# 1944 color "home movies" from the 357th FG in Leiston



## bobbysocks (Feb 23, 2014)

i have several B&W clips but just ran into that has some color footage ( mostly 363rd Sq ) and it is one of the clearest. has some decent shots of mustangs taking off and returning from missions...and a not too graceful landing by one...


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAAORrL0ssI_


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## Glider (Feb 23, 2014)

Nice film. I guess the SPit was a visitor as he spent some time going over it.


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## Crimea_River (Feb 23, 2014)

And it had some odd ID stripes as they looked quite narrow.


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## fubar57 (Feb 23, 2014)

A Mk.VII from 616Sqn. I like the overspray on the spinner at the beginning of the video.

Geo


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## HBPencil (Feb 25, 2014)

Nice film, thanks for posting it.
Some details about that Spit: It was flown in by F/L Jack Cleland, RNZAF, for a visit to the 363rd FS on 23 September 1944. From early July till early September Cleland had been seconded to the 363rd and had flown as wingman to the author of the film during the Frantic V shuttle mission.

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## Gnomey (Feb 25, 2014)

Nice film! Thanks for sharing.


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## bobbysocks (Feb 26, 2014)

HBPencil said:


> Nice film, thanks for posting it.
> Some details about that Spit: It was flown in by F/L Jack Cleland, RNZAF, for a visit to the 363rd FS on 23 September 1944. From early July till early September Cleland had been seconded to the 363rd and had flown as wingman to the author of the film during the Frantic V shuttle mission.



now that makes a lot of sense then...as you are right Cleland was attached to the 357th for awhile. one account i read the author told of his experience. he had a wealth of flight time but the longest duration of his sorties was relatively short. shortly after getting attached to the 357th they took off on the Frantic mission an almost 7 hour flight. he flew P-51D 44-13573 B6*V ( some say it was *B ) Isabel III.

Jack Cleland


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## HBPencil (Feb 27, 2014)

bobbysocks said:


> now that makes a lot of sense then...as you are right Cleland was attached to the 357th for awhile. one account i read the author told of his experience. he had a wealth of flight time but the longest duration of his sorties was relatively short. shortly after getting attached to the 357th they took off on the Frantic mission an almost 7 hour flight. he flew P-51D 44-13573 B6*V ( some say it was *B ) Isabel III.



Yep, Cleland did have a lot of hours under his belt at the time he joined the 357th, rather ironically all the action being at low level (seeing as he was flying the HF.VII) were he got his two kills and shot up a lot of road and rail transport.
His Mustang, a P-51D-5 without the fin fillet, was coded B6*B untill after Frantic V when it was recoded B6*V and he put the Isabel III name on it.


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