78th Fighter
Group 78th Fighter
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Searching the Internet for 78th Fighter Group References . . .
Continued
The webmaster recently searched the internet for references to the 78th Fighter Group. In addition to locating a number of historical reference sites, it was surprising to find web articles and postings regarding specific 78th Fighter Group personnel . These findings are posted on the next few pages along with appropriate source credits and web addresses.
" We feel it necessary to include these references on the "History and Tribute" site because they do contribute in part in telling the complete story of the "Eagles of Duxford". "
Contents( Page 3 ):
2nd. Lt. Franklin B. Resseguie, 84th Fighter Squadron, 10-43 to 10-18-43, Evaded capture, 11-43 to US, Book Review
1st. Lt. Grant M. Turley, 82nd Fighter Squadron, 11-43 to 3-6-44, KIA, Personal Biography
1st. Lt. Neal Hepner, 84th Fighter Squadron, 3-28-45 to EOW, Newspaper article / Interview
1st. Lt. James B. Stallings, 84th Fighter Squadron, 4-6-44 to 9-6-44, to US, Personal Interview / Book Review
2nd. Lt. Franklin B. Resseguie,
84th Fighter Squadron, 10-43 to 10-18-43, Evaded capture,11-43 to US
2nd Lt. Franklin B. Resseguie, 84th Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group. Lt. Resseguie was forced to bail out over occupied France on a October 18, 1943 mission, due to engine problems and flak damage. He managed to survive, evade capture and return to England. (Source Credit: Franklin B. Resseguie collection)
Prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Franklin B. Resseguie joined the US Army Air Force Cadet program. He was trained as a fighter pilot and was deployed to England in the Spring of 1943. He went through transitional training at Atcham, near Shrewsbury, England. In September, 1943, Lt. Ressiguie was assigned to the 84th Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group at Duxford. On October 18, 1943, he was a flying a bomber escort mission targeting German airfields with the 84th squadron over northern France. Near Lens, he developed engine trouble and was reported " last seen at 10,000 feet gliding inland". At that time, he was officially listed as MIA and probably a POW. He was flying P-47C, WZ-E, s/n 41-6240.
Lt. Ressiguie managed to survive and evade capture. He authored a book about his personal experiences behind enemy lines. In 1993, the book(1st edition)was published by Unsourced Publishers, Binghamton, NY. This information was located on the Brundage Publishing web site.
" Feathers on the Wind "
The cover of " Feathers on the Wind; A Journey of the Spirit through Brushes with Death", the true story of Franklin B. Resseguie's escape and evasion behind enemy lines in WW II. (Source Credit: Brundage Publishing Archives)
"Feathers on the Wind, A Journey of the Spriit through Brushes with Death"
" The author, Franklin B. Resseguie, a young American fighter pilot stationed with the 78th Thunderbolt Fighter Group at Duxford, England, came down in northern France on October 18, 1943 when France was fully occupied by the Germans. Out of nearly 80,000 US airmen who came down in Europe during WWII nearly half were killed and nearly half were captured and taken prisoner. This author discloses how he became one of only about 4,000 airmen to escape from Europe without being captured. Read of his last second escapes in the air and on the ground as time and again he outwits the Luftwaffe and German ground patrols. The contents of this book are best described by those who know the military. It's been called a classic escape story. "
