Hi all,

I am looking for photos and some info on these 14.FG pilots. All 49FS members.

1/Lt. Louis Benne 1/Lt. John F. Cullen 2/Lt. Jack Lenox, Jr. Capt. William R. Palmer Thanks!!!

Peter Kassak
pkassak(AT)yahoo.com

Peter, 

    Mark Lascotte posted a fine group photo that includes all the pilots you ask about on an earlier thread, the title of which is:   49th FS Photo - June 1944 Foggia, Italy - 11/8/2006 12:49:16 PM.  You can find it using the search tool on this site.

I'm sure there are others more knowlegible than I about them but I'll give you what I know:

1st Lt. Benne (AO00802235) shot down LW planes on 04-07-44, 05-24-44 and 06-14-44
1st Lt. Cullen (AO00743922) shot down one LW plane on 05-24-44
2nd Lt. Lennox (AO01703108) shot down LW planes on 05-23-44, 05-24-44 and 06-14-44 flying P38J-10 42-68024 #34 "Snookie II"
Capt. Palmer (AO00729052) shot down 2 LW planes on 05-10-44 and 05-24-44 flying "Irene 5th"

    Some of these victory claims are not in agreement with other sources.  Lt. Lennox seems to have actual credit fo 5 LW planes but a photo of his plane "Snookie II" shows 6 kills painted on the fuselage.  Lt Benne is credited with 5 victories in other reliable sources.

    John Stanaway has written several excellent books about the P-38 that include extensive coverage of the 14FG & 49thFS.  One is "Peter Three Eight, the Pilot's Story, ISBN 0-933126-73-5 and another is P-38 Lightning Aces of the ETO/MTO, ISBN1 85532698 1.

Paul

Peter,
 
Palmer is still alive, I have spoken to him.   And I know of another person who has spoken to Lennox too.  The photo that Paul has written about is below.
 
http://home.comcast.net/~lascotte/fgindex.html
 
Jule's,  Benne, and Simmons are pictured here.
 
                       FOGGIA_Feb..erJule.jpg

Thanks guys...It helped a lot...

Paul-> Do you think you can check in those books and scan[write me info for missions flown on May 24, 1944?Especially account about Me 210 involvement. Thanks a lot.

Peter Kassak
pkassak(AT)yahoo.com

Peter,  This exerpt from P-38 Lightning Aces of the ETO/MTO by John Stanaway: 

"....Lt Jack Lennox had damaged two Bf109s and probably destroyed another before he finally scored his first confirmed Messerschmitt victory during a 23 May escort to an Italian marshalling yard.  Twenty four hours later Lenox was on another escort - this time to an Austrian airfield - when he shot down an 'Me210' (most likely an Me 410) and then found himself on the tail of a second enemy fighter whose pilot was trying to abandon his disintegrating aircraft..."

Stanaway goes on to describe Lenox's plane having an engine shot out and limping home. 

This must be the 24 May 1944 incident you asked about.  I recommend the book highly.

Paul

THX!

Peter Kassak
pkassak(AT)yahoo.com

Peter,

    I found a nice photo (page 57)of Capt. Palmer of the 49th FS in front of his plane "Irene 5th" taken in Foggia in 1944.  The photo credit is Capt. Norman Jackson, also a pilot with the 49th whose photo (page 60) appears a few pages later in the same book opposite an interesting picture of the airfield in Foggia.

    The book is Warbirds, American Legends of World War II, by Jeffrey Ethell.  ISBN0-681-08135-X.  All the photos are in color and the book covers the P-38, the P-40 and the P-51.  An excellent book.

Paul

I have a bunch of 49th pics and docs (rosters, official diary, etc).
I scanned a few HUNDRED photos from their WWII exploits.
Unfortunately they're 300-500K each, so I can't post them directly.
 
I know with a 30sec look to have pics of Benne and Lenox.
I have rosters and the official war diary as well.
 
Send me a message with your email, and I will send you some.
 
Is there an archive where I can upload my info (somewhere around 300MB I would guess)?
 
 
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Brian A Reno, LtCol USAFR
49 FTS Alumni (AT-38 Columbus AFB, MS)
T-38, F-4G, AT-38

Benne:

[image]local://upfiles/13997/8E9427557D26473BAFE4CA41303CD080.jpg[/image]

Attached Image(s)

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Brian A Reno, LtCol USAFR
49 FTS Alumni (AT-38 Columbus AFB, MS)
T-38, F-4G, AT-38

Here's the "scorecard" from the 49FS war diaries and other documents:
 
http://webpages.charter.net/brianreno/aceframe.htm
 
 

bar

Brian A Reno, LtCol USAFR
49 FTS Alumni (AT-38 Columbus AFB, MS)
T-38, F-4G, AT-38

PeterKa,
 
As you can see in my aces book, I have a portrait of Benne (from his family), if need.
Are you collecting materials for your ZG project?
 
See you soon,
 
Csaba

If any one is interesed i  just recived my copy of   the 14th fighter group in WW 2   I has a fairly compleat  list of all of the victorys and personal of the Group    

I found one on my P-38 database..
42-104229   P-38J-15-LO   
Benne, Louis., 1st.Lt.(O-802235).  49th Fighter Sqd 14th Fighter Gp 15AF 440614 
OHAM (Hungary, Petfurdo Oil Plant) MACR #6031 47.10.00N 018.05.00E 
Departed Triolo, Italy on escort mission to Petfurdo Oil Plant, Hungary.
Last seen engaged in aerial combat, no search was made.

 
Terry T.

RE; 42-68024
42-68024   
P-38J-10-LO   Tracy, Donald A., 2nd.Lt.(O-824788). /Kia 
49th Fighter Sqd 14th Fighter Gp 12AF 440813 DUKO (France, De Dieu Airdrome) 
MACR #8337 44.01.00N 004.55.00E 
Remains found one kilometer east of Camaret by US AGRS & buried.

 
Terry T.