Greetings veterans and gentlemen of our effort in the ETO, thank you for your service and sacrifices.
Much has been written about the aircraft and pilots but little about their ground support and behind the scenes activity and so I would like to pose a couple questions.
 
According to a great deal of history I've read in the last few days it is indicated the P-51-D were already in GB prior to D-Day and in fact some had participated in the event.  364, 383fs should have been involved on that day but, were they in the P38s or 51s at that time? What was their assignment?
 
Are there available records that show physical locations at which the 51s were assembled from their shipping crates?  I'm guessing that those for the 364 were done at Honington as it also served as a repair facility for B-17, it would seem a likely place to have the facility and manpower for the un packing and assembly tasks.  Is this where they were assembled?  If not, any ideas where?
 
The reason I am making this inquiry is after finding the serial number for a 51D in an erection and maintenance manual, I have been able to trace at least one associated pilot, sadly to Golden Gate Memorial Cemetary in California c.September 2000.  I also have another name and service number in the manual whom was said to have been 'an army pilot in WWII' but I have not been able to find any reference to him or to this aircraft. This manual was gifted to me by his former wife over 20 years ago and I don't know that she remembered much reality by that time.  Because I cannot find him in any reference as a pilot, perhaps he was ground crew or staff instead.  Are these support guys documented in any history you may be aware of?
 
Thanks for any information  you might provide.
Tom in Seattle
USN 64-67.

Tom in Seattle

Tom -
The 364th was Operating P - 38s on D - Day.
No Air or Ground Claims - No Losses
Probably Flew Bomber Escort.
What is name of Pilot you seek ?
Mike
 

Thank you sir, I suspected as much about D-Day given the timing of the 51s arriving there after manufacture and transit from stateside.
 
I've located a pilot Capt William F Kissel (d.Sep 2000) who was associated with the aircraft I'm researching and who's 364FG photo included him standing on a 51s wing for the picture.  I've found only a couple ground incidents mentioned about Kissel but no other history.
 
But, the  one I am trying to associate with this aircraft is a Fredrick (Fred) Peters.  It is believed he was a 51 Pilot at Honington 364FG,383FS but when his wife told me about his service she was, regretably, already in an advanced stage of dementia and may have been confused on some things things from 50 years past. (Ex Army Nurse c.WWII.) I don't know if she was married to him (Peters) at that time 44-45. My best guess is that Peters may have been with the squadron in 44 when they transitioned to the 51D.  There's always the possibility too, that he may have been ground crew, mechanic or pencil pusher.
 
I appreciate anything you might come up with.
 
I'm in no way related to these guys beyond the fact that my first language is American English, their services helped to make it possible.
 
My dad, combat infantry M/Sgt in ETO but I've found no history on him as yet.  Step dad B17 South Pacific, may have been involved in two ditchings but I have not been able to tack him to any unit or location. That will be my next excercise. He had mentioned a few incidents to me but that was about 50 years ago. 
 
Thanks to people like you and the internet I suspect I'll be more successful when I relaunch those two research projects.
 
Salute!
Tom in Seattle
 
 

Tom in Seattle

Shooshoo Mike,
I just found the middle initial "J" for Fred Peters on a 1942 Life magazine address label.  Perhaps that may help.
 
Tom in Seattle

Tom in Seattle

Tom -
There is no Listing for Fred Peters in 364th Pilot Rosters.
Capt. William Kissel:
1 Air Victory - ME 262 4/17/45
4 Ground Destroyed , 4 Damaged 4/13/45
What is Step Dad's Name ? Any other Info.
Have you Requested Dad's Personnel Records?
Mike
Vancouver , Wa.

Tom---Mike    Fred was crew chief in the 383FS ( S/Sgt. ) his pilots were Farley, Fisher and Bannister. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his Maintenance work.
His wife (married Oct. 7 1937 ) was Calista S. Simmonds , divorced 1984.    Regards   Nick
PS   middle initial "J".

Taking down a 262.... is good!
 
Found Fred Peters enlistment 16 Oct 1942 @ Tacoma into Air Corp and his service number 19146170  dob 1906 or 1908, can't find MM/DD for him.  I've been trying to find Fred's relationship to the book I have with his name and ser# written on it.
 
Mike, I very much appreciate your efforts with this and having this information on Kissel (44-14133) is just awesome.  Amongst online data & pictures I've seen in the last few days I saw a photo of a 163 going down compliments of a P51, it had been identified as a 262 then corrected, I'll see if I can find that again.
 
I'm guessing you have a vast store of information on 364, were these your dad's efforts to start or something you went after?  Then, is there a resource I might get to that shows this Kissel kill on the 262, photocopy or scan or book reference?  Something on line?
 
