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ShabbyAbbey

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May 16, 2006 at 8:39 pm in reply to: Airfield Memorials. #1282702

ShabbyAbbey
Participant

55th Fighter Group Memorial – To be unveiled 03 June

An invitation to you all.

The 55th FG Memorial will be officially unveiled on Saturday 03rd June at Nuthampstead, Herts.

The 398th Bomb Group Association and the 55th Fighter Group Association will have veterans and representatives in attendance. Its the first and probably the last time that both the ‘Big Friends’ and their ‘Little Friends’ will be standing side by side at the old airfield.

The stone has been erected on it’s foundations (see photos) and now it’s just fingers-crossed for good weather for the unveiling ceremony.

If you want to know more about the 38 names on the memorial, or anything to do with the 55th FG, then please take some time to visit the 55th website (http://www.55th.org), or alternatively the Nuthampstead Airfield Research Society website (http://www.station131.co.uk).

Russ

January 7, 2006 at 2:05 am in reply to: late war B17G's without chin turret #1347416

ShabbyAbbey
Participant

398th BG B-17G’s without chin turrets

Gnome,

Believe you were probably thinking of this photo reference from Roger Freeman’s ‘B-17 Fortress at War’. It’s a 398th B-17G on it’s 102nd mission. It is on page 86 of Roger’s book and also page 107 of Cliff Bishop’s book, ‘Fortresses over Nuthampstead’. Cliff’s book also has two other photos of 398th B-17G’s in formation (without chin turrets). These are on pages 139, 142 and 221.

If memory serves me right, Cliff mentioned that these weren’t so much ‘in the field mods.’, but were undertaken at 2 SAD.

Russ
http://www.station131.co.uk
http://www.55th.org

September 29, 2005 at 8:10 pm in reply to: Airfield Memorials. #1371648

ShabbyAbbey
Participant

Nuthampstead, Station 131

Here’s some photos of the 398th Bomb Group Memorial at Nuthampstead. The Sally B shot was taken at the unveiling.

My good friend Malcolm ‘Ozzie’ Osbourn designed and managed the installation back in 1982. He’s now helping my with my efforts to erect a memorial at Nuthampstead to the 55th Fighter Group….watch this space…

Russ
http://www.station131.co.uk
http://www.55th.org

May 22, 2005 at 11:45 pm in reply to: BBMF Lanc over Hunsdon #1382200

ShabbyAbbey
Participant

Congratulations to all involved. Glad the weather held out for you, well deserved bit of fortune to reward all your efforts.

More photos on the website http://hunsdonmemorial.tripod.com/id9.html

Russ

April 20, 2005 at 8:41 am in reply to: WW2 "piggy-back" pick-ups? #1346013

ShabbyAbbey
Participant

Here’s John Cunnick, a pilot with the 38th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group, sharing a flight with a Red Cross girl.

Also a photo of 343rd FS Pilots squeezing into a P-51D cockpit.

The 55th FG had an incident where Lt. Howes tried to pick up Lt. Liles near Prague, after Liles had been shot down. Unfortunately a small arms round hit the fuel pipe feed whilst they were accelerating across the field and the plane cartwheeled to the left, eventually flattening out. Both pilots became POWs. The full story on the 55th FG website… http://www.55th.org

Russ

April 7, 2005 at 2:12 pm in reply to: Alcohol-related WWII Nose Art #1366275

ShabbyAbbey
Participant

VAT69

Here’s a photo for you all. B-17G 42-107054 “VAT 69” with artist Leo Lorenzo who painted the nose art.

This B-17 was flown over to the UK by the Rice crew (600th BS, 398th BG), on the 22nd April 1944, but was then flown out of Nuthampstead to Langford Lodge on the 28th April 1944. It would appear it then resurfaced with the 385th BG, where a typo seems to have been made on microfilm records and it was recorded as 42-107034.

VAT 69 logged 100 missions with the 385th and a distillery in Scotland sent the crew a case of VAT 69 Scotch to mark the event. It survived the war and the 385th BG flew it back to the USA in June 1945.
(history detail from Cliff Bishop’s ‘Fortresses Over Nuthampstead’ and image from the Nuthampstead Airfield Research Society collection)

Russ

February 26, 2005 at 7:16 pm in reply to: Help req'd with Mossie Crash #1432668

ShabbyAbbey
Participant

Cheers Alan,

I’d better get on to Hendon and see if they’ve got a copy of the Air Ministry Form.

Thanks to all who have helped solve the mystery…appreciated.

Russ

http://www.station131.co.uk
http://www.55th.org

February 26, 2005 at 10:46 am in reply to: Help req'd with Mossie Crash #1433024

ShabbyAbbey
Participant

Cheers Errol and Jeff…very much appreciated. Almost there with this investigation.

Here’s a question to all….how do I go about getting a copy of this crash report? I have plenty of USAAF ones, but wouldn’t know where to begin in this country (UK).

also….how do I go about contacting a 487 Squadron association (if one exists?). I’m determined to have these guys’ remembered and commemorated at Station 131.

Russ
http://www.station131.co.uk
http://www.55th.org

February 24, 2005 at 11:10 pm in reply to: Help req'd with Mossie Crash #1434351

ShabbyAbbey
Participant

Cheers Jeff,

Have you got the pilots’ names? Be nice to honour the guys on the proposed memorial.

Russ

February 18, 2005 at 11:32 pm in reply to: Aviation Art #1355687

ShabbyAbbey
Participant

I recognise that P-38 painting Mr Leigh 🙂

Still to be framed, but found a spot for it on the newly decorated wall.

Keep up the good work.

November 17, 2004 at 12:00 am in reply to: Fuji S5000 static shots thread #1424717

ShabbyAbbey
Participant

OK…if you can’t beat them…Duxford 2004…watching BBMF Spits depart.

Titled ‘You looking at me?!’

September 25, 2004 at 1:23 am in reply to: Disney and Warner Bros Nose Art #1431370

ShabbyAbbey
Participant

Dave,

This was taken beneath the Tornado at Duxford…

Russ

September 22, 2004 at 1:54 am in reply to: Disney and Warner Bros Nose Art #1434685

ShabbyAbbey
Participant

Was sent this photo recently of a 55th Fighter Group P-38 (CY-Y), flown by Capt. Stanton. Liked it so much, I got a replica made up aswell!
Russ
http://www.station131.co.uk
http://www.55th.org

September 19, 2004 at 11:07 pm in reply to: Lancaster over Hunsdon and Sawbridgeworth Today #1436664

ShabbyAbbey
Participant

Lanc flew directly over my house….approx. five minutes after I finished moaning to my long suffering wife about the lack of historic planes that seem to follow the A10 corridor and the enormous amount of Helicopters that do!

Came over nice and low heading North and then banked very abruptly and turned West towards Baldock.

Thank you BBMF for the show.

August 29, 2004 at 4:44 pm in reply to: Anyone know of this Mustang? #1600908

ShabbyAbbey
Participant

Tom,

You have a convincing argument..however I believe the original suggestion of red for the stripe was the correct one, because:

1. On page 110 of ‘The Mighty Eighth Warpaint & Heraldry’ there is a comprehensive descirption of the 55th’s P-51 paint schemes for all the squadrons and has an accompanying photo showing red stripes on all the squadron airplanes.
2. On page 210 of ‘The Mighty Eighth – The Colour Record’ there is another photo of 338th P-51s with red stripe
3. Shuck’s comments regarding green band I believe refer to the border next to the checkboard nose markings and was introduced later than Aug 1944 to 338th FS P-51s
4. Most convincingly…I have spoken to 55th pilots and they remember it being a red stripe!

Therefore I believe Dan has got it spot on.

Do I get first prize as geek of the day…?

Russ
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