Brettafett
Well-Known Member
So, Val Kilmer...
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Some of the 4th FG and a lot of A-2s
- Thread starter Smithy
- Start date
B-Man2
Well-Known Member
TimDude(s) of the Day:
Don Gentile (who we usually see later in his B-10) with groundcrew member Dick Mansfield. I just love this photo. Note the 4th FG fighting eagle on the Jug's cowling which is probably also a reference to Don's earlier service as an Eagle with 133 Sqn.
Great thread! Keep em coming!
Smithy
Well-Known Member
Thanks Burt, plenty more to come!
Smithy
Well-Known Member
No A-2 but Troy White who wrote the excellent "Adventures of the 4th Fighter Group" and the biography of Kidd Hofer has done a painting of Don in Donnie Boy in a bit of a sticky situation with a 190. He'd shot down two of the German's chums and this fellow put the serious wind up Don and knocked him around a bit. I'm very tempted to pick up a print of this as I reckon it would look the biz on the wall of the man cave!
Smithy
Well-Known Member
Dude of the Day...
We've had him before but he's probably the biggest character of the 4th. Don Blakeslee.
This image is very likely taken after a nasty scrap he got into with the Abbeville Boys on the 7th January 1944 in which he got very badly shot up, his Jug was throwing oil all over the place (see the oil on Don's Mae West and A-2) and he only just made it back to Blighty escorted by Jim Goodson who had come to his rescue and removed a couple of 190s off his tail. Don's Jug had an astonishing 72 holes in it and indeed because of the gun camera footage the German (Gerhard Guttman) who had inflicted most of the damage was awarded a kill on returning to base - they had not believed that a fighter damaged so badly could possibly make it back.
PS - Apologies for the less than perfect quality but I took this from a book with my phone!
We've had him before but he's probably the biggest character of the 4th. Don Blakeslee.
This image is very likely taken after a nasty scrap he got into with the Abbeville Boys on the 7th January 1944 in which he got very badly shot up, his Jug was throwing oil all over the place (see the oil on Don's Mae West and A-2) and he only just made it back to Blighty escorted by Jim Goodson who had come to his rescue and removed a couple of 190s off his tail. Don's Jug had an astonishing 72 holes in it and indeed because of the gun camera footage the German (Gerhard Guttman) who had inflicted most of the damage was awarded a kill on returning to base - they had not believed that a fighter damaged so badly could possibly make it back.
PS - Apologies for the less than perfect quality but I took this from a book with my phone!
Smithy
Well-Known Member
It's a fantastic photo Burt and one of my favourites. I have a photo of Don's Jug after this scrap which I'll post. You put 72 holes in a Mustang it'll drop like a stone, you put 72 holes in a 47 and it'll keep on flying!
BTW I think one of the A-2 experts IDed Don's A-2 earlier in this thread as a Roughwear from previous pics.
Steve27752
Well-Known Member
Checking his i phone before the flight?As promised here's Don's Jug after getting a make over from a handful of the Abbeville Boys and their 190s. I think you'll agree that that's rather a lot of oil.
And here's Don in his Jug, and no, he's not checking his iPhone, rather doing a pre-flight before an op:
Smithy
Well-Known Member
On another discussion board on which I used to be a member there were several who thought (jokingly of course) that this photo looks like he's checking an iPhone or smart phone with his left hand. I suggest not being too pedantic and taking that comment literally, but rather a reflection on how such a hand gesture has become synonymous with a certain bit of modern gadgetry.
Brettafett
Well-Known Member
Its actually very funny...
"Just checking Facebook. Wow, I got a few likes on that last mission! Cool! But old Hermann's got a big mouth! Damn! Running outta battery, forgot to charge it. Sergeant! Charge this while Im away, will you, theres a good fella".
Actually, he's on the VLJ....
"Just checking Facebook. Wow, I got a few likes on that last mission! Cool! But old Hermann's got a big mouth! Damn! Running outta battery, forgot to charge it. Sergeant! Charge this while Im away, will you, theres a good fella".
Actually, he's on the VLJ....
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Brettafett
Well-Known Member
Couldn't help seeing a look-a-like here.
Smithy
Well-Known Member
Why not fit another one in before year's end, here's the Dude of the Day...
Gerald "Monty" Montgomery of 334
I also just realised a few of the photos from the first few pages of this thread are missing after I was buggerising around organising my photos so I'll try and repost a few of the better ones which have gone AWOL.
Gerald "Monty" Montgomery of 334
I also just realised a few of the photos from the first few pages of this thread are missing after I was buggerising around organising my photos so I'll try and repost a few of the better ones which have gone AWOL.
Smithy
Well-Known Member
Well here's the first Dudes of the Day for 2019. It's kind of appropriate as this is actually the very first image I posted when starting this thread but due to some fiddling around on Imgur I'd binned the image so it's kind of apt that the first image for this year is the one which started this thread off.
Some of the guys from 336, July 1944.
Some of the guys from 336, July 1944.
Brettafett
Well-Known Member
Love that!
