78th Fighter Group
78th Fighter Group
Personal pictures, stories and web "links" submitted by 78th Fighter Group veterans, family and friends.
_2nd Lt. Dwight G. Belt, 84th Fighter Squadron, 7-24-44 to 10-1-44
2nd Lt. Dwight G. Belt, 84th Fighter Squadron, shown in the cockpit of his P-47D, s/n 42-25690, WZ-U.
Dwight Garrison Belt, born 12-21-21 in Delaware, Ohio, enlisted in the Army Air Corps on 12-3-42. He was assigned to the 78th Fighter Group, 84th Squadron in the ETO on 7-24-44. On 10-1-44, during a solo training flight with a B-17 from the 96th Bomb Group, a mid-air collision occurred. Lt. Belts was killed, when his P-47D subsequently crashed near St.James Church, Greenstead Green, Halstead in North Essex, U.K.. An eyewitness reports that his aircraft was " coming straight down towards the church, when it veered away at the last second to crash in a adjacent field less than 200 yards away ". It was Sunday that day and Greenstead children were gathering for Sunday school at the time of the incident.
In 1977, Colin Wingrave, an Aviation Archaeologist, was investigating an archived local police report that stated " American fighter crashed 200 yards south of Greenstead Green, church, Halstead". Colin's diligence and a chance encounter with a local eyewitness located the crash site of Lt.Belt's aircraft. Two formal excavations( the first on 10-9-77 ) of the site by members of the "Thameside Aviation Museum" yielded a number of significant items. Lt. Belts flight kit was recovered including his personal cigarette lighter( a gift from his wife before his departure to the ETO..since returned). All artifacts recovered are on display today at the Thameside Aviation Museum located at Coalhouse Fort, East Tilbury, Essex, U.K..
For a more complete story and additional pictures, please visit the " Thameside Aviation Museum " web page.
( permission to post this picture and information was provided by Colin Wingrave of the Thameside Aviation Museum)
Thanks... to all that have contributed to these pages on behalf of the 78th Fighter Group Family!
This page was last revised on 1 / 9 / 02
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