Heading Home to Debden by Richard Taylor

Formed at RAF Debden on 29 September 1942 from the RAF’s three American ‘Eagle’ squadrons, the Fourth Fighter Group – known thereafter as ‘The Debden Eagles’ – were the oldest fighter group in the Eighth Air Force and destined to be the USAAF’s highest scoring group of the war with a total of 1,016 enemy aircraft destroyed. On 28 July 1943 they were the first fighter group to penetrate German air space, the first to engage enemy aircraft over Paris, the first to escort bombers to Berlin and led the first ‘shuttle’ mission from England to Russia.

In his stunning tribute, Richard has fittingly chosen to depict Captain Don Gentile – the man described by General Dwight D. Eisenhower as a ‘one man air force’ – and pilots of the 4th Fighter Group to represent all