Claiborne Holmes Kinnard Jr

Military
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 number 42-106448) nicknamed "The Hun Hunter ~ Texas". Image stamped and signed on reverse to pass base censorship. First handwritten caption on reverse: 'HW Brown (Left) & unknown commander 355 FG.' Second handwritten caption on reverse, in different script, refers to the "unknown commander": 'He is Lt Col Kinnard.' media-377152.jpg 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 number 42-106448) nicknamed "The Hun Hunter ~ Texas". Image stamped and signed on reverse to pass base censorship. First handwritten caption on reverse: 'HW Brown (Left) & unknown commander 355 FG.' Second handwritten caption on reverse, in different script, refers to the "unknown commander": 'He is Lt Col Kinnard.' Roger Freeman Collection

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

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 334th Fighter Squadron Headquarters (4th Fighter Group) No 71 'Eagle' Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-885106
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot; Deputy Commanding Officer
Virgil Mcafee, a crew chief of the 355th Fighter Group works on a P-51 Mustang (WR-A) nicknamed "Man O' War" of the 355th Fighter Group, April 1944. Image by Alexander "Cal" Sloan. Written on slide casing: '355 FG P-51, Man O' War, was CH Kinnard's P-51 Crew chief may be Virgil or Darly McFee.'
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 355th Fighter Group 354th Fighter Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Mechanic
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 355th Fighter Group 354th Fighter Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant (RAF)

Aircraft

A P-51 (WR-P, serial number 42-106950), nicknamed "The Iowa Beaut", of the 354th Fighter Squadron, 355th Fighter Group in flight. Written on slide casing: 'Lee Menenhall Fly WR-P "Iowa Beaut" 354 FS, 355 FG.'
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: Man o War The Iowa Beaut
  • Unit: 355th Fighter Group 354th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Nicknames: Helen Man o War
  • Unit: 355th Fighter Group 354th Fighter Squadron
Virgil Mcafee, a crew chief of the 355th Fighter Group works on a P-51 Mustang (WR-A) nicknamed "Man O' War" of the 355th Fighter Group, April 1944. Image by Alexander "Cal" Sloan. Written on slide casing: '355 FG P-51, Man O' War, was CH Kinnard's P-51 Crew chief may be Virgil or Darly McFee.'
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: Man O War
  • Unit: 355th Fighter Group 354th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group Headquarters Squadron (355th Fighter Group) 335th Fighter Squadron
A P-51 Mustang, nicknamed "Man O' War" of the 4th Fighter Group, at Debden flown by Lieutenant Colonel Claiborne Kinnard, who commanded the group from August to late November 1944. The two projections from the cockpit are wing mirrors. Handwritten on slide:"C/C Rod on Kinnard's Man O'War Richie"
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: Man O War Old Witch Floozy Suzy
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 334th Fighter Squadron

Events

Event Location Date Description

Died

End Tour of Duty (ETD) (1)

Other

End Tour of Duty (ETD) (2)

Other

Promoted

Other

Reassigned

Other

Transferred

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added " / " in the "Role/job" field as a separator to aid readability.

Date
Changes
Sources

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.

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Added nickname from information in the image captions.

Date
Contributorapollo11
Changes
Sources

Personal research & 'The Debden Eagles' by Garry L. Fry.

Date
Contributorapollo11
Changes
Sources

All information correct as far as I am aware

Date
ContributorEmily
Changes
Sources

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

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

Claiborne Holmes Kinnard: Gallery (20 items)