Need help finding some Pics!

Hey everyone! I was wondering if any of you could maybe help me find some photos or sites of the 40th FS/ 35th FG/ 5TH Airforce? I Have tried to find some good photos of the markings of this group of fighters, but have been unsuccessful. I was hoping to maybe find out as close as possible what my grandfathers fighter/s would have looked like. He was a pilot in this group from early '42 to late '43 when he was in a bad plane crash, and was severely burned and was sent home to the states. He started out in P-39's and moved to P-47's. Is there anyway to find out what numbers and letters may have been on his aircraft? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanx in advance!

35th Fighter (Pursuit) Group, USAAF
Jester 63, this is all I could find so far but I have a feeling you already have this site. Sorry.

sorry this is so poor but it was very small and I tried blowing it up some for a better view

I think you are looking for 40th Fighter (pursuit)Sqn, 35th FG ,5th AF SouthWest Pacific , you won't find them in the 8th AF, I found P-38, P-39 and P-47 pictures on Google, they were a very active group in New Guinea so you shouldn't have much trouble finding photos.

Ah, yes you are correct! I have been seeing alot of 8th air force on here, so I think I just spaced. Anyways, thank you. I was able to find some pics of my grandfathers squadron, and found out what his plane would have looked like. This will be very helpful when I go to build his P-39 and P-47. Thanks again!

Any chance anyone would know what bomber Groups they would have escorted? I know my Grandfather helped escort B-24 Liberators. I just don't know what bomber group it would have been, or what they looked like. I would like to see some pics of the bomber group that he would have escorted for a future model build diorama of mine. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

Off the top of my head the 43rd and 90th BG's were equipped with B-24's in New Guinea at this time. Possibly the 22nd (I'm not sure when they re armed with Liberators). For interests sake, the 35th also escorted RAAF Vengeance strikes on a couple of occasions.

Early 43:
3 rd Bomb Grp(A)- B-25 A-20
22nd Bomb Grp(M)- B-26
38th bomb Grp(M)- B-25
43rd Bomb Grp(H)- B17
90th Bomb Grp(H)- B-24

Mid 43:
3rd Bomb Grp(A)-B-25 A-20
22nd Bomb Grp(M)- B-26 B-25 transitioning to B-25
38th Bomb Grp (M)-B-25
345 Bomb Grp(A)- B-25
43rd Bomb Grp(H)- B-17 B-24 transitioning to B-24
90th bomb Grp(H)- B-24

Late 43:
3rd Bomb Grp(A)- B-25 (ranout of A-20's)
22nd Bomb Grp(M)- B-25
38th Bomb Grp(M)- B-25
345 Bomb Grp(A)- B-25
43rd Bomb Grp(H)- B-24
90th Bomb Grp(H)- B-24

Early 44:
3rd bomb Grp(A)- A-20 (changed back to all A-20)
312th Bomb Grp(A)- A-20
38 th Bomb Grp(M)- B-25
345 Bomb Grp(A)- B-25
22 nd Bomb Grp(H)- B-24(now B-24)
43rd Bomb Grp(H)- B-24
90th Bomb grp(H)- B-24

417th Bomb Grp(A) -A-20 not yet operational

B-26, B-17 and P-39 gone by Feb/Mar 44

that should cover the time span your Grandfather was in New Guinea

35th Fighter Group - USAAF
WINGS PALETTE - Bell P-39 Airacobra - USA (see bottom image and click on it)

not sure if these will help

35th Fighter Group - USAAF
WINGS PALETTE - Bell P-39 Airacobra - USA (see bottom image and click on it)

not sure if these will help

The Osprey Aircraft of the Aces #36 P-39 Airacobra Aces of WW2 and #26 Mustang and Thunderbolt Aces of the Pacific and CBI have photos and colour plates of 40th FS 35th FG , P-39's and P-47's in them may be a good start point.

jester63 said:

Hey everyone! I was wondering if any of you could maybe help me find some photos or sites of the 40th FS/ 35th FG/ 8TH Airforce? I Have tried to find some good photos of the markings of this group of fighters, but have been unsuccessful. I was hoping to maybe find out as close as possible what my grandfathers fighter/s would have looked like. He was a pilot in this group from early '42 to late '43 when he was in a bad plane crash, and was severely burned and was sent home to the states. He started out in P-39's and moved to P-47's. Is there anyway to find out what numbers and letters may have been on his aircraft? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanx in advance!

Click to expand...

I could find obscure reference to red tip and spinner with fuselage Yellow "I" abehind the star, with a nine on the ammo cover door up front. So, "I" appears to be early squadron code (later possibly "KI") and "9" was ship designator for some pilot - unknown.

The 40FS/35th FG was 5th AF - not 8th

Thanks everyone for your help! I believe it is safe to say that he had to have escorted the 90th Bomb Group since it was the only group of B-24's until late 43. I would think anyway. The only problem now is which squadron. There was the 319th, 320th, 321st, and the 400th. I found that they all arrived and later departed from Iron Range Airbase in North Queensland on the following dates:


319th Bomb Squadron 13 Nov 42 2 Feb 43
320th Bomb Squadron 13 Nov 42 21 Jan 43
321st Bomb Squadron 19 Nov 42 10 Feb 43
400th Bomb Squadron 13 Nov 42 abt 22 Mar 43

Is it possible that they could have escorted any one of those Squadrons? I am not sure how that all worked. Was a fighter squadron assigned to escort a specific Bomber squadron, or did they just escort what ever unit needed it? Is there any sites or anything that may tell what fighter squadron escorted what bomber squadron??? I have looked up several sites on both the bomber Squadron, and the fighter squadron, and neither one said anything about who they escorted or who escorted them.

I am planning a diorama build of both the bombers and fighters. I have 1/700 scale aircraft of both. So I really hope that you all can help me figure out which bomber squadron they may have escorted. Each Bomber Squadron had a different color on the tail of the aircraft. So I am really hoping to find out which Bomber Squadron, so that I can be as accurate as possible! Thanks for any help you can provide!

@ DRgondog- Yea I spaced when I wrote the 8th Air force. I just had forgotten to change it in my post! Thanks.