Markings for MIGHTY EIGHTH: 65th Fighter Wing 1/48
COL A
P-51D-20NA, 44-63223, 2Lt. Arthur R. Bowers, 334th FS, 4th FG, 8th AF, Debden, United Kingdom, February 1945
Arthur Bowers served with the 334th Fighter Squadron from November 16, 1944, until the end of the war. He named the Mustang assigned to him “Sweet Arlene” after his wife, whose photograph was also the model for the noseart. The author of the drawing was S/Stg Donald Allen, who signed his name under the black line on which “Arlene” was sitting. Bowers flew a total of 30 missions and, although he did not achieve any victories in aerial combat, he still became an ace by destroying six enemy aircraft on the ground. The red nose was the main identifying feature of the 4th Fighter Group and came in three successive forms. “Sweet Arlene” sports here the final version, valid from January 1945. The distinctive colors of the individual squadrons within the 4th Fighter Group were applied to the rudder from November 1944, i.e., red for the 334th FS, white for the 335th FS, and blue for the 336th FS.
COL B
P-51D-10NA, 44-14570, Capt. Ted Lines, 335th FS, 4th FG, 8th AF, Debden, United Kingdom, October 1944
Ted Lines took over this Mustang in early October 1944 (it originally wore the code WD-A and was named “Ridge Runner”) from Maj. Pierce McKennon, who had completed his combat tour. After being recoded as WD-D, Ted Lines decorated his new Mustang in the same way as his two previous aircraft, i.e., with a coat of arms with Native American motifs, the inscription “Thunder Bird”, and a unique style of marking kills. Although Lines is officially credited with ten victories, examination of combat reports shows that he actually destroyed 14 enemy aircraft. The red nose depicts the original appearance of the aircraft, valid from March to November 1944.
COL C
P-51D-10NA, 44-14787, Maj. Frederick W. Glover, 336th FS, 4th FG, 8th AF, Debden, United Kingdom, December 1944
A native of Asheville, North Carolina, after completing flight training, F. W. Glover was assigned to England to the No. 310 Ferry Squadron. He was completely dissatisfied with this assignment because he wanted to be a fighter pilot. Since his requests were repeatedly ignored, he performed a steep dive with an Oxford transport aircraft. The authorities did not like the pilot’s insubordination, but Glover got his way and on February 20, 1944, he was sent to the 336th Fighter Squadron, part of the 4th Fighter Group, to take part in combat operations. On April 30, while strafing the Lyon/Bron airfield, Glover’s Mustang was hit by anti-aircraft fire and the pilot had to bail out. He managed to avoid capture and eventually returned to England on May 28. In August 1944, he became commander of the 336th Fighter Squadron. During his wartime career, he achieved 11 aerial victories and also destroyed 13 aircraft on the ground. Among his victories was a Me 163 Komet rocket plane, whose pilot made a fatal mistake when he decelerated to attack a formation of USAAF bombers. Glover flew the Mustang shown here in the fall of 1944. The extended red nose is valid for the turn of 1944/1945. The anti-glare panel, cockpit frame (indicating commander status), and rudder were painted blue, which was the distinguishing mark of the 336th Fighter Squadron.
COL D
P-51D-15NA, 44-15625, Col. Claiborne Kinnard Jr., CO 355th FG, 8th AF, Steeple Morden, United Kingdom, early 1945
Claiborne Holmes Kinnard was one of the most successful pilots in combat against ground targets. After obtaining his pilot’s license in 1939, he served as an instructor in the USA. He was deployed to England in May 1943, then led the 354th Fighter Squadron from November 1943 to June 1944. On June 12, 1944, he was entrusted with command of the superior 355th Fighter Group, which he led until the end of August. In September, he was transferred to the 4th Fighter Group, which he also commanded for a short time from November 3 to November 29, 1944. He then returned to the 355th FG, where he served until May 1945. During his career, he achieved eight victories in aerial combat and destroyed another seventeen aircraft on the ground. Kinnard flew the Mustang shown here after returning to the 355th FG as its commander in late February 1945. Like his previous Mustangs, this one also bore the name “Man O'War” on both sides of the engine cowling, this time in a red lightning bolt. The 355th Fighter Group was the highest-rated group in destroying aircraft on the ground, earning the nickname “Steeple Morden Strafers”. After the war, it was relocated to Gablingen, Germany, and became part of the occupation army.
