Color Photo's from the 361st at Bottisham !

Thanks Jason will do for sure and don’t worry I had done the same kind of expanding as well, now I can’t fit into any of my A-2’s …oh well ! The men of WWII all seem to wear size 36 to 38 ….very small compared to sizes worn today. Guess no Mickey D’s or Pizza places dominating the landscape around Cambridge in the 1940’s ! Congrats on the marriage & new business !

Tom Colones
BlueNoser352!

Hi Bluenoser,

Thanks for the kind words on the site – i have to admit I haven’t updated it for a while as I have been busy getting married and opening a new business with my wife – hopefully see more updates soon.

Yes I have worn my A-2 to DX on my many occasions – unfortunately I have just sold it to a good friend as my waist has expanded somewhat since my wife has been cooking for me – it is an Eastman.

Jeff Ethell was a great guy and that is a great video – one of my favourites.

If you are ever near DX give a shout – I live within a stone’s throw of the American Air Museum.

Best regards

Jason

Great looking A-2 Jason !

Jason, thanks for posting the A-2 photograph,nice looking A-2 and have you ever worn this to an air show at Duxford. I believe I have taken a picture of this one or something like it at the fall airshow at Duxford. Yes, this story is told in the documentary, which was made by a British crew back in the early 90’s on The Discovery Channel. I spoke with a veteran crew chief tonight of the 361st and he told me this story was not popular at the groups reunion several years ago. But sure like your website and this veteran had wonderful things to say about the work you have done with the site. Hey….when it comes from someone who was actually there during the war…that is what I called high praise indeed ! As I sitting here writting this, I am watching the late american aviation writer Jeff Ethel warm up P-51 ‘Man O’ War” in his Roaring Glory series….this P-51 flew with the 4th Fighter Group out of Debden during the war! Nothing like the sound of that Merlin roaring into aciton !!!! Will keep checking your site …outstanding effort here Jason !!!
Love that A-2…is that a Eastman ?????

a salute from !
BlueNoser352!

Hi Bluenoser,

Have always followed your postings with great interest.

A-2 that was found was I believe complete, unfortunatley it was donated to a museum before any pictures were taken, so am in the process of chasing them up for a photo – it was Lt Kozicki’s I believe which just happens to be the design I copied for my last jacket. Photos are attached – if I get anything from the museum I will contact you.

I hadn’t heard your story before about Sweden – while Urban Drew is a great fighter pilot and I’m sure a great man, he had a reputation for the odd tall story – I’ve read an awful lot about USAAF ops and have never heard of any such story.

Cheers

Jason
361fg webmaster

Jasonp51D:

Great site and glad I found it yesterday, always delighted to find links to any Eighth AF site on the web. That A-2 you spoke of, one of my areas of interest, was the A-2 found intact, or just part of the jacket. Also is there a photo of it on the site ? On another matter concerning the 361st Fighter Group, I have been in contact with secretary of the 361st, B.J. Joe Redden . It was about a documentary that ran on the
Discovery Channel back in the early 90’s called “Whispers In The Air” who’s main theme was concerns during the war of the large amounts of B-17’s 7 B-24’s going to Switzerland & Sweden. One of the group’s aces Urban Drew was interviewed and his comments in the documentary set off a fire storm of protest. In the documentary he said in a briefing with the group, they were told to watch out for stagglers heading for neutral countries without battle damage. This issue was raised by American intellegence in Sweden early during the war and was investigated by USAAF high command. The documentary also delt with the subject of (LMF) Lack Of Moral Fiber as the RAF called it . Individual crew members who reached the break point and were unfit for futher air duties and what happened to them. The comments by Urban Drew was the topic of much debate during one of the groups reunion’s here in the states , the orders were never written , just given in a presentation to the pilots. If you go to the Mighty Eighth message board under March, you will see the topic and what comments I have recieved all over the world about this. In the end it turns out that 99.9 percent of those who went there did so because of battle damage and crews in need of urgent medical attention. PLus better to be interned in a neutral country than sitting in some Stalag Luft or in the hands of angry German civilians ! Great site and loved the color photo’s..hope you post that A-2 photo on the site and love to see any futher photo’s of jackets belonging to members of the 361st on the site !

A Salute from:
BlueNoser352!

I’m sorry to hear that,i did’nt mean any harm or discord,i stumbled on it by googling.

No problem at all Trumper 🙂

Moggy

361fg.com

Thanks Blusenoser for the kind words about 361fg.com – have been tempted to take some yellow paint and a have go at Princess Elizabeth once or twice, but I have to say she does look sweet.

Indebted to Moggy for the colour photos of the bolt – Roger Freeman’s jaw dropped when I mentioned them – only colour 361st FG P-47 photos in existence.

Still alot of stuff coming via the site – a guy has recently found one of our guys A-2’s in France (hegot shot down & evaded).

Also the remains of Charlie Screws bolt has just been found in Holland.

Cheers
webmaster 361fg.com

Do you remember all the flak I got from some pra…. er… person whinging about how my posting the 388th pics in low res was going to mean some publication of the 388th was going to be pre-empted by unscrupulous publishers?

Happy days. 🙂 Pulled the thread in the end, despite the fact that everyone was loving the unique images.

Moggy

I’m sorry to hear that,i did’nt mean any harm or discord,i stumbled on it by googling.
If you could resurect the thread it would be nice.The book is out now so i doubt you would be interfering with anything now.

Deal! 😎

Sure do, but couldn’t take all that grief again (Even though, as a mod, I can now blitz annoying little tics if I feel so minded 😉 )

I’ll run you off a CD in exchange for a Broadside.

Moggy

Seems like Moggy made an impression on them, http://www.361fg.com/Main/news.htm
Bottisham is about 10 miles from me ,i,ll have to have a look and see what is still there.Nice link,thanks 🙂

I want that thread re-instated! Probably one of the best on this forum – ever. Do you still have the photos Moggy?

Seems like Moggy made an impression on them,

Do you remember all the flak I got from some pra…. er… person whinging about how my posting the 388th pics in low res was going to mean some publication of the 388th was going to be pre-empted by unscrupulous publishers?

Happy days. 🙂 Pulled the thread in the end, despite the fact that everyone was loving the unique images.

Moggy

Some of the buildings adjacent to the old A45 (now the A1303) still stand at the road junction shown on the left. They are used by a wine merchant & fish smokery. There was – I believe – a WW2 mural inside one of them until it was repainted by the present occupiers some years ago. Other buildings are scattered around Bottisham village itself and there were bits of PSP acting as windbreaks in a barn on the road between Six Mile Bottom & Wilbraham until recently – maybe worth poking around for any P-51 relics!

Thanks for that,if i trip over a P51 or anything i will shout ouch as i hit some stinging nettles LOL.
Do you know if the mural was painted in ww2 or after but just depicted a ww2 scene.Seems scandalous and a shame if it was overpainted 🙁
According to this web page,scroll near the bottom of the page theres not alot left to see http://www.uk-airshows.demon.co.uk/hunting5/

Some of the buildings adjacent to the old A45 (now the A1303) still stand at the road junction shown on the left. They are used by a wine merchant & fish smokery. There was – I believe – a WW2 mural inside one of them until it was repainted by the present occupiers some years ago. Other buildings are scattered around Bottisham village itself and there were bits of PSP acting as windbreaks in a barn on the road between Six Mile Bottom & Wilbraham until recently – maybe worth poking around for any P-51 relics!

Seems like Moggy made an impression on them, http://www.361fg.com/Main/news.htm
Bottisham is about 10 miles from me ,i,ll have to have a look and see what is still there.Nice link,thanks 🙂