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s/n 44-13606, Capt. Claude J. Crenshaw, 369th FS, 359th FG, 8th AF,
East Wretham, United Kingdom, September 1944
s/n 44-13859, Lt. Walter Mullins, 55th FS, 20th FG, 8th AF, Kings Cliffe,
United Kingdom, September 1944
Twenty-four years old native of Monroe in
Louisiana, Claude James Crenshaw, joined the
ranks of the Army Air Corps in December 1942.
After his training he was assigned to 359th
FG based on East Wretham in Great Britain.
He completed nine-months long tour of duty
there, during which he shot down seven enemies.
After that, he was ordered back to the United
States where he was serving as flight instructor.
He also flew combat in Korea and Vietnam,
retiring in 1965 with the rank of Lieutenant
Colonel. The aircraft flew in its original factory
finish. The green-painted nose was 359th FG
marking the plane’s so-called invasion stripes on
the fuselage and wings were already removed as
well as the black stripe painted on the vertical
tail surface and the rudder.
Besides decorating the aircraft with girlfriend’s,
children’s or wife’s names, drawings of the
sparsely clad ladies decorated some aircraft
noses as well. Its artistic appearance depended
on the ground personnel skills, if any could be
found at the unit level. One of the Mustangs that
sported the “pin up girl” artwork was the aircraft
belonging to 55th FS flown by Lt. Mullins. Factory
finish was supplemented with the olive color
coat on the fuselage and wings upper surfaces.
55th FS affiliation is further confirmed by the
fuselage code KI as well as the black triangle on
the vertical tail surface and the rudder carrying
the plane’s individual letter in white color.
KITS 11/2024
INFO Eduard54
November 2024