COL E
P-51D-10NA, 44-14402, Capt. Fred R. Haviland, 357th FS, 355th FG, 8th AF, Steeple Morden, United Kingdom, November 1944
Fred Haviland obtained his pilot’s license on May 20, 1942, with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. He was sent to Great Britain, where he first served with the 496th Fighter Training Group. On June 11, 1944, he was transferred to the 65th Fighter Wing and from there to the 357th Fighter Squadron, 355th Fighter Group. In January 1945, he was promoted to Major and left the group on February 11, 1945. He ended the war with a total score of six enemy aircraft destroyed in the air and the same number destroyed on the ground, making him the second most successful pilot in the 357th FS. For the rest of the war, he was transferred to the headquarters of the 65th Fighter Wing. Fred Haviland’s Mustang, named “Barbara”, bore the blue identification markings indicating its affiliation with the 357th FS and achieved his last two kills with this unit.
COL F
P-51D-10NA, 44-14163, Capt. John F. Tulloch Jr., 358th FS, 355th FG, 8th AF, Steeple Morden, United Kingdom, January 1945
This strikingly colored Mustang, nicknamed “Jake The Snake”, was flown in the spring of 1945 by Capt. John Tulloch Jr. His aircraft was decorated not only with his personal emblem, a snake strangling a Messerschmitt, but also with four kills on the fuselage frame and non-standard yellow-lined fuselage codes. Like many pilots of the time, John Tulloch Jr. had two external rearview mirrors mounted on the frame of his Mustang’s cockpit.
COL G
P-51D-10NA, 44-14309, Lt Col John A Brooks III, 2 nd Scouting Force, 355th FG, 8th AF, Steeple Morden, United Kingdom, January 1945
The Scouting Force was set up by Colonel Bud Peaslee, commander of the 384th Bombardment Group in 1944, as a way to obtain real-time intelligence prior to bombing missions by the Eighth Air Force over occupied Europe and Nazi Germany. The 2nd Scouting Force was established and activated on September 26, 1944, as the fourth squadron of the 355th Fighter Group. The approach to creating the new squadron was for each existing squadron (354th, 357th, and 358th FS) to form an “E” squadron consisting of six Mustangs. The unit’s pilots were assigned from several different fighter and bomber units. The commander of the 2nd Scouting Force was Lieutenant Colonel John A. Brooks III. Brooks brought a wealth of experience from bomber operations, including leading the 389th BG in the attack on Ploesti on August 1, 1943, for which he was awarded the Silver Star. Although air combat was not the primary mission of the 2nd Scouting Force, on February 9, 1945, John and his wingman attacked more than 100 German fighters. Brooks shot down two Bf 109s, completely stopping the German attack on the bomber formation and saving the lives of hundreds of bomber crew members. For his leadership skills and heroic actions, he was awarded the second highest military medal, the Distinguished Service Cross. The white-painted nose of the Mustangs was the main identifying feature of the 2nd Scouting Force within the 355th Fighter Group.
COL H
P-51K-5NT, 44-11568, Lt. Col. Wallace E. Hopkins, 374th FS, 361st FG, 8th AF, ALG A-84 Chievres, Belgium, February 1945
Wallace Hopkins flew several Mustangs, which he named in honor of his wife, “Ferocious Frankie”. The last of them was one of the few P-51Ks assigned to the 361st Fighter Group. It already had a yellow nose, introduced in August 1944 in accordance with the style of the blue-nosed Mustangs of the 352nd FG. Distinctive coloring on the rudders was added in November 1944. Red was designated for the 374th FS, blue for the 375th FS, and yellow for the 376th FS. Previously, some 361st FG aircraft used colored trims or rudder tips. With eight confirmed kills evenly divided between air and ground victories, Wallace Hopkins eventually rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and became deputy commander of the group. For his combat achievements, he received four DFCs and 17 air medals, including the French Croix de Guerre.
COL I
P-51D-10NA, 44-14164, Lt. Urban L. Drew, 375th FS, 361st FG, 8th AF, Little Walden, United Kingdom, October 1944
Urban Leonard Drew received his education at Wayne University and the University of Michigan. Three months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the USAAF and entered the Aviation Cadet Program in October 1942. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and awarded his pilot wings on October 1, 1943. Instead of combat assignment, he was trained as an instructor for the P-51 Mustang and served in this role with the 56th FS. He went overseas in May 1944 and was assigned to 375th Squadron of the 361st Fighter Group “Yellowjackets”, stationed at RAF Bottisham and later at Little Walden. During his tour Drew completed 75 missions and after leading the A Flight, he was promoted to the role of CO of 375th FS. He was credited with six aerial victories, one damaged enemy aircraft and one destroyed on the ground. He added one special victory, when he destroyed the Blohm & Voss BV 238V-1, the largest aircraft in the world at the time. Another interesting achievement came on October 7, 1944, when Drew shot down two Me 262 jets at Achmer. He remained the only pilot who managed to do so in one mission. He was assigned to the 413th FS of 414th FG flying Thunderbolts at Iwo Jima in 1945. After the war he helped to organize the 127th FG of Michigan ANG and became deputy commander and later was appointed the first Adjutant General of the state of Michigan. He stayed in the position until the end of his active duty in 1950.
