Claiborne Holmes Kinnard Jr
Military
IWM, Roger Freeman Collection
Object Number - FRE 454 - Captain Henry W "Baby" Brown and Lieutenant-Colonel Claiborn H "Zoot" Kinnard Jr of the 355th Fighter Group with Brown's P-51 Mustang (WR-Z, serial...
Colonel Kinnard, already a much decorated fighter pilot, came to the 4th Fighter Group in September 1944 from his former position as Group Commander of the 355th Fighter Group. He was appointed Deputy Group Commander, reporting to Lt. James Clark, acting CO. On 1 November Col. Kinnard assumed command of the 4th Fighter Group. (4th Fighter Group Commanding Officer, 1 November 1944 to 6 December 1944).
Kinnard led the group on many missions opposed only by flak, but met Germans on only a couple, managing to score six victories in his plane "Man 'O War".
On 29 November 1944 he left to become CO of another group where he did a creditable job. At the end of the war his record was 25 enemy aircraft destroyed.
He has been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Medal with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Croix-de Guerre with Palm, and the Distinguished Unit Citation. He passed away in July 1966 of a brain tumour.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Headquarters
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Headquarters
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
People
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Nicknames: Man O War, Scatterbrain
- Unit: 355th Fighter Group 354th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Nicknames: Man O War Daphne
- Unit: 355th Fighter Group 354th Fighter Squadron Headquarters (355th Fighter Group)
![P-51 Mustangs (WR-A, serial number 44-73144) nicknamed "Man O' War" flown by Lieutenant-Colonel Claiborn H. "Zoot" Kinnard Jr, and (WR-F) flown by Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon M. "Gordy" or "Ace" Graham of the 354th Fighter Squadron, 355th Fighter Group , 1945. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'A/C markings 355FG. WR - 354 F.S., 355 F.G., 8th Air Force. CC's A/C 1945. Kinnard WR-A, Graham WR-F 415.' On reverse: Robert E. Kohnert [Stamp].](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-400832.jpg.webp?itok=8cBKv3Bf)
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Nicknames: Man O War
- Unit: 355th Fighter Group 354th Fighter Squadron Headquarters (355th Fighter Group)
Events
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Died End Tour of Duty (ETD) (1) |
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Other End Tour of Duty (ETD) (2) |
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Other Transferred |
Revisions
Added " / " in the "Role/job" field as a separator to aid readability.
AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS OF WORLD WAR II - https://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001330256/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-044…
"The Mighty Eighth", Roger Freeman.
Transferred data from duplicate pages
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Fighter Aces of the U. S. A., Mustang Aces of the Eighth Air Force and Aces and Wingmen II / Roster from ESCORT The 356th Fighter Group Over Europe 1943-1945 by Kent D. Miller/ http://www.4thfightergroupassociation.org/pilots.html
