78th Fighter Group

Honor Roll MTO

Revised 25 Aug 2008

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MACR# Date Serial# A/C Type Pilot Service # Sqdn Group AF Status Location/Comment
. 11 Feb 42 40-2893 Republic P-43A Lancer Hubbell, James L Jr  O-421098 82FS 78FG . DNB Hometown: Catron County, NM. North Island NAS, CA
. 10 Aug 42 41-2307 Lockheed P-38F Lightning Sumner, Hatton W  O-724571 82FS 78FG   DNB Hometown: Tarrant County, TX. North Island NAS, CA 
. . . . Naugh . 82FS 78FG . DNB .

1943

MACR# Date Serial# A/C Type Pilot Service # Sqdn Group AF Status Location/Comment
. 13 Sep 43 41-2346 Lockheed P-38F-LO Lightning Seppich, Wendell F O-431165 82FS 78FG . DNB Hometown: Weber County, UT. Based out of North Island NAS, CA , incident occurred Lajolla 3 Mi NW, CA 
. . . . . . . . . . Speke (near Liverpool) was Lockheed's assembly facility called officially the "British Re-assembly Division" ; planes arrived via Liverpool's Garston Docks on freighters with outer wing panels removed. They were assembled and engines tested at Speke , including the 78th's original equipment of P-38Gs before they moved to Goxhill.
. 13 Jan 43 42-12882 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning Wells, Richard H. O-411745 82FS 78FG 8AF KIFA Wells, Richard H., O-411745, killed in mid air collision (Engine 1 hit object in flight), location Great Samford / 1mi S, England.  Buried at: Plot B Row 3 Grave 44, 13 Jan 1943 also have him listed as 71FS, 1FG
. 23 Jan 43 43-2167 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning Lovera, Arthur S . 83FS 78FG  8AF . Badly damaged taking off, Prestwick/Sta 500 , Scotland, plane later for delivery to DUKO(12AF) condemned salvage non-combat related 19 Apr 1943.
. 24 Jan 43 43-2178 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning Chavis, Wayne M  O-728977 84FS 78FG  8AF . Damaged landing, Goxhill/Sta 345, England, plane later 16 Apr 1944 DUKO(12AF) condemned salvage Pilot later went to 49FS, 14FG, KIA 11 May 1943
.  26 Jan 43       . .  .  . . 
On January 26, 1943 a large group of P-38 aircraft were in transit from Goxhill, Lincolnshire to Langford Lodge, Ireland to be retro-fitted with dust filters required for their pending transfer and duty in the deserts of North Africa. The weather deteriorated during the flight and two(2) P-38Fs from the 78th Fighter Group collided in mid-air killing both pilots. 2nd Lt. Stephan L. White and 1st Lt. Henry L. Perry were the 78th Fighter Group's first losses in the ETO. Also, on the same day, 1st Lt. Donald S. Beals, 83rd FS, flying a P-38F, s/n 41-7576, was overdue and presumed lost on a ferry flight to North Africa.
. 26 Jan 43 42-12905 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning, P-38G-10-LO, some sources have (14th FG) lost Dec 30, 1943. MACR 1494 this has proven wrong Perry, Henry L Jr, 17031775/ 0-724081 83FS 78FG 8AF DNB Hometown: Jefferson County, AR. Mid air collision, Pilot killed,  83FS/78FG, (78th FG, 83nd FS) collided in midair with 42-12928 Jan 26, 1943 over the Trough of Bowland, England while being ferried from Lincolnshire to Ireland. Pilots of both aircraft killed. MACR 1494 is dated Dec 30, 1943.Mid January 1943 saw the decision being made to urgently ship the US 8th Air Forces P-38 Lightning aircraft to North Africa and to re-equip the 78th Fighter Group with P-47 Thunderbolts for their forthcoming escort duties. This required the P-38s to be flown to BAD 3 (Base Air Depot) Langford Lodge in Northern Ireland for the required modification for use in dusty climates, before they were flown on to North Africa. Early on the morning of the 26th January a large group of some 45 such aircraft were en-route to Ireland from the groups base at Goxhill in Lincolnshire, when they encountered heavy cloud over the North of England. Struggling to maintain formation in deteriorating visibility, two of the aircraft collided over the high ground of the Trough of Bowland and fell to earth almost immediately. Neither pilot made any apparent attempt to escape their stricken aircraft, perhaps due to injury, or having been killed in the initial collision and the two aircraft crashed with a mile and a half of each other on the bleak Lancashire moorland below. The same day a further 78th Fighter group pilot was lost en route to North Africa, ferrying one of the modified P-38s from Ireland. The loss of these three pilots was a serious blow to moral within the group as they were the first casualties since arriving in England.
. 26 Jan 43 42-12928 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning White, Stephen L,  0-729087 83FS 78FG 8AF KIA Hometown: Portage County, OH. Mid air collision, Pilot killed,  83FS/78FG, (78th FG, 82nd FS) collided with 42-12905 Jan 26, 1943 over the Trough of Bowland, England while being ferried from Lincolnshire to Ireland. Pilots of both aircraft killed. /Killed 83rd Fighter Sqd 78th Fighter Gp 8AF 441031 SOXO (England) MID-AIR
3210 26 Jan 43 41-7576 Lockheed P-38F-1-LO Lightning Beals, Donald S, O-728959 83FS 78FG 8AF KIFA

