Highlights - March, 2001 Issue
" The Checkerboard " is the official Newsletter of the " Duxford 78th Fighter Group Association - WW II ". All correspondence relating to the Newsletter and it's contents should be directed to the editor Chuck Behrens. The Association and editor reserve the right not to publish materials considered derogatory or offensive. This Newsletter and it's contents by copyright should not be reproduced in any form without the expressed written permission of the " Duxford 78th Fighter Group Association- WW II ".
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" Reunion 2001 Planned "
FROM THE PRESIDENT
" The news everyone is waiting to hear, where will the 2001 reunion be held? Here is the answer. The committee of officers has decided to hold the 78th Fighter Group Association 2001 Reunion at the Sands Ocean Club in Myrtle Beach, SC in the latter part of September.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. ( Picture Source: Virgil Graham collection )
The definite date and the final details have not been completed. They will be published in the next "Checkerboard" newsletter. Let us all hope for good weather and that all the regulars and lots of new ones decide to attend. Last year's reunion was wonderful, thanks to the Knowltons. Let's all attend again and keep up our wonderful friendships. Time is slipping by. How many more will we be able to attend? Many, I hope. I hope this meets with everyone's approval. Looking forward to seeing you all in September. "
Don Silveus , President
Chuck Behrens, Editor
ANDY 'S DUXFORD " BITS "
Andrew Height has provided some interesting news " bits " from Duxford. In the future, this will be maintained as a regular feature on the web site.
A Thunderbolt restored by the "Fighter Collection" at the Duxford Airdrome, Cambridgeshire to represent P-47D, MX-X, "No Guts, No Glory", an aircraft assigned to Lt. Colonel Ben I. Mayo of the 82nd Squadron, 78th Fighter Group.(Picture source: John M. Dibbs)
Andrew Height, an Association member and long time friend of the 78th veterans, makes his home in Duxford. He has participated in a number of activities involving both Duxford Airdrome and the world famous "Legends" air shows. He has worked on various aircraft restoration projects at Duxford including the 78th Fighter Group P-47D, "No Guts, No Glory". He has written articles on the Duxford Airdrome and it's history and has contributed significant information to other historical works. Andrew has always taken the time to be a kind and "gracious" host for visiting Association members. His email address is AFourTails@aol.com
1-01-01 - " 2001 Air Show dates, for anyone who is planning to come over, will be May 6, July 7 & 8, September 8 & 9 and October 14. The July show is the one to go for. "
"We had our first snow in 6 years on December 28th, two inches of it! Stayed around 3 days and then we had a rapid thaw, so more floods! Now we have had a whole week without rain and it is cold and frosty again. Such is life! "
2-01-01 - " The 8th is back ! Duxford has been chosen to hold the re-alignment ceremony for the 448th Intelligence Squadron , 8th Air Force on their return to England . The 448th were part of 3rd Air Force , but the 8th has taken them over and they are based at Mildenhall , Feltwell , Digby and one or two other "secret" places . There will around 1000 personnel involved and they will all wear the 8th insignia. Duxford was chosen because of the historic link-The American Air Museum . The 8th Air Force is still headquartered at Barksdale , LA ."
2-24-01 - " Activity is taking place in all the hangers now as the as the aircraft are made ready for another flying season . May is not too far away and work needs to be complete for engine testing and test flights , plus pilot display authority flights (check rides ! ) . In hanger 2 North , the B17 is undergoing some tlc and should emerge at the start of April for test flights . Hanger 2 South is home to Fighter Collection where there is always something happening . A Bristol Fighter of pre WW2 days , is having it's engine rebuilt and a Hawker Sea Fury is coming together after a lengthy ground-up restoration . Various other WW2 types , including 3 Spitfires , are having work done to get them ready to wow the public in the summer . A new hanger has been built at the eastern end of the field and this will be occupied by Historic Flying , a company that rebuilds Spitfires to flying condition . They will move here before the summer comes . A Spitfire rebuilt by them is for sale at £1.2 million if anyone is interested !!"
Chuck Behrens, editor
THRIPLOW HOSPITAL . . . REVISITED
Thomas W. Whitehead has been researching the history of the Thriplow Hospital for a book project. Here is a short excerpt from his efforts.
" Thriplow House is located in the village of Thriplow on the west end of Middle Street. The stone fire surround in the hall has the carved initials, J.I.E. (Joseph Ingle Ellis) on the left side and the date 1862 on the right side. Joseph Ingle Ellis, who wanted to demonstrate his new wealth (benefiting from the En-closure Acts), by building a pile in the popular Victorian Gothic style, on 9 acres on the southern edge of Thriplow. The piece of land was previously known as Mill Close, and was part of Thriplow Manor. It wasn't far from the windmill and maybe was used by the miller to keep his animals in. It is not known who the architect was, but from the outside present day visitors remark how French it looks. This is because of the tall entrance tower with its steeply pitched roof topped with a decorative iron ridge and weather vane. The property left the hands of the Ellis family in 1927, being sold for 4,000 pounds.
On September 1, 1939, the day Hitler's forces invaded Poland, saw the general mobilization of the Royal Air Force (RAF), and two days later, on Sunday, September 3, 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany. Duxford Airdrome was used as a British air field and Thriplow House was requisitioned and used as a convalescent hospital for the British airmen. In April 1943, Duxford Airdrome was turned over to the 78th Fighter Group of the 8th Air Force of the United States Army Air Force (USAAF). A dispensary that housed dental clinics, doctor's examination rooms,offices, a first aid room and treatment rooms was located at the Duxford Airdrome. Two miles east of the airdrome, Thriplow House, was also turned over to the 78th Fighter Group and was used as a convalescent hospital for the American airmen for the next 2 1/2 years. "
Thomas requests that anyone having information or pictures with regards to the hospital , please contact him at Thomasw871@cs.com . It would be most appreciated.
( Editor's note: Thomas W. Whitehead's father, Cecil K. Whitehead, served with the 82nd Fighter Squadron as a medical technician and ambulance driver.)
Chuck Behrens, editor
BOOK REPORTS - GARRY L. FRY
"Italian Aces of World War 2, Osprey No. 34, Series: Osprey Aircraft of the Aces, Giovanni Massimello and Giorgio Apostolo, 2000, Osprey Publ. U.K., $17.95, soft cover, 96 pages., color A/C drawings, profusely illustrated with rare photos of the Italian A.F. of WWII.
This is a subject fraught with political and painful memories for many Italians. There were in total three Italian Air Forces in WWII - First, the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) under Mussolini's regime. After the Armistice of 1943, this force split into the Northern A.F. behind German lines in Northern Italy, the "ANR Aeronautica Nazionale Republicana" and the Southern Italian A.F. behind the Allied lines, the "Aeronautica CoBelligerante" which fought on the Allies side.
This is an excellent book - small but complete. The authors conveniently divided it into comprehensive chapters - The Air War on the Various Fronts, East Africa, North Africa, Malta, The Balkans/Greece, Russia, and lastly Sicily and Italy. Then a general history of the main fighter units and the last 52 pages are the Aces' biographies and service.
While their aircraft were usually inferior to the Allies' and usually outnumbered, the RA fought courageously and lost many fine young men. The A/C were colorful and their insignias well presented. Often units flew German fighters and no doubt many Allied flyers thought they were up against Germans rather than Italians. In the main, the RA was betrayed by the Fascist regime and a totally insufficient industrial base of production. In the end, they flew by salvaging wrecks for supplies and parts.
Malta: The Spitfire Years, 1942, Christopher Shores, Brian Cull, Nicola Malizia; Grub Street, London, 1991. $55 U.S.D., hardcover, 704 pages, 250+ photos.
Anyone interested in WWII aero history should have this title. The authors record every action day of 1942 in Malta's air war during the famous siege. Actually this period is January 1 November 7, when the Allies threw Operation Torch into Northwest Africa and the siege tapered off. The MTO air war then is taken up by the 1975 Shores, Ring, Hess book; Fighters Over Tunisia, Neville Spearman, London, 491 pages, 7 " x 9 7/8", hardcover. And going backwards in chrono, that 1975 book was preceded by the 1969 book by Shores and Ring; Fighters Over The Desert, Neville Spearman, London, hardcover, 256 pages. There are two other pertinent MTO history books by Shores, Cull, Malizia; Malta: The Hurricane Years, 1940-1941 and Air War for Yugoslavia, Greece and Crete, 1940-1941, both by Grub Street, London, in hardback.
" What piece of data or fact about this air fighting that is not in this book, is not worth knowing! The authors cover every facet and story worth hearing. The excellent photos take the reader right into the scenes. Once you own and read this title you will treasure it. All aero books should be this great. In a word: fascinating! Maps, lists, tabulations, the works."
Garry L. Fry
Garry L. Fry is a long time Association member and one of the foremost authorities on the history of the 78th Fighter Group. He has published two histories of World War II aviation units. His first book, Debden Eagles, was published in 1970 and that history of the 4th Fighter Group was revised, updated and released in 1980 with Jeff Ethell as Escort To Berlin. His history of the 78th Fighter Group, culminating fifteen years of extensive research and interviews with 78th Fighter Group veterans, Eagles of Duxford, was published in 1991. Garry and his family reside in Elgin, IL..
Chuck Behrens, editor
Association Officers :
President - Don Silveus
Vice President - Pete Keillor
Secretary / Newsletter Editor - Chuck Behrens
Treasurer - Kitty Behrens
Previous "Checkerboard" Highlights:
May, 2000 PPPJuly,2000 ___September, 2000___November, 2000 / January, 2001
This page was last revised on 2 / 27 / 01
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