Born on May 28, 1921, Franklin B. Resseguie grew up on a farm in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. He was educated in the towns of South Gibson and Harford, Pennsylvania while helping his family run the farm. He then found employmrnt with the Link Aviation Company of Binghamton, N.Y.. In March, 1941, several months before Pearl Harbor, he decided to become an aviation cadet and joined the service. He graduated and received his commission and wings at Marianna, FL in March, 1942. He was deployed to England in late Spring of 1943 and within a few months after transitional training at Atcham near Shrewsbury, was assigned to the 84th Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group at Duxford. On October 18, 1943, Lt. Resseguie's squadron was assigned to a bomber penetration escort mission over northern France. Southeast of Lens and east of the Arras, he developed engine problems at 30,000 feet and was forced to drop out of formation. He was immediately attacked by a German fighter. He dove to evade the enemy aircraft. Franklin Resseguie reports:
"In going down, I saw a hole in the clouds at 12,000 feet and passed over it to look for a ground landmark. I found myself over a large German airfield near Arras and was immediately fired upon by antiaircraft batteries. I was hit directly under the nose of the plane and on fire. I managed to quickly dive back into cloud cover. I skidded the plane sideways and managed to put out the fire. "
Damage from the antiaircraft fire and a failing engine finally forced the young pilot to bail out. In the process his chute became fouled with his aircraft. Both pilot and plane fell for about 4,000 feet, until his parachute finally broke loose with only 400 feet seperating him from the ground. He escaped with only minor bruises and scratches. His aircraft impacted the ground about a quarter mile away. He recalls:
" I came down in a field between St. Leger and Envillers. I hid overnight in St. Leger and the next day traveled to Bapaume, where I hid for two weeks. I then travelled across France to Paris, Toulouse and Perpigman from where I crossed the Pyrenees to Spain."
From October 18, 1943 to November 20, 1943, Lt. Resseguie evaded the enemy and with the help of the French Resistance made his way back to England.
Franklin B. Resseguie ( Source Credit: Brundage Publishing collection)
Lt. Resseguie returned to the US and became an instructor of senior West Point Cadets. He later attended the Air Command and Staff School. When the war ended, he attended Triple Cities College( now Binghamton University ) and then Cornell Law School. He practiced law in Binghamton, New York, for thirty-four years. In 1974, he was a candidate for the United States Congress. He is now retired from law. As a Lt. Col., USAF (Ret.), he presently is a liaison officer for the U.S. Air Force Academy evaluating candidates for admission. His life has been full of exciting adventures which he shares in his book. He established Brundage Publishing in 1993 for the purpose of "reviewing manuscripts and publishing books for the many talented people who have the ambition to become published". He also is the author of " Eagle Feathers ", a collection of 114 poems inspired by his life experiences."
Please visit the Brundage Publishing web site for more information.
1st. Lt. Grant M. Turley, 82nd Fighter Squadron, 11-43 to 3-6-44, KIA
1st. Lt. Grant M. Turley, 82nd Fighter Squadron.(Source Credit: Turley Family Archives)
1st Lt. Grant M. Turley, 82nd Fighter Squadron, flew 47 combat missions and was credited with six aerial victories, before he was lost in action on March 6, 1944 . A personal biography was posted by the Arizona Republic, May 25, 2003, on the azcentral.com web site.
" On Wings of Thunder "
By Charles Kelly, The Arizona Republic, May 25, 2003
1st. Lt. Grant M. Turley, in the cockpit of his assigned P-47, MX-D, s/n 42-7998, "Kitty - Sundown Ranch",poses with members of his ground crew, left to right, ACC Sgt. Albert Costelnik, ARM Staff Sgt. James W. Sterner and CC Staff Sgt. Alfred J. Turrow. His aircraft was named after his wife Kitty and his birthplace, Sundown Ranch, Arizona. (Source Credit: Turley Family Archives)
" When Lt. Grant Turley, 21, was shot down over Germany on March 6, 1944, he was carrying a four-leaf clover, a photo of his wife and a lock of his horse's mane."
