media-38741.jpeg UPL 38741 Assigned to the 368th Fighter Squadron on 16 June 1944, Lt. Cornelius J. Cavanaugh flew 67 combat missions for 272:05 hours. Aircraft included P-51C CV-Y 42-103197 "Sweet Jean Marie". Crew chief: S/Sgt. Herbert Blumberg. Lt. Cavanaugh completed his combat tour of duty with the 359th Fighter Group on 18 January 1945 and returned home to Royal Oak, MI.

On August 8th [1944] this squadron furnished ramrod area support to the 3rd and 4th Force, 3rd Bomb Division. We began patrol of our area at 1250 and broke off when Mohair called in bandits SE of our area. A formation of 25 FW 190s were encountered at 17,000 feet with a top cover of 30 FW 190s at 25,000 feet. These E/A were engaged resulting in claims of one FW 190 destroyed, one FW 190 probably destroyed and two FW 190s damaged by Lt’s John S. Keesey and one FW 190 damaged by Lt. Cornelius J. Cavanaugh. Lt. John C. Allen and Lt. Willis J. Cherry failed to return from this mission. Lt. Allen was last seen in the vicinity of Dreux and Lt. Cherry was last seen in the vicinity of Poix. In a strafing attack on ground targets, two trucks were damaged by Lt’s Hatter, Britton, Barth and Boyd. ~ Excerpt from the August 1944 368th Fighter Squadron History. 359th Fighter Group collection

Photo courtesy Anthony Chardella.
Archived by Char Baldridge, Historian, 359th Fighter Group Association.
Posted by Janet Fogg, 359th Fighter Group Historian.