361st FG - 375th FS Photo Archive Page

	Lt. Eugene Cole squats on the wing of his P-47D “Baby Margene”, 42-75560, coded E2:G at Bottisham. He eventually claimed two aerial victories and one probable, plus another destroyed on the ground. Capt. Cole’s second tour ended when he was forced down near Koblenz on 14 March 1945 and taken prisoner. (Wright)
	Lt. Dean R. Morehouse of the 375^th was grateful for the P-47’s durability on 9 April 1944. That day, his flight spotted an unidentified P-47 defending a straggling B-24 from being attacked by three Fw190s. In a chase ranging from 5,000 feet to “the deck”, Morehouse broke up the attack and damaged one of the ‘190s, but in the process his P-47C 41-6528, E2:I collided with a tree! (Drew)
	With hangar space at a premium, the Thunderbolts’ R-2800 engines were serviced in the open. Lt. Cole’s crew-chief, S/Sgt. Martin B. Strickler (2^nd L) is shown with Lt. Russell J. Sobieski’s P-47D, crew-chief S/Sgt. Joe H. Yokley, assistant S/Sgt. Philip R. Geiger, armourer Cpl. Merle R. Shetter and radio man Sgt. Joe Aguiar. (Walther)
	Capt. John W. Guckeyson’s P-47D “Contrary Mary” rests on PSP at Bottisham. E2:W was maintained by crew-chief S/Sgt. Alvin H. Walther, assistant Sgt. Phillip G. Weidenhof, armourer Cpl. Oscar B. Pauley and radio man Cpl. Stephen F. McKinney, and was replaced by P-51C 42-103349, in which their pilot was eventually lost. (Walther)
	Capt. John W. Guckeyson poses with some of the firepower of his P-47D “Contrary Mary” and his crew-chief, S/Sgt. Alvin H. Walther. Capt. Guckeyson was credited with a single aerial victory, 3.8 enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground plus two more damaged, but was killed in action while strafing on 21 May 1944. (USAF)
	375^th FS Operations Officer, Capt. Charles R. Cummins shows off the artwork on his P-47D “Geraldine”, maintained by S/Sgt. Charles A. Barvels and his crew. Maj. Cummins finished his tour with two Me109s destroyed in the air, the first near Lisieux on 25 June 1944 and the second on 12 September 1944, over Magdeburg. (Drew)
	Sgt. Arthur R. Minor (right) was responsible for much of the Squadron’s nose-art. Capt. Dayton C. Casto’s “West by God Virginia” was one of his many creations and was crewed by S/Sgt. Fred L. Seavey, (left) crew-chief, Pvt. Charles R. Betts, assistant, Cpl. Floyd E. Stinemetz, armourer and Sgt. Frank Pukoszek, radio man. (Casto)
	Capt. William J. Shackelford was a formidable strafer in the 375^th. On the way back from Magdeburg on 5 August 1944, he single-handedly attacked Ahlhorn airdrome and, in one pass, destroyed a Do217, blasted the control tower and damaged two Me163s. His personal P-51B was “Queen Jean”, 42-106875, coded E2:D. (Smith)
	P-47D “Shiverless”, 42-75214, coded E2:W, the personal mount of Lt. Stanley D. Rames, awaits the next mission at Bottisham. Behind it, his replacement P-51B, 42-106792, stands ready for the changeover. However, its engine would fail on 24 May 1944 near Berlin, resulting in Lt. Rames being taken prisoner. (Rames)
	Lt. Leroy H. Sypher poses with his P-47D “P for Pearl”. While flying P-51B 42-106631 on 8 May 1944, Lt. Sypher claimed an Me109 destroyed plus another damaged, but abandoned his plane to flak on 9 July 1944. Eventually, he was sent to Buchenwald but, fortunately, was later transferred to Stalag Luft III by the Luftwaffe. (USAF)
	The Group’s first Fighter Ace, 375^th CO Maj. George L. Merritt, Jr. definitely flew too low while strafing German airdromes on 29 May 1944! Even so, two He111s destroyed increased his ground score to six, which brought his total score to eleven victories. However, only nine days later, he was killed while strafing over France. (Casto)
	The airdrome officer signals clearance for take-off for Maj. Dayton C. Casto’s P-51B “West by God Virginia”, 42-106796, coded E2:E, at Bottisham, shortly after D-Day. This aircraft was shot down by flak during an airfield strafing mission on 13 September 1944, but the pilot, Lt. Edward J. Marevka baled out safely. (Casto)
	P-51B “Jacqueline”, 43-24761, coded E2:I, the personal mount of Lt. Dean R.Morehouse stands ready for action at Bottisham. Crewed by S/Sgt. J.R. Harris, crew-chief, Sgt. W.J. Bauer, assistant, Sgt. F.R. Eustache, armourer and Cpl. T.P. Morris, radio man, this P-51 was lost on 26 August 1944, along with Lt. Sherman Armsby. (Walther)
	The Group’s original CO, Col. Thomas J.J. Christian, Jr. flies his P-51D “Lou IV”/“Athelene” over Cambridgeshire in July 1944. Although he claimed no aerial victories, ‘410 accounted for two enemy fighters with other pilots. Col. Christian was killed in this Mustang while dive-bombing Arras marshalling yards on 12 August 1944. (USAF)
	Lt. Robert C. Wright prepares for another mission in his personal P-51B “Toby”, 42-106631, coded E2:K, with his ground crew. Capt. Wright finished his tour with 3.5 aerial victories, plus four on the ground. In one mission, he strafed and destroyed two Ju52s, one He111 and a Ju88 on 29 May 1944. (Wright)
	Seated in his P-51D “Detroit Miss”, 44-14164, coded E2:D, 375^th Ace Lt. Urban L. Drew signifies the pair of Me262s he destroyed over Achmer on 7 October 1944. As ever, he receives critical acclaim from Lt. Bill Kemp. Even so, Lt. Drew finished his tour with six aerial victories plus one on the ground. (Dennehy)
	Another 375^th Ace, Lt. William T. Kemp poses with his P-51D “Betty Lee II”, 44-14270, coded E2:X, at Little Walden. Lt. Kemp’s six aerial victories included three Me109s destroyed near Magdeburg on 12 September 1944. Piloted by Lt. Joseph B. Wolfe, ‘270 was salvaged after a take-off crash on 26 October 1944. (Drew)
	Flying P-51B 42-106588, E2:Y, Lt. Sherman Armsby destroyed three enemy fighters during the Kothen mission of 20 July 1944. Diving on an Me109 which had just shot down a B-17, his first victim baled out when he flew within 25 yards of him and after exhausting all his ammunition on the second one, he slid over another ‘109 forcing it to crash into a railway embankment.(Fielding)
	375^th Squadron P-51Ds prepare for another mission at Station 181-B, Chievres, Belgium in March 1945. Lt. Charles R. Willis’ “Vicky Belle”, 44-13579, E2:T lines up at left with Lt. Howard A. Euler’s “Regina”, 44-15725, E2:U at right and Capt. Anthony Maurice’s “Tony”, 44-15038, E2:M taxying into position. E2:M was eventually lost in a training accident on 23 July 1945. (Wood)
	P-51D “Miss Margie” sits at dispersal at Little Walden in April 1945, 44-72526 was the last of four P-51’s assigned to former 78^th FG pilot Maj. Charles N. Keppler, who joined the 375^th as a 1/Lt. In February 1944. With three aerial victories credited, one with the 78^th, he later commanded the Squadron. (Hill)