to serve at High Wycombe. Gignac ended up as Group Operations
Officer for the 352nd FG, being KIA while strafing in France June 7, 1944.
Courtesy Joe Noah |
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painting created by Troy White in 1997
depicting Edwin L. Heller's victory over a long-nose Fw-190 on March 2,
1945, making him an aerial ace. The Fw-190 was from II/JG 301. Heller set
the 8th FC single-mission strafing record on April 24, 1944 at seven
destroyed, matching it on April 16th, 1945. he also has the record for the
victory the furthest from home-base over Poland while on the Russia Shuttle
Mission June 21st, 1944. Heller commanded the 16th FIS in Korea, and was
imprisoned in China for 2 and 1/2 years as a POW. The plane shown is P-51D
HELL-ER BUST, code PZ-Hbar, serial 44-14696, crew chief Charles Agee.
Courtesy Troy White. |
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Lt. Col. Luther H. Richmond, (left) CO
486th FS, talking with friend Lt. Col. W. Chamberlain, squadron commander in
the 388th BG. Chamberlain had flown into Bodney in his B-17 to test fly
Richmond's P-51B, code PZ-R, serial 43-7196. Chamberlain was KIA over the
coast of France due to flak in May 1944, while Richmond was downed by flak
and made POW April 15th, 1944. This photo from the first two weeks of April
1944 shows the Mustang sans the later sweeping blue nose treatment, applied
to 352nd FG fighters a few weeks after this photo was taken.
Courtesy Rad Choate via Wallace |
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the victory markings of 328th FS ace
Jack Thornell, who scored 17.25 aerial and 2 ground victories. The aircraft
is his P-51B "Pattie Ann II" code PE-Tbar, serial 42-106872, which was later
lost on 9/12/44 Lt. Broadwater KIA. The aircraft was unusual in that
Thornell and his crew chief rigged a Spitfire bubble canopy to the Mustang,
creating a Malcolm-canopy look. The canopy could be excahnged back and forth
with the original birdcage canopy. Ground crewman unknown.
Courtesy 352nd FG Association |
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Donald "Mac" McKibben lounging on the
cowling of his P-51B "Miss Lace" showing the Dragon Lady artwork. This P-51B
was coded PZ-Y and was serialed 42-106483. McKibben participated in the
famous June-July 1944 Shuttle Mission to Russia and Italy. The plane was
destroyed on May 13th 1944 when Frank Cutler over ran an aerial Me-109 with
both planes destroyed in the ensuing explosion.
Courtesy Edwin Heller. |
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A few more images, this
time forwarded from Sam Sox. They are of William T. 'Bill' Whisner's P-51D
"Moonbeam McSwine" code HO-W, serial number 44-14237. Whisner flew this a/c
on Nov. 21, 1944 when he scored 5 confirmed and 2 probable aerial victories.
These are from A-84 airfield, and are probably taken in February, March, or
April of 1945. Notice the two-tone blue around the nose art. The 352nd
FG noses were a brighter medium shade of blue during 1944, transitioning to
a darker shade somewhere arond 1945. You can see where the nose-art was
simply left as-is when the new darker nose paint was added.
Courtesy Sam Sox and the 352nd FG Association |
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Lt. M Dee Johnson Courtesy of Christopher Johnson |
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Lt. M Dee Johnson Courtesy of Christopher Johnson |
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Alden Rigby’s
P-51 "Eleen and Jerry" coded HO-R
and the serial number on the vertical stab was 415 629
Courtesy Sam Sox and the 352nd FG Association |
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Alden Rigby’s
P-51 "Eleen and Jerry" coded HO-R
and the serial number on the vertical stab was 415 629
Courtesy Sam Sox and the 352nd FG Association |
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Alden Rigby’s
P-51 "Eleen and Jerry" coded HO-R
and the serial number on the vertical stab was 415 629
Courtesy Sam Sox and the 352nd FG Association |
Do you have any info, data or material on this group you would like to see added to this page? Please email me and I would be happy to add it for you.
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Data for this page was found and used from the following publications-
Upcoming 352nd Fighter Group Events
|
Other 352nd Fighter Group Pages |
352nd Fighter Group Association - Official Website of the 352nd F.G.
Preddy Memorial Foundation - Site dedicated to The Preddy Brothers...
U.S.A.A.F. Resource Group- Legends Of The 352nd Fighter Group
Virtual 352nd FG - Flight Sim Group honoring the real 352nd F.G.
Stardust Studios - Webpage for artist Troy White, with a number of 352nd paintings
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