P-51 Marking Expert Needed

[ajlafleche]

I found this picture of my father among some old pictures. While it has "1947" on the front, it was processed 22 November 1946 in West Palm Beach, Florida. He talked of being at Cocoa Beach.

 

Anyone recognize unit markings on the nose?

 

 

 

[aAzZ09]

Al: Those are interesting P-51D photos. The aircraft shown in these photos show a "blaze" from the nose rearward but no unit markings which is typical of the immediate post war era. The following information may be of some help to you according to "Mustang-The Story of The P-51 Fighter" by Robert Gruenhagen (1976). You mentioned the photos were taken at West Palm Beach, Fla or your dad mentioned being at Cocoa Beach. This unit could have been deployed there temporarily , but this book indicates no Air National Guard or regular Air Force units were stationed there just after the war. I do have the following data from Mr. Gruenhagen on page 233:

 

159th Fighter Squadron (A.N.G.) based at Jacksonville, Florida - c.1947 (exact month unknown) to November 1948 with the P-51D

 

Reactivated again in 1952 to 1954 with the P-51H (at Jacksonville, Fla.)

 

 

 

I have several hard bound and soft bound books on the P-51 and this seems to be the best information I have so far. I do stand corrected if new records should emerge from someone else. It must be remembered that just after the Second World War, most stateside P-51 and P-47 aircraft in redesignated regular USAAF or ANG markings were very spurious and very few aircraft reflected the wartime markings (per regulations) of those pilots opting to stay in the post-war A.F. As the 1940s drew to a close, however, a number of units began to adorn their aircraft. Happy modeling,

 

 

Mark Fiedler (aAzZ09)

IPMS #14333

Edited December 29, 2010 by aAzZ09