Entered the Service from: Idaho, Tablets of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England. Lost while in UK during ferry flight to Ireland. ./Missing on ferry flt 83rd Fighter Squadron 78th Fighter Group 8AF 430126 SOXO (Meditrn) MACR #3210 the info i had this was lost over the med if so it was on its way to North Africa? It was one of a flight of 9 a/c on a ferry flight to Gibraltar. Plane thought to be Salvaged, C Flight, call sign Limbo White 39, Morefield, Luther W. Jr. 71FS, 1FG, was assigned to it  for Operation Bolero

. 26 Jan 43 43-2135 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning Brown, Jack R . 82FS 78FG  8AF . Damaged landing, Goxhill/Sta 345, England, plane later 82nd Fighter Sqdn 78th Fighter Gp 2 Oct 1945 DUKO(12AF) Condemned salvage, Hometown,Lubbock, TX, ACTIVITY DURING WWII
FIGHTER PILOT ENGLAND, AFRICA AND ITALY
. 26 Jan 43

Possibly

43-2182

 Lockheed P-38 Foreman, Jerome L. NCO 19078572/ O-730438
 		. 78FG 8AF DNB Hometown: Los Angeles, CA, Took off from Portreath (Cornwall) to North Africa, (replacement aircraft for loses during Operation Torch), crashed in Devon, on his return to UK he was last seen in the vicinity of Dartmoor,
so presumably weather or mechanical problems forced him to abort the flight. Initially buried Brookwood London , moved 1948, to Hillside Memorial Park, Los Angeles, California.
  26 Jan 43 43-2148 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning Rope, Richard L. O-730615 331FS 329FG   KIA

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA, killed in crash at Albufeira, Portugal on ferry flight, not confirmed he was ferrying a 78FG plane,

Buried at: Plot D Row 7 Grave 5, Lorraine American Cemetery, St. Avold, France, Awards, Purple Heart