" Turley, the fighter pilot who was Arizona's first ace in World War II, is cherished as much for his humanity as for his heroics. His siblings recall that this tall, lean cowboy from Aripine was quiet and generous, that he would lend his brother Stan $5 for socializing and be satisfied to be paid back only $3 because, he would tell Stan, "you need it more than I do." They recall that killing enemy pilots upset him but didn't keep him from his duty. They recall he deeply loved his new wife, Kitty, that he cherished his horse, Comet, and that he was always kind to his little sisters, Wanda, Monita and Marilyn. "There were a lot of times he included me when big brothers often don't," says Wanda Turley Smith, 77, of Mesa. Turley was not just a casualty of war but a symbol of sacrifice for those small-town Arizonans who have stepped forward to defend their country. An all-conference end, he was the captain of the 1939 Snowflake High School football team. Of the 22 players, 19 served in the armed forces in World War II and six were killed. Others from the community also fell in battle. "There was no bitterness there," says Stan Turley, 82, who lives in Gilbert and was 16 months older than Grant. "There was appreciation for the patriotism they showed and the bravery they showed." State historian Marshall Trimble, who grew up in Ash Fork, says national feeling is always high in a small town. "It senses itself as more of a piece of America ... because everybody knows everybody," says Trimble, who tells Grant's story in a new book titled Arizona Goes to War.
" Hard Work, Clean Living"
" Grant Turley grew up poor on Sundown Ranch, 25 miles southwest of Snowflake. He was obedient, a hard worker and a Mormon, and he stuck to his principles even in combat, says Stan, a former state Senate president who served in the Legislature for 22 years. "He was a very clean boy," Stan says. "He never did get into drinking and carousing when he was out there. He had the feeling he'd be a better pilot and a better man if he didn't get into the heavy life." Grant was a resourceful cowboy, an amateur boxer and valedictorian of his high school class. He loved airplanes from the first time he saw one fly over when he was 7 or 8. One of his childhood watercolors, Lone Eagle, depicts a small plane against a green mountain with an orange sun rising in the background.
Grant M. Turley and his horse Comet on his family's ranch in Navajo County, Arizona. (Source Credit: Turley Family Archives)
" A Talent for Flight "
" He was thrilled to become a flier in the U.S. Army Air Corps, so good with a P-47 Thunderbolt that he was given the option, after his own training, to become an instructor rather than going overseas to fight. He chose to fight. On Oct. 26, 1943, he wrote to his wife explaining why. "I can't be satisfied unless in my own eyes I am doing my utmost to help preserve our way of life," he wrote. "I am defending everything you mean to me." In his Thunderbolt, he flew escort missions for bombers ranging far into Germany. In February 1944, he shot down six German planes, one more than he needed to be an ace. On Feb. 10, he single-handedly took on 10 enemy fighters, destroying one, and going on to destroy another fighter over an enemy airfield. For his actions that day, he won the Silver Star, Air Medal and Distinguished Flying Cross.
" Fallen Ace "
" On March 6, 1944, Grant engaged in a dogfight over Hamburg, Germany. He shot down one plane, but another German fighter attacked him. His plane disappeared from sight. Stan Turley, whose brother Grant was Arizona's first ace in World War II, was in Army training at the time, believed his brother had survived. He was sure that the kid who could cope with spartan living and rough country could find a way home. "I thought he was all right," Stan says. "I gave the folks a lot of encouragement." Six months later, the German government confirmed that Grant had been shot down and killed. At first, he was buried in a POW cemetery in Germany. His remains were later moved to a U.S. Military Cemetery near Liege, Belgium. He lies there now, beneath a white cross in a green field. Around him stand thousands of such crosses, marking the graves of those who fell with him in the war. "I don't think about him every day," Stan says. "But I think of him often." He remembers the little brother who used to shadow his every step, the boy with the straight-up shock of hair and the determined chin, the boy who could catch a pass and rope a cow and cultivate a field with a horse team, the boy who was never mean or malicious. That goodness is not lost, Stan believes, despite the cruelty of war. Somewhere, he says, his little brother really is all right.
For more information and pictures, please visit the azcentral.com web site.
