42-67016
media-376970.jpg
FRE 76
Second Lieutenant Jack Martin, First Lieutenant Merle B. Nichols, Second Lieutenant Thomas A. Hanzo and Second Lieutenant Marion F. Bench of the 20th Fighter Group rest on the handlebars of their bicycles in front of a P-38 Lightning (serial 42-67016) at Kings Cliffe air base, October 1943.
Printed caption attached to print: 'Lightnings Attack Northern France. Versatile P-38 Lightnings, flashing their power across the English Channel for the first time in a combat role, bring new serial phase into the European Theatre of Operations. Well-trained pilots - some of them already experienced in the other theatres of war - and ground crews swear by their ships. From briefing room to flying line, from runways to skyways and contest with the enemy, each mission represents expert planning by Operations and Intelligence and the brains and sweat of every man who prepares an order or tightens a screw on a prop. Photo shows:- 2nd Lt. Jack Martin, Whittier, California, 1st. Lt. Merle B. Nicholas, Seattle, Wash., 2/Lt. Thomas A. Hanzo, Cleveland, Ohio, and 2/Lt. Marion F. Bench, Chillicothe, Mo. U.S. Pool/SG/H. Keystone 422 87.' Roger Freeman Collection
Printed caption attached to print: 'Lightnings Attack Northern France. Versatile P-38 Lightnings, flashing their power across the English Channel for the first time in a combat role, bring new serial phase into the European Theatre of Operations. Well-trained pilots - some of them already experienced in the other theatres of war - and ground crews swear by their ships. From briefing room to flying line, from runways to skyways and contest with the enemy, each mission represents expert planning by Operations and Intelligence and the brains and sweat of every man who prepares an order or tightens a screw on a prop. Photo shows:- 2nd Lt. Jack Martin, Whittier, California, 1st. Lt. Merle B. Nicholas, Seattle, Wash., 2/Lt. Thomas A. Hanzo, Cleveland, Ohio, and 2/Lt. Marion F. Bench, Chillicothe, Mo. U.S. Pool/SG/H. Keystone 422 87.' Roger Freeman Collection
Associated this photo to Merle Nichols - typo in photo caption had his surname spelt as 'Nicholas'.
Assigned to 77FS, 20FG, 8AF USAAF.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Kingscliffe, Apethorpe
Revisions
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes