Guestbook Entry (msg id: 836)
My father was 1st. Lt. Frank M. Gaertner who served in active duty from 8 February, 1944 to 19 December, 1945. He was in the 48th Fighter Group, 494th Fighter Squadron, 9th Air Force based in france, Germany and Belgium. Flew 68 combat missions of tactical infantry support - rated asst. flight commander of 8 pilots. Also checked out in P-40 fighters. Had 604 military flying hours. His commander was Vic Cabas who I believe is living out in California. Campaigns were in Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes, Central Europe. His Commander was Vic Cabas who I think is living in california. If anyone has any information about this particular unit - I would love to hear from you. A proud son - Chris Gaertner
Posted By: Chris J. Gaertner
()
on 01/09/2000 8:56:02 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 835)
My father, David Eldridge, referred me to this site tonight when I had some questions about fighter pilots returning from the war. I can’t begin to express how very pleased that this site is here and so very proud to be the daughter of such a wonderful man and pilot.
Posted By: Patricia Eldridge Ammon
(PattyAmmon@netscape.com)
on 01/09/2000 8:20:56 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 834)
I am among the many who have never flown a P-47. I have never seen one fly or sit on the ground. However, I have a poster of a P-47 squadren peeling off. It is circa 1943, and was presented to my father who was a final adjustment mechanic at Republic Aviation (Chester, PA ?). It is signed by all of those who worked the assembly line at the plant. This poster needs to be preserved. Although I am not willing to part with it just yet, I am researching as to where would be its best final display be located. Any ideas would be appreciated. Bob Haynes
Posted By: Bob Haynes
(haynera@louisville.stortek.com)
on 01/08/2000 6:40:42 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 833)
On monday May 31st 1943,1Lt. Pat M. Williams 56F.G./63F.S. crashed his P47-D2, UN-I, 27946, near a farm here in Moorsele. According to the official documents ’His plane turned into a steep dive near Courtrai and was seen still in dive at 10.000 ft when he entered the clouds. All indications point to oxygen failure.’ I try to make an in depth study of this incident. Could it be that any of the veterans of the 56F.G. amongst the readers of this very interesting site knew and/or flew with Lt. P. Williams. He was born in Harrogate/Tennesee and is now burried at the Epinal Military Cemetery/France Bloc B, row 17, grave 31. It would be a great honour for me to be contacted by these former members of the 56 F.G.
Posted By: Lothair Vanoverbeke
(Lothair.Vanoverbeke@compaqnet.be)
on 01/08/2000 12:48:36 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 832)
Suggest you all check out Quentin Aanenson’s ’A FIGHTER PILOT’S STORY’ website at http://pages.prodigy.com/fighterpilot, and click on the sub-sites as well as the main page. You’ll like it!!
Posted By: Bob Richards
(bobr@wilmington.net)
on 01/08/2000 11:55:22 AM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 831)
First I wanted to wish all of you a happy year 2000. I am living in Belgium and since more than 30 years I am very interested in the pilots of the 8th Air Force during WWII, the guys that helped liberated our country. Since a few months I try to make some contacts with pilots that make encounters with the Me 163’Komet’ in 1944 or in 1945. If you are some of those pilots that fight such planes during the last war, please contact me. Thank you.
Posted By: Bart Vandamme
(bvandamme@bgda.be)
on 01/07/2000 1:53:22 AM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 830)
I am too young to have ever flown the JUG,but I fell in love with her while reading Bob Johnson’s book while I was in high school. Since that time I have read,built models and idolized the men who flew her. I count myself fortunate to have seen one of the remaing jugs fly. I stood next to her and had a chance to stand in the prop wash and smell the av gas and oil. She is quite a plane. I would love to communicate with any of her piolts as I am an amateur historian and avid reader of almost anything to do with WWII. Thanks for this site. I echo the thoughts of a Marine General as he surveyed the carrange of Tarawa,’Where do we find such men.’ Thank you all for your courage and sacrifice.
Posted By: Roy Cantrall
(p47lucky@aol.com)
on 01/06/2000 3:44:37 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 829)
Correction to my Jan. 5th Query. The P-47 pilot name is Joseph W. Icard, not Robert W. Too many irons in the fire. Thanks for your help.
Posted By: Tom Kracker
(tdk@ellijay.com)
on 01/06/2000 8:47:58 AM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 828)
I’m a long time memeber of the association having flown the Jug with the 84th F.S. 78th F.G. from9/15/44 to 2/21/45 on which date I was shot down by a train. Never strafe trains in a P-51. I believe we were the very last group to give up the Jug in favor of the P-51. I always suspected it was done because the ’51 cost half as much. I landed in Stalag IIIA in Germany, made the forced march from Nurenburg to Mooseberg and would love to hear from anyone in the 78th or Stalag IIIA. Thanks guys for this wonderful site.
Posted By: Burt Newmark
(wzkbar@att.net)
on 01/05/2000 11:39:53 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 827)
I’m a long time memeber of the association having flown the Jug with the 84th F.S. 78th F.G. from9/15/44 to 2/21/45 on which date I was shot down by a train. Never strafe trains in a P-51. I believe we were the very last group to give up the Jug in favor of the P-51. I always suspected it was done because the ’51 cost half as much. I landed in Stalag IIA in Germany, made the forced march from Nurenburg to Mooseberg and would love to hear from anyone in the 78th or Stalag IIA. Thanks guys for this wonderful site.
Posted By: Burt Newmark
(wzkbar@att.net)
on 01/05/2000 11:38:37 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 826)
Great new site (for me)! I am researching an 8 Feb 1944 dogfight where Lt Robt W. Icard is believed to have downed Fw Richard Guthmann in Polleur, Be.. Icard w/56FG, 62FS. Un-fortunately, Lt. Icard was KIA one month later. Any of his wingmen out there(?) or any historians who can add ’anything’ to this event? sincerely appreciated!
Posted By: Tom Kracker
(tdk@ellijay.com)
on 01/05/2000 4:21:45 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 825)
I had to look up the P-47 Thunderbolt for a school project. I found it interesting that women of the time had flown this airplane.
Posted By: Nathan Puepke
()
on 01/04/2000 2:13:45 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 824)
Great site. Life member. 53rd Sq 36th FG. Flew 51’s and 80’s in Korea. Came back to US and was assigned to 133rd ANG sq. flying P47’s!!!!! Should have had them in Korea.
Posted By: Bill Tubbs
(willreid@aol.com)
on 01/04/2000 12:23:30 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 823)
My grandfather flew P-38J’s and -51D’s with the 384th FS/364th FG in England and my uncle-in-law flew P-47’s and -40’s with the 90th FS/80th FG in the CBI. As a avid student of military and aviation history it is great to see this site and read all the posts by those who flew the ’Jug’. Many thanks to all of you, Jim Heard
Posted By: Jim Heard
(jheard@slipnet.com)
on 01/04/2000 4:29:47 AM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 822)
Class 42E St. Louis, Randolph, Kelley. Proving ground command we put the first rockets on the P47 they were in pipes hung under the wings and were just as likely to come back at you when you fired them. There are not too many of 42E left. Have not run any of the old proving ground group.
Posted By: EDWARD DEGROFF
(edegroff@aol.com)
on 01/03/2000 3:22:58 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 821)
I have been assisting the Historian of 364th Fighter Gp Assoc (383rd, 384th, 385th Sqdns P-51s) and families of pilots lost over Germany WW-II in acquiring local(German) info from eye-witnesses etc. If there is a similar need within the P-47 Thunderbolt family, contact me. Served w. German 88s nr Minden, Westfalia 1944-45. Due to military background and German schooling, able to translate and correspond in German as needed. Contact via E-Mail. Good luck to you guys. I saw you buzzing around overhead at times as escorts as well as other missions.
Posted By: Walter K. Schroder
(WKSchroder@aol.com)
on 01/02/2000 10:30:17 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 820)
Hello I am looking for people who were based at St-Trond Airfield A92 the 1st of January 1945 and able to testimonies what happened that day on the airfield and who remember something about a Fw-190 A8 WNr-681497 White 11 (Name of the pilot? )presumed land on the airfield and further use by a US fighter group (404FG) for test. By advance thank you and have a nice millennium Phil dufrasne.philippe@skynet.be
Posted By: Philippe Dufrasne
(philippe.dufrasne@skynet.be)
on 12/30/1999 10:29:21 AM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 819)
Hello I am looking for someone who was based at St-Trond Airfield the 1st of January 1945 and able to testimonies what happened that day on the airfield and who remember something about a Fw-190 presumed land on the airfield and further use by a US fighter group for test. By advance thank you and have a nice millennium Phil
Posted By: Philippe Dufrasne
(philippe.dufrasne@skynet.be)
on 12/29/1999 7:25:04 AM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 818)
Greetings all and this note is sent hoping all of you are well and looking forward to the new century. Thanks to the P-47 crews for allowing us to survive the last one... I posted here once about a year ago and got some really nice feedback. My dad (Jack) flew with the 336FS, 4FG and carried a business card with him which said... Jack L. Raphael (has been fighter pilot) ’better a has been than a never was’ I just wanted to pass on a little story I read recently... Several years back a British Airways 747 landed at Frankfurt, GE on a busy holiday evening. As the a/c turned to taxi he made his contact with ground control who told him to proceed to gate 12. The 747 was still sitting after 30 seconds and the German ground controller came on quite abruptly and asked the 747 what the problem was. The British pilot replied that he was looking on his chart for gate 12. The German replied with a real attitude now.... ’Haven’t you ever flown into Frankfurt before??’ The British pilot responded (very cool) ’Yes, in 1944, but I didn’t land. God Bless all of you. and to Bob Nelson - you are my favorite! Dave Raphael, CMSgt, USAF sends
Posted By: Dave Raphael
(mraphael@mindspring.com)
on 12/28/1999 6:24:31 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 817)
I was a pilot with the 390th Fighter Squaron 366th Fighter Group. I ended the war as the leading P-47 Ace in the 9th Air Force. I am now doing documentaries and writing books. This leads me into many research areas if I can help you let me know. Watch for our documentary ’Shooting War’ on ABC. Great job on putting this site together.
Posted By: Melvyn R. Paisley
(mvpaisley@erols.com)
on 12/28/1999 5:38:18 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 816)
Received your mailing. The miracle of modern technology will help members in their seach for information. thanks for all your effort. I flew with the 314th Sq , 324th Gr. May of ’44 thro Jan of ’45.
Posted By: Stan Hart
(stanwh@aol.com)
on 12/28/1999 5:25:05 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 815)
Received your mailing. The miracle of modern technolohy will help members in thier seach for information. thaks for all your effort
Posted By: Stan Hart
(stanwh@aol.com)
on 12/28/1999 5:14:47 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 814)
The Jug like no other aircraft made, always brought me back home safely ... although sometimes slightly bent, and with a few holes, or cylinders missing, it never failed to make homeplate. Republic Aircraft and those people who made up the assembly line created the best, which no one can question, they put a little of themselves into each Thunderbolt that came off the line. Bless them each and everyone. As such, I became the world’s second greatest fighter pilot ... we all know who the first was!!! This is Big Ed ... over and out.
Posted By: Col Ed Kenny
(ekenny@luna.moonstar.com)
on 12/28/1999 2:47:16 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 813)
I restored an flew a P-47N for several years and retired as Commander of the 156th TFG, P.R. Air National Guard. I have been a Life Member of the Association for over 25 years and enjoy receiving its various publications.
Posted By: Gabriel I. Peñagarícano
(guigo34@hotmail.com)
on 12/28/1999 9:49:10 AM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 812)
I flew in the 318th FG 73rd Sq. from Ie Shima. Was also in the 507th GP and the 413th Gp on Okinawa.
Posted By: edward p poole
(epp30390@ameritech.net)
on 12/27/1999 12:10:20 PM EST
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