              78FG 8AF   Late February 1943, all of the 78th Fighter Group's P-38s were commandeered as replacement aircraft for units in North Africa. They were flown to the new battle zone by nearly all of the Group's pilots, who were also commandeered. When the dust settled, the 78th had become a paper unit. The Group commander, the three Squadron commanders and all three flight commanders per squadron--and no airplanes--were virtually all that remained of the 78th Fighter Group in England. Most of the remaining command pilots were sent to all sorts of schools around the British Isles, to kill time until new aircraft and subordinates could be shipped to England. The 78th Fighter Group was reconstituted at Duxford Airdrome (F-357) near Cambridge, England, in April 1943 with a full compliment of new pilots, most of whom were fresh from fighter schools in the States. The Group was also equipped with the Republic P-47B Thunderbolt fighter, a seven ton monster that few, if any, of the 78th's pilots had ever seen before. On April 8, following a whirlwind familiarization course, twelve 78th Fighter Group Thunderbolts, along with twelve P-47 fighters each from the 4th and 56th Fighter Groups, took part in the first-ever P-47 mission over France.
. 13 Feb 43 . . Winans, Winslow E NCO, 11045835/0-729090 83FS  78FG  8AF . Plane destroyed, mid air collision, Honiley/ nr, England, Pilot survived flew later with 48FS, 14FG
. 13 Feb 43 42-12907 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning Teare, William K NCO, 17047513/ 0-729074 83FS  78FG 8AF . Plane destroyed, mid air collision, Honiley/ nr, England, Pilot survived flew later with 48FS, 14FG
. 28 Feb 43 42-12988 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning Vogelsong, Harry H. Jr 15074444 . 78FG 8AF . Plane damaged taking off, Predannack/Sta 504, England, One of 6 a/c taking off on ferry flight , a/c ground looped pilot safe.
. 28 Feb 43 . Source; Brief History of 48th Fighter Squadron, 14th Fighter Group . . . 78FG 8AF . February 28th 1943, the 48th Squadron moved out of the combat area and returned to Mediouna airdrome, some eighteen miles southeast of Casablanca. There followed a period of rest, recuperation, and training. Pilots were received from the nearby training school at Beerschid and from the 78th Fighter Group in England, and the unit was brought up to full strength. By the end of April 1943, preparations began for movement into the combat area. The ground echelon left in several motor convoys for Telergma, the next base of operations; and the air echelon departed on May 5th. By May, when the 48th returned to combat service at Telergma, Algeria, the war in Tunisia was over. On May 7th, the British captured Tunis and the Americans seized Bizerte.
. 28 Feb 43 42-12824 Lockheed P-38G-5-LO Lightning . . 84FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 68 OG
. 28 Feb 43 42-12830 Lockheed P-38G-5-LO Lightning . . 82FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 82FG, 96FS, lost Jul 3, 1943. MACR 359, Crichton, Douglas E., O-496335
. 28 Feb 43 42-12871 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 84FS 78FG 8AF . C/n 222-7305, I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 42-12874 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 82FS 78FG 8AF . Went to To 1FG 27FS, 27/07/1943, Forced landing,  Meteur #1, Witley, John R,
. 28 Feb 43 42-12877 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 83FS 78FG 8AF . C/n 222-7311,  I have found no record of its fate
  28 Feb 43 42-12880 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 83FS 78FG 8AF   C/n 222-7314,  I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 42-12881 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning     83FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 1FG, 71FS, 21/08/1943, Ground accident destroyed by fire (71stFS), Mateur #1
. 28 Feb 43 42-12884 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 82FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 42-12886 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 83FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 82FG, GLEN (Oran, Algeria, 12AF) condemned inventory 2 Jul 1944.may not have accident or Pilot connection, may not even be from the 82nd FG
. 28 Feb 43 42-12887 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 83FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 71FS, 1FG, lost Jan 7, 1944. MACR 1692, Owens, Reed, O-659170, Stalag Luft 1 Barth-Vogelsang Prussia 54-12. Location, Approx 50-60 Mi South Of Target, Point Of Departure, Gioia Del Colle, Italy
. 28 Feb 43 42-12890 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 83FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 1FG, 71FS, lost Oct 3, 1943. MACR 992, Parrish, Ralph F, on dive bombing mission
. 28 Feb 43 42-12891 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 84FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 42-12893 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 84FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 42-12894 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 82FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 82FG, 97FS, lost Dec 10, 1943. MACR 1480, Downey, Harry L. Jr, O-798105
. 28 Feb 43 42-12901 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 82FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 82FG, 96FS, lost Sep 2, 1943. MACR 572, Padgett, James W.
. 28 Feb 43 42-12904 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 82FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 82FG, 95FS, 
. 28 Feb 43 42-12906 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 84FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 82FG, 95FS, lost Aug 25, 1943. MACR 486, Rudy, James R, O-733991,  Stalag 7A Moosburg Bavaria 48-12 (Work Camps 3324-46 Krumbachstrasse 48011, Work Camp 3368 Munich 48-11)
. 28 Feb 43 42-12911 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 83FS 78FG 8AF . To 1FG, 71FS, lost Oct 3, 1943. MACR 977, Hobart, Vincent S., O-732413
