killmarkings

It took a while, but the answer was staring me right in the face. On the largest file, you can just make out the serial number: 42-50414. "Gaw'Gia Peach" was a B-24H assigned to the 831st Bomb Squadron, 485th BG. On 10 August 1944 she crashed 15 miles south of Cerignola. Lib's weren't exactly the best design for a forced landing - and were particularly deadly when it came to ditching. I think this photo is connected to another in this stream which mentions "4 out of 10" survivors... www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/8092102382/in/set-721...

A neat picture of Jimmy Thach, a close friend of our family. He was in VP-5F with my father in the late '30s in Panama. W.K. Berner Jr.

Here is film of Thach and Butch O'Hare at Kaneohe, which was likely captured contemporaneously with this photo on April 10, 1942 (note the identical kill markings and smudge marks underneath the canopy sill above and on the Wildcat that Thatch boards in the film). YouTube - Critical Past: US Navy Lt.Edward O'Hare and LCDR John Thach, of VF-3, prepare for flight at Kaneohe www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5sx4wks6vU also: www.criticalpast.com/video/65675061850_United-States-Navy... Further, here is additional film of Thach (in the F4F Wildcat marked "F1", F4F-3, BuNo 3976) and O'Hare (in the aircraft marked "F13", F4F-3, BuNo 3986) flying over Oahu, including Kaneohe (likely filmed as part of the same effort as the photo and footage above): YouTube - CriticalPast: US Navy Lt. Edward Henry "Butch" O'Hare and LCDR John S. Thach, in flight over Hawaii www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKD7i6PgKa8

P-51B serial 43-7060 "Tommy's Dad" assigned to MAJ John C. 'Pappy' Herbst, commander of the 74th Ftr Sq, 23rd FG. Herbst's son was named Tommy - his only child. Herbst was later divorced, and married the actress Jeanne Eve Murphy on 3 July 1946. The next day Tommy was in the grandstands at Del Mar racetrack near San Diego when he witnessed his father's death during an aerobatic demonstration, a 2-ship flight of Lockheed P-80s from March Field, with MAJ Robin Olds as his wingman.