Downed P-47 photo

[captaxe]

This came with a batch of ETO medic photos I recently picked up. Clearly a downed P-47, I believe, based on the 4K fuelage marking, (and the limited internet research I have been able to conduct), that it is from the 506th Fighter Squadron of the 404th Fighter Group, 9th Air Force. The plane is named twice; nose art depicting "The Eager Virgin" and "Betty----" (Jane??) painted under the cockpit.

 

Any help further identifying this aircraft and the fate of its pilot would be greatly appreciated!

 

 

 

[brandon_rss18]

That is an awesome pic!!!! If you ever want to part with it let me know! I would be willing to bet though that it says "Betty Joe". Looks like the guy is only blocking one letter. Good luck on your search.

[Jack's Son]

I've checked around the 9th AF and can't find the 404th FG, or the 506th FS.

Here is a link you can check through. If has a lot of places to look.

 

Good luck,

JS

 

http://www.armyaircorpsmuseum.org/404th_Fighter_Group.cfm

[Cobrahistorian]

Awesome photo!

 

You're correct, it is a 506th FS bird. There are a few sites out there with info on the 506th FS. This one has a nice profile shot of a P-47D-25 (bubbletop) with a name done in similar style to yours: http://www.winkton.net/pages/p47swinkton.htm

 

There's a partial listing of 506th birds there, but the 4K*D listed is for a P-47D-5-RE, which is definitely not your bird. It has the last record of that particular bird as being withdrawn on 13 May 44. http://www.winkton.net/pages/506th%20airframes.htm

 

This page will probably help more, as it has photos of 404th birds after their move to the continent.

http://www.winkton.net/pages/p47s%20after%20winkton%20.htm

 

Wish we could see a full tail number, but we know that it is a P-47D-30-RA coded 4K*D and the tail number is 44-330?? The 404th FG lost P-47D-30-RA 44-33128 on 15 March 1945, but I think that tail number is definitely a 330, not 331.

 

Great stuff! Always looking to see more 9th AF P-47 photos!

 

Jon

[captaxe]

Jon and all-

 

Thanks for the information!

 

Greg

[Cobrahistorian]

Greg,

 

I just looked through all of the MACRs with tail numbers in the 44-330xx block. Nothing for the 404th FG, 506th FS. That could mean one of two things; either there was no MACR generated or the footnote.com database doesn't have that particular MACR. My thoughts are the former. It looks like the pilot made it back to friendly territory before belly landing his bird, so there wouldn't have been a MACR generated.

 

Gotta love puzzles like this!

 

Jon

[captaxe]

Jon and all-

 

I corresponded via e-mail with the British-based webmaster of the 404th FG website-- here is what he told me:

 

 

I'm pretty sure its 4K-D serial 433011.

 

These late model P-47s didn't arrive on the Squadron 'til the early spring of 1945 and this one disappears off the record in mid April 1945. It doesn't appear on the accident data base so I assume its combat damage that caused the crash. By the look of the plane I'd guess the pilot got away with it provided he wasn't already wounded, the P-47 had a reinforced belly like a modern crumple zone in a car and providing they tightened their straps too that saved a lot of guys on forced landings.

 

I can't find any suggestion that one pilot "owned" it, a common situation in the late war period. D seems to have been a pool aircraft with at least a dozen pilots logged as flying it and only a couple flying it more than once.

 

I don't see many (if any) mission markings on it either. The name is painted by the usual 506 artist but the nose art is quite distinctive and not his style at all. Its quite possible the ground crew chose the nose art and name and even painted the nose art.

[Cobrahistorian]

Awesome Greg!

 

Glad that you were able to find the full tail number. I kinda figured that this pic was taken in the Spring of 45. Judging by the way the soldiers in the shot are dressed, it was fairly warm out that day. A P-47D-30-RA wouldn't have been on the continent in the Summer of 44, so April 1945 would make sense.

 

Jon

[captaxe]

. . .and, with the help of the webmaster of the 404th site, it appears we have closed the loop:

 

On 17th April 1945 following a ground attack mission the plane belly landed at R-19 Nordhause. The pilot, Lt Cobb was fine.

 

Lt Cobb is one of the two pilots who flew it more than once, the other is Lt Pelto. The two sets of artwork may mean they shared the aircraft, a not uncommon occurrence in the 404th.

 

Their details are

 

Lt. Kenneth K. Cobb, 79 missions with the 506th, awarded the DFC, Air Medal and 10 Oak Leaf Clusters. Cobb was from Beaumont, Texas, credited on 4 Oct. 44 with a FW-190 (but not in this P-47). Cobb survived the war.

 

Lt. Jorma A. Pelto flew 50 missions with the 506th and was awarded the DFC, Air Medal and 4 Oak Leaf Clusters. Cobb was from Virginia, Minn and also survived the war.

 

Thanks Jon and all.

[Johnny Signor]

probably not any help now but the name near the cockpit appears top be Betty Lue.

[tjms50]

_{The last flight of 44-33011 was April 17,1945, flown by 1st. Lt. Arthur W. Brock. The next time 4K-D flew, it was a new plane/44-33825, also flown by flight leader Brock. Brock ended the war with 86 missions, a DFC & an air medal with 12 oak leaf clusters. Based on his mission count & air medals, he probably joined the group in August or early September,'44. He probably had his own plane at the time of the picture but very well may have shared it with another pilot.}