44-11224 Pretty Pat

A P-51 Mustang (serial number: 44-11224) nicknamed "Pretty Pat" of the 357th Fighter Group, suffers a mishap on takeoff as a result of an icy runway at Leiston. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Pretty Pat shuddered off runway ice pilot fatigue Lt Roco Lepole [sic] 10 Jan '45 ' media-377183.jpg FRE 485 A P-51 Mustang (serial number: 44-11224) nicknamed "Pretty Pat" of the 357th Fighter Group, suffers a mishap on takeoff as a result of an icy runway at Leiston. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Pretty Pat shuddered off runway ice pilot fatigue Lt Roco Lepole [sic] 10 Jan '45 ' Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 485 - A P-51 Mustang (serial number: 44-11224) nicknamed "Pretty Pat" of the 357th Fighter Group, suffers a mishap on takeoff as a result of an icy runway...

Assigned to 364FS, 357FG, 8AF USAAF. Written of in crash landing at Leiston 1-Jan-45. Pilot Lt Rocco R LePore.

Connections

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Units served with

People

Rocco Raymond LePore

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 357th Fighter Group 364th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 12177419 / T-62546 / O-1998556
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

Places

Aerial photograph of Leiston airfield looking south, the control tower and technical site are to the right, 16 October 1945. Photograph taken by No. 541 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/929. English Heritage (RAF Photography).

Leiston

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Theberton/Saxmundham

Events

Event Location Date Description

Crashed

Leiston IP16, UK 1 January 1945 Written of in crash landing at Leiston 1-Jan-45. Pilot Lt Rocco R LePore.

Manufactured

Inglewood, CA, USA Built at North American.

Delivered

Beale AFB, CA, USA Delivered to USAAF.

Assigned

Leiston IP16, UK Assigned to 364FS, 357FG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

http://littlefriends.co.uk/search.php?searchString=11224&Submit=Search
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbasn.asp?SN=44-11224&Submit4=Go

44-11224: Gallery (3 items)

Ground crew, including Sergeant Dick Spicer, of the 357th Fighter Group attend to a P-51 Mustang nicknamed "Pretty Pat" following a crash landing caused by slick runways, which made the pilot Lieutenant Rocco Lepore lose control of the aircraft. Image via Merle Olmsted. Handwritten caption on reverse: '10 Jan 1945.'

Object number: FRE 476 - Ground crew, including Sergeant Dick Spicer, of...

A P-51 Mustang (serial number: 44-11224) nicknamed "Pretty Pat" of the 357th Fighter Group, suffers a mishap on takeoff as a result of an icy runway at Leiston. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Pretty Pat shuddered off runway ice pilot fatigue Lt Roco Lepole [sic] 10 Jan '45 '

Object number: FRE 485 - A P-51 Mustang (serial number: 44-11224) nicknamed...

Object number: UPL 29923 - P-51D 44-11224 C5-C “Pretty Pat” Lt. Rocco R...