81-year-old veteran Neal Hepner, who used to fly a P-51 Mustang for the Army Air Corps, 78th Fighter Group, 84th Fighter Squadron, today flies a Beechcraft Sundowner plane from Oakland County's airport. (Source Credit: The Daily Oakland Press / Doug Bauman )
1st. Lt. Neal Hepner arrived at Duxford late in the war. Like all replacement pilots a period of orientation and flight training was required before participation in a combat mission. He managed to fly only four(4) missions before the war was over.
The Oakland Press(MI) posted a interview with Neal Hepner on May 29, 2004. Hepner talks about his wartime and post-war flight experiences.
" WWII fighter pilot still flying high "
Web-posted May 29, 2004, By Jennifer S. Jones, Special to The Daily Oakland Press(MI)
" Soaring among the birds, Bloomfield Hills resident Neal Hepner, 81, enjoys watching the sun spread its glory across the sky while flying his pride and joy. For 30 years, Hepner and his Beechcraft Sundowner plane have maintained a wonderful relationship with Oakland County International Airport. However, Hepner's familiarity with planes stretches far beyond 30 years. At age 20, Hepner made a decision that affected his life dramatically. In 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. His decision led to a tedious journey that took him into World War II. Second Lt. Hepner received his wings in 1944 before he went to train as a fighter pilot. "I went to the 78th fighter group in Duxford, England," Hepner recalled. "I had expected to go up on a mission with little delay. (But) none of the 20 new pilots was to go on this mission because none of us had flown a P-51 Mustang before and we needed a little practice. "As 'fighter pilots in waiting,' we became more and more anxious to get into the official fray," he said. "But it seemed that many of the pilots finishing their tours of duty didn't want to give up their regular alternate-day mission assignments and thus our first mission was delayed a number of weeks." Hepner was finally assigned to fly above Prague, Czechoslovakia, among the 84th Fighter Squadron Group. "In all, I made 10 or more attacks at the planes parked," he said. "Each time I finished a run, I would fly low over the airfield at just above ground level, so gunfire could not be aimed at me without hitting their own equipment." Hepner flew four missions before the war was over. After his first mission, he escortedB-17 bombers and English bombers over Germany. He remembers the differences between English and American pilots. "The big difference is that with American bombers you could look down and see everyone neatly placed," he said. "English bombers flew at different altitudes and in different directions. It was all you could do to keep from being hit. You had to worry about bombs dropping on top of you." After the war ended, Hepner remained in the Air Force Reserves until 1968. In 1968, the Air Force gave Hepner an ultimatum: Either participate in a two-week duty tour or retire. "I decided to retire. I had children and I really couldn't go away from home." Originally, Hepner's Beechcraft Sundowner was used for his work as an expert witness for various insurance companies. Hepner would investigate mechanical failures and determine the problem. He traveled to factories across the country. "I really only flew where it was farther or harder to get to by driving," he said. "
1st Lt. James B. Stallings, 84th Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group. ( Source Credit: James B. Stallings collection)
James B. Stallings, Sr. kept a mission diary during his 300 combat hours and 81 missions while serving with the 84th Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group during WW II. His son, Jim Stallings, authored a screenplay, "Hunters in the Fog", based on his father's diary and personal experiences. Jim circulated the screenplay throughout the Film industry. His intention was to have the screenplay ready for marketing before the 50th anniversary of D-Day, but due to the advanced promotion time required, cost and other timing factors there was little interest to proceed. He decided to publish the screenplay as a book. He states; "This book is meant to celebrate and honor my father and mother's participation in that difficult time in World War II."
I recent newspaper article published in the Moultrie Observer(Ga), was located on the Internet regarding Jim Stallings and his book "Hinters in the Fog".