. 28 Feb 43 42-12912 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 82FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 42-12914 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 84FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 42-12915 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 83FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 42-12916 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 82FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 42-12918 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 83FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 1FG, 94FS,  lost Jun 24, 1943. MACR 53, Hay, John A., O-737780, Tablets of the Missing at Rhone American Cemetery, Draguignan, France
. 28 Feb 43 42-12922 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 83FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 42-12923 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 82FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 1FG, 27FS, lost Jun 18, 1943. MACR 19, Britz, Robert C, O-730360, Tablets of the Missing at North Africa American Cemetery, Carthage, Tunisia
. 28 Feb 43 42-12926 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 82FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 2 FTS (Free French) Had been flown by Capt. Harry J Dayhuff. Ogden, UT. 82nd Fighter Squadron. P-38G 42-12926, numbered 10,  "Mackie". Mackie referred to his wife Maxine and the name was also used on his P-47. The name "Mike" appeared on the left engine cowling and "Pat" on the right. When the 78th FG first arrived in the UK in 1942 they were equipped with P-38s and based at Goxhill but these were very rapidly transferred to the 12th Air Force. Capt. Dayhuff's P-38 wore the pre-war markings of two bands for a Squadron Commander. These could be applied vertically as in this instance or diagonally. White indicates the 82nd FS. Single bands indicated flight leaders. At this time, the squadrons used the "number in series" system where HQ used 1-9; then 10-39; 40-69 and 70-99 for the three squadrons. Squadron commanders usually used the high or low number. Note that the fiscal year denominator "2" is missing from the serial # on the tail.
. 28 Feb 43 42-12927 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 84FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 42-12929 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 82FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 42-12934 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 84FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 42-12935 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 83FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 1FG, 27FS, lost Aug 30, 1943. MACR 495, Warmker, Harry D.
. 28 Feb 43 42-12942 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 84FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 82FG HQ (as HV-A)
. 28 Feb 43 42-12949 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 84FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 82FG, 95FS
. 28 Feb 43 42-12959 Lockheed P-38G-10-LO Lightning . . 83FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 43-2042 Lockheed P-38F-13-LO Lightning . . 84FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 43-2082 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning . . 84FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 82FG
. 28 Feb 43 43-2116 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning . . 84FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 43-2117 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning . . 83FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 43-2118 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning . . 84FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 43-2125 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning . . 84FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 1FG, 94FS,On a return to the Naples area five of the group's P-38s escorting the B-26s to Caserta were lost, Roane Sias, O-740574, of the  94th, shot down on 20 Aug 1943, returns 23 Mar 1944
. 28 Feb 43 43-2135 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning . . 82FS 78FG 8AF . Previous incident, 78FG, 26 Jan 43, United Kingdom, plane condemed salvage, 82nd Fighter Sqd 78th Fighter Gp 2 Oct 1945
. 28 Feb 43 43-2138 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning . . 84FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 43-2140 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning . . 82FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 43-2143 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning . . 84FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 43-2149 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning . . 82FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 43-2151 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning . . 84FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 82FG, 96FS, lost Dec 20, 1943, Sofia, Bulgaria. MACR 1600. Pilot Mitchell, George M. POW
. 28 Feb 43 43-2152 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning . . 83FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 43-2153 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning . . 82FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 82FG, 96FS, lost 2 Sep 43, Pilot Schlener, John L, KIA, FOD 3 Sep 44
. 28 Feb 43 43-2155 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning . . 84FS 78FG 8AF . Went to 94FS, 1FG, Wojcik, Stanley, POW, 9 Sep 43
. 28 Feb 43 43-2159 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning . . 82FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 43-2160 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning . . 83FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 43-2161 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning . . 83FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 43-2177 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning . . 82FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 43-2179 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning . . 82FS 78FG 8AF . I have found no record of its fate
. 28 Feb 43 43-2183 Lockheed P-38F-15-LO Lightning . . 82FS 78FG 8AF . Went To 82FG, 96FS, lost 20 Aug 43, Pilot Van Ooordt, Paul K., POW

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