Strana 41
P-51D-10, 44-14896, Maj. Leonard K. Carson, 362nd FS, 357th FG,
8th AF, Leiston, United Kingdom, September 1944
P-51D-20, 44-63607, Lt Col. Glenn T. Eagleston, CO of 353rd FS,
354th FG, 9th AF, Y-64 Ober Olm, Germany, April 1945
Major Leonard “Kit” Carson was one of
the most successful pilots of the 357th FG.
He finished the war as a commander of the
363rd FS with 18.5 kills to which he added
three airplanes destroyed on the ground.
He flew four P-51 Mustangs, all of them carried
his personal inscription “Nooky Booky” on the
engine cowling. The aircraft s/n 44-14896 was
his third. It sported seven kill markings on the
side of the fuselage which Carson scored till
the beginning of November 1944. The plane was
marked with standard identification stripes
including the invasion bands on the fuselage.
Carson’s Mustang was camouflaged in the dark
green paint on the upper surfaces including the
landing flaps’ interiors. The paint was probably
British RAF Dark Green. The lower surfaces
were painted in Medium Sea Grey.
Glenn Todd Eagleston was born on March 12,
1921, in Farmington, Utah, and he joined the
USAAF in 1940. In 1942, he underwent flight
training, after which he was first assigned to
the P-39 equipped 79th FS, and then to the 353rd
FS, which was transferred to Boxted in the UK
with their Mustangs in October 1943. Although
being a constituent of the 9th Air Force, the unit
flew escort missions for 8th AF bombers. In the
spring 1944 landing preparations, the 354th FG
returned to tactical support of ground forces,
and eventually relocated to fields in liberated
Europe to remain close to combat areas, and
this included the 353rd FS. Squadron command
was handed over to Capt. Eagleston in October
1944, and the unit used their Thunderbolts in
support of ground forces. In mid-February
1945, the unit went back to using the Mustangs.
After the Second World War, during which
Glenn Eagleston amassed 18.5 kills over enemy
aircraft, he remained in the service, and took
part in combat over Korea, where he shot down
a pair of Soviet MiG-15s. He retired at the end of
February 1967 and died on May 7, 1991.
KITS 01/2025
INFO Eduard
41
January 2025