P-51D Mustang 357 FG. Post War "The Count" in COLOR!

[jgreiner]

Found this link posted on another forum and thought I'd share it here. Being a bit of a 357FG "junkie", this is GOOD stuff!

Unfortunately, this looks to be the only one that's been posted.

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Original link/image here: Photos: North American P-51D Mustang Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

Enjoy!
John

 

[bobbysocks]

nice pic! its hard to find good color photos of the 357. if you are a yoxford boy junkie then you need to check out this site....

myfamily.com • theyoxfordboys

a fair amount of the boys are still kicking about.....

and btw i posted this pic there..... thanks

 

[Wildcat]

Great pic!

 

[Gnomey]

Excellent shot!

 

[bobbysocks]

one of the guys on the 357th site commented on the pic and give some more info...

nearest a/c is 44-14977 B6-Y "The Count" of 363rd FS (red rudder colors);

all other a/c are of 364th FS (yellow rudder colors):

the one behind the tail is 44-72927 C5-F "Canton Can" of 1/Lt. Vincent V. Zettler (O-721573)
the one at left of the spinner is 44-11678 C5-Q "Bobby Jeanne" [port] / "Ah Fung Goo" [stbd] of Lt. Col. Irwin Hendrick Dregne
behind C5-Q at left is 44-15660 C5-A "Swamp Fox" of 1/Lt. William W. Foard
at far right, only tail visible, is 44-73219 C5-T "Mormon Mustang" of 1/Lt. Roland R. Wright

then joe shea who was the hanger manager for the field added...

From the picture of the flagman and the number of aircraft lined up for take off this was either a full blown mission before the war ended or one of the very few mass efforts after the war. The only 3 mass efforts I remember was the 8th Air Force pass in review over London where we amassed thousands of bombers and fighters and flew in a steady stream over London or possible the mission where we flew a sight seeing tour over Germany. Lastly it might have been the day we all took off and flew to Nieubiberg Germany for occupation duty.

 

[Erich]

most likely Bobbys at Neubiberg the 357th fg occupied the once German LW night fighter/day fighter A/F

nice pic the colours are rich. needless to say there really isn't anything good in colour of US 8th or 15th fighters

 

[ppopsie]

Thanks!

 

[bobbysocks]

i dont know erich. that doesnt look like neubiburg. that pretty much looks like leiston from all the pics i have seen...so i am pretty much inclined to i go with joe's assessment...since he was there in all. the pic and stories of neubiburg just dont match that visual. color pics from that time and from any FG are jems.

 

[Airframes]

I agree there dale, definitely looks like Leiston, Suffolk, UK. Note the deciduous trees in the background are in leaf, so probably spring or very early summer, 1945.And they're carrying 108 gal steel drop tanks, so going on a long trip I would think.

 

[Wayne Little]

Fantastic pic!

 

[jgreiner]

I'd have to say I think it looks more like Leiston than Neubiberg, simply from seeing pictures and watching video footage of Leiston. Although, it really doesn't matter! Could have been taken on Mars for all I care!
Bobbysocks, thanks for the identification of the other a/c!

John

 

[bobbysocks]

dont thank me it was all Martin Kyburz who has the swiss mustangs site.

Swiss Mustangs

it has some great pics and history....some ponies i never heard of or seen before! i was going to try to ID some of the planes but he beat me to it ( and probably did a better job than i could have )

but more history on the photo william foard gave his take on the pic:

Looking back in my ol' log book-- I think this could be assemble for take off on my last mission April 21 1945. The target was an airfield east of Munich. The weather was (so called) P. poor. Half the sqdn. aborted and
I flew just about everybody's wing. My flight time was 5hrs. 25min.
Cheers, Will Foard (Swamp Fox) C5-A

 

[bobbysocks]

jgreiner found another one. a 357th pony in color. sorry for stealing your thunder john....

??? a newer version of arval roberson's passion wagon??

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Another cool shot!!! Thanks for sharing Bobbysocks!

 

[Gnomey]

Yep, nice shot.

 

[Wayne Little]

Great shot!!!

 

[Airframes]

Beaut shot !

 

[jgreiner]

Dale, no apology needed for stealing my thunder!! This pic. is Chuck Weaver's a/c. See here: 8th Air Force Fighter Group - Littlefriends.co.uk Interesting that this a/c was evidently soon sold to Switzerland and Weaver was assigned this not so new Mustang that was a transfer from the 78th FG. See here: http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/gall...&origStyle=list&Item=9&Temp=415&searchString=

Best.....
John

 

[bobbysocks]

Jim Anderson, Bud's son got ahold of some pics Atlee Manthos took, The color shot of the passion wagon is extremely crisp and ought to give model makers some good references.

 

[Airframes]

Fantastic shots, thanks.