KITS 07/2022

P-51D, Flt. Off. Charles A. Lane, 99th FS, 332nd FG, 15th AF, Ramitelli, Italy, March 1945

Charles Lane, St. Louis, Missouri native started his

pilot training in 1943 in Tuskegee, Alabama. After its

completion he was ordered to 99th FS where, until

the end of war he completed 26 missions on P-47 and

P-51. He continued in the military career after the

war and spent altogether 27 years flying fighters,

transports and even B-52 bombers. In 1970 he retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He passed

away in 2016. Same as the other sister squadrons

of the 332nd Fighter Group, the 99th Fighter Squad-

ron aircraft’ marking was the rear fuselage and tail

surfaces painted in eye-catching overall red which

helped the crews of the escorted bombers to recognize their own fighters. The marking gave the unit

the nickname Red Tails.

P-51D-15, 44-15569, Capt. Roscoe C. Brown, CO of 100th FS, 332nd FG,

15th AF, Ramitelli, Italy, 1945

Roscoe Conkling Brown was born on March 9, 1922, in

Washington, DC. In 1943 he completed his bachelor’s

studies at the university in Springfield. The same

year he enlisted in the USAAF, completed the training

at the aviation school in Tuskegee after which he was

ordered to the 100th FS where he flew combat missions until August 1944. During WWII he flew 68 mi-

ssions and in June 1945 he was given the command

of the 100th FS. In 1945 he retired from the army air

force with the rank of Captain. Later he obtained his

PhD at the New York university and set on the academic career path. For more than 25 years he was

a university of New York professor. He remained

active in the field of education even after his reti-

rement. He passed away on July 2, 2016. Brown’s

Mustang carried a numeral 7 on the fuselage nose,

the inscription Bunnie of the port and Miss Kentucky

State on the starboard. The last three digits of the

serial number were painted above the fuselage national marking.

P-51D, Lt. Frederick E. Hutchins, 302nd FS, 332nd FG, 15th AF,

Ramitelli, Italy, October 1944

Frederick Emmanuel Hutchins was born on September 16, 1920, in Donaldsonville, Georgia. On April

29, 1943, he completed his pilot’s training in Tuskegee and from December was deployed in Italy with

the 302nd Fighter Squadron. On February 5, 1944,

Hutchins flew his first combat mission. On October

6, 1944, his unit participated in strafing the targets

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INFO Eduard

in Greece. During the attack on the airport Megara

Hutchins’ Mustang was shot down and its pilot crash

landed on the Greek territory where he was saved by

the local population. He returned to his home base in

Ramitelli on October 23. His final score in WWII was

four kills. He continued in the service including the

Korean and Vietnam wars. All Mustangs flown by

Hutchins were christened Little Freddie and same

as all 332nd Fighter Group Mustangs sported the tail

surfaces painted red. The 302nd Fighter Squadron

marking within the group was yellow nose and two

digits numeral on the fuselage.

July 2022