" Moultrian's war journal becomes 'Hunters In The Fog' "
By John Oxford, The Moultrie Observer, March 26, 2004
MOULTRIE -- " Like most of the young men throughout the nation in the early 1940's, James Stallings left his wife, Millie, in Moultrie to go across the Atlantic and fight in World War II. Stallings served as a P-47 dive bomber pilot with the United States Air Force, serving with the Alllied forces in the European Theater of War. He flew 81 missions from April to September 1944, including three missions on June 6, 1944 - the Allied force's D-Day Invasion against German forces in France. Stallings kept a journal of each mission he flew, which also served as a record of his fellow pilots and their status. In the 78th Fighter Group Stallings flew with, 53 men were shot down or lost during a mission, and 22 of those men were killed in action. One of those killed in action was a pilot from Tifton, but Stallings said he did not know the lieutenant personally. While most of the mementos Stallings had from his World War II missions, such as cockpit fighting film and his leather flight jacket, the journal was the only thing that lasted through the years. Letters Stallings and his wife wrote were able to survive but were intentionally destroyed for personal reasons. Stallings son, Jim, had made a photocopy of his dad's war journal and wrote a screenplay based upon his notes in 1992. Jim intended for the screenplay to be turned into a movie, as the 50th anniversary of the D-Day Invasion approached in 1994. Jim said due to budget and time issues to make such a movie, the screenplay was not used, but Jim said he wanted to preserve what he and his dad worked to complete as well as insure James's journal could be preserved. The end result was the book "Hunters In The Fog: War Diary to Screenplay," published in 2003 by Universe, Inc. The book contains James's journal entries of each mission he flew, describing his close calls and losses in detail. Along with the journal is Jim's original screenplay based on his dad's journal. Jim said he wanted to turn the journal into a screenplay rather than a novel because he felt the journal was so dramatic it had to be made into a movie. After writing the screenplay, Jim's agent agreed with him and tried to sell the script to movie production companies, but it was difficult to sell. In order to preserve his work and share his dad's diary, Jim said he changed his focus and worked to get the compilation turned into a book. The book was completed and became "Hunters in the Fog" last December. Jim sent copies of the book to his mom and dad here in Moultrie, which surprsied both of them. James said the first knowledge he had of his son using his journal for the book came when he actually saw the book Jim sent him. Reading the book for the first time brought back all the memories of his flights and missions, which he said he never forgot. "That's a part of my life I will never forget," James said. When he was sent over to England in March, James said he was told his duty would only last for about 200 hours of service, but that was soon increased to 250 hours and finally 300 hours in August. When James landed from his final mission in September, however, he was notified his tour had been reduced to 285 hours. His missions during the D-Day invasion accounted for 13.5 of those hours, James said, as he flew three missions that day. His first and third missions were flown in the dark as he and 47 other pilots searched for a German division believed to be coming to the aid of those already on France's coast. His second mission, however, was flown during the daytime where his squadron and two others covered the beach itself for the Allies. No matter how hard his missions were, he felt they were much harder for foot soldiers. We had it tough," James said, "but nothing like those boys on the ground." Even after accumulating more flight hours than was required for World War II, James said he stayed in the Air Force. He flew refueling missions during the Cold War and flew missions in the Korean War and Vietnam War. James retired from the service after the Vietnam War and returned to Moultrie. "
" For the screenplay, Jim said reading his dad's journal reminded him of "The Three Musketeers" story of four different personalities uniting for a common goal. He asked his dad for help with the technical aspect of the screenplay but added the characters and situations himself. He said the journal was a "fascinating collage of the internal dialogue" of pilots during the war. A side story of the screenplay focuses on warning Allied commanders gave their soldiers, Jim said. One of the pilots falls in love and marries a woman he met while on duty, and she receives the medals he won when he was killed in a training accident. It is later discovered she is really a German spy, and she commits suicide once she is found out. Soldiers were warned of the women they met, and that scenario actually happened to a pilot in one of his dad's groups, it was noted. Jim said the process of writing the book and screenplay of "Hunters in the Fog" helped him and his dad grow closer together. He was able to learn how gifted his dad was physically and had great instincts and hand-eye coordination, which Jim said was not passed on to him. "
This page was last revised on 11 / 01 / 04
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