COL J
P-51D-10NA, 44-14809, Lt. Donald F. Vulgamore, 376th FS, 361st FG, 8th AF, Little Walden, United Kingdom, November 1944
One of the most colorfully painted Mustangs in the 376th Fighter Squadron was “Jasper Joker II”, named by Lt. Donald F. Vulgamor after his hometown of Jasper, Ohio. The 361st Fighter Group was re-equipped with P-51 Mustangs in May 1944. This Mustang had a yellow nose, introduced in August 1944, and a yellow rudder, which was the identifying mark of the 376th FS. Donald Vulgamore scored two aerial victories with this Mustang and destroyed two aircraft on the ground.. In September 1944, the entire group moved from RAF Bottisham to Little Walden Airfield in Essex and continued escorting bombers until February 1, 1945, when it was transferred to France, from where it operated until April 9, 1945. It then returned to Little Walden, where it remained until November 1945.
COL K
P-51D-10NA, 44-14651, Capt Barkley Holister and Lt. John C. Donnell, 434th FS, 479st FG, 8th AF, Wattisham, United Kingdom, November 1944
The 479th Fighter Group was the last fighter group to join the 8th Air Force, on May 14, 1944. The group was known as “Riddle’s Raiders” after its first commander, Lt. Col. Kyle L. Riddle. Initially flying P-38 Lightning aircraft, it was re-equipped with P-51 Mustangs in September 1944. The inscription “Pin Up Girl”, painted in rainbow colors on the left side of the nose, was the work of Sgt. Fred Hayner. Hollister scored two victories with this aircraft in August 1944. On February 14, 1945, “Pin Up Girl” was lost, along with pilot Lt. John Donnell, during an air battle near Berlin. The identifying mark of the 435th Fighter Squadron was a red rudder.
COL L
P-51D-10NA, 44-14354, Lt. Phillip D. Gossard, 435th FS, 479st FG, 8th AF, Wattisham, United Kingdom, October 1944
After the 435th Fighter Squadron was re-equipped from P-38 Lightning to P-51D Mustang in mid-September 1944, the Mustang shown with the inscription “V for VAL” was assigned to Lt. Phillip Gossard. On December 2, 1944, it was damaged, and when Gossard’s tour of duty ended a few days later, “V for VAL” was retired. The yellow rudder was the identification mark for the 435th Fighter Squadron.
COL M
P-51D-10NA, 44-14351, Col. Hubert Zemke, HQ 479st FG, 8th AF, Wattisham, United Kingdom, September 1944
Hubert “Hub” Zemke was one of the most successful pilots of World War II and an outstanding commander. In 1936, he completed basic pilot training at Randolph Field in Texas. In 1937, he completed the fighter pilot course at Kelly Field in Texas, and in 1941 he was assigned to the US Embassy in Moscow, where he trained Russian pilots on P-40 Tomahawk aircraft. After returning to the United States, Zemke took command of the legendary 56th Fighter Group in September 1942, the first Army Air Forces unit equipped with the then-new P-47 Thunderbolt. Under his leadership, “Zemke’s Wolf Pack” achieved more than 500 of the 56th Fighter Group’s total 674 aerial victories. Zemke himself contributed 16 kills. In early August 1944, he took command of the 479th Fighter Group armed with P-51D Mustangs, and on September 26, during his first aerial engagement with the enemy while flying a Mustang, Zemke shot down two Bf 109s over Münster, Germany. One of the German pilots shot down was Alfred Grisławski, an ace with 132 kills. Zemke achieved his last kill on October 7, when he participated in the destruction of a Bf 109. On October 30, 1944, during his 154th combat mission, Zemke had to bail out of his Mustang in adverse weather over enemy territory. After several days on the run, he was captured and sent to the Stalag Luft I prisoner of war camp, where he spent the rest of the war. He became the unofficial commander of approximately 7,000 prisoners, who called themselves “Provisional Wing X”. After the war, Zemke remained in the Air Force, participated in the Berlin Airlift, and worked at the Pentagon.