Again I appreciate your efforts and if you can help me prove my step-dad was the hero I always held him to be (first as a dad, then career Army. WWII Pacfic, Korea and a hush-hush mission into SE Asia before the beginning of hostilities in Nam) Headstone for him at national cemetary credits him with WWII, Korea and "Vietnam" although I know he was not there during the formal engagement. (already medical discharge)
I'd like to, in any way possible, find a legitimate documented link with his name to the B-17s or specific ground action, that I can shove in my half-brother's face and say "here, I told you so..." I would be forever in debt to you.  He knew Boyington here as a member of the same VFW chapter in Seattle but I don't know if there is any connection during his active duty during the war.  As I indicated, my step dad was my hero but I haven't been able to convince my brother of the credibiltiy of the few stories he told us.  e.g., a  piece of shrapnel dug out of his radio that was destroyed as he bent down (seated) to pick up his pencil he had just dropped..."  Would have been in his neck.  A 55 gallon drum of medical alcohol picked up and brought back to his bunker after having been ordered into a jeep to help get supplies from the beach. Wasn't told where to take it to. ;)  and... walking off the wing of his ditched 17 onto the deck of a U.S. sub and another ditching where they spent several 'minutes' in the water before rescue.
Now I realize that these incidents were probably not documented anywhere now of record but if you put him into a 17 I'll drive down to Vancouver and buy you a cup of coffee.
 
Gailand Duane Hughes RA19094838, went by nic 'GD' at times.
enlisted 31 March 42 at Seattle to the Army.  I have no information on any units he may have been attached to but Christmas Island was mentioned, by my mother, as one of his places, that's all she could remember in her 80s.
 
Christmas Island was a ferry stop, maybe he was with a shuttle unit.  He was enlisted, not officer. He was a radio operator onboard the 17s and retired from Army radio in about 63-64.
Sorry there's so much information there but hopefully something that may give you a valuable tip.
 
Hughes was hit during an air raid while running to his bunker, didn't make it, it took the direct hit with no survivors. He spent the rest of his time in hospitals.  Don't know where but it was on one of the islands.
 
My dad was infantry in Europe, Germany and Holland for sure, Kassel?    I'll get into that I know he was out of Ft. Lewis that's a start.
 
I've got too much time on my hands.
Tom in Seattle
 
As far as I know, his records were destroyed in the St. Louis fire
 
 

Tom in Seattle

edit:  Didn't notice the signature until reading through your message again.
 
Thank you Nick..., coffee?
 
Awesome Mike, thank you, I think that offer for a cup of coffee might be extended here as well, I may be going down to Cape Blanco late June or maybe Vancouver earlier.

Tom - A Bit more on Kissel
Assigned 383d Sq. 9/44 - 5/45
Previously Served in MTO
P-51D # 44 - 14133 Code N2 H
Victories Listed in Book: Fighter Units and Pilots of the 8th AF by Kent Miller
----------------------------------
Christmas Island was 1st Refueling Stop on B - 17 Ferry
Route from Hawaii to Australia.
Mike

Source; http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbapi.asp?Pilot=Kissel%2C+William
 
@ references found above regarding P-52B coded W (I think) 42-106448W and a P-51D-10  44-14133
 
 
Kissel, William F
 
Regards
Rob

http://www.geocities.com/raf_112_sqdn/

the "W" after the serial number denotes a 'war-weary' aicraft, i.e. declared unfit for combat and used as OTU-ship or 'hack'..
 
Martin

Thank you Martin, you guys are absolutely great for taking your time to research and assist in locating this historical information.  I hope our next generation (our kids) will pick up where you (collectively) leave off.
 
It would sure be interesting to know about the incident, that forced him in to Goxhill.. We  have to admire the guys for getting back in line and waiting for a new/replacement aircraft.
 
I found where Capt Kissel had a couple ground incidents at Honington. Its easy to imagine the probabilities of frequent occurances and I can see that there were many of them.
 
It's a shame to see Goxhill in the condition it is today.  Were it up to me, every one of those fields would be maintained and protected, memorial parks.  << a pipe dream.
 
Salute!
And thank you again.

Tom in Seattle

Kissel was flying with the 496th Fighter Training Group from Goxhill when he had his landing accident in 42-106448WW  coded C7-C bar.
His Me.262 was only just an air victory as it was trying to land at one of the Prague airfields (the jets had been forced that far south ). Probably from I.Gruppe/JG7. At first the Group recorded it as a ground victory.
It was a PTW mission to Dresden escorting 1st.AD  B-17s. 2 other jets were shot down by the 364th.
Kissel's awards   Air Medal 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, DFC (US), Presidential Unit Citation .
He left active duty 1949 as Captain.

Peters was re-called to active duty in 1950 serving 2 years at Forbes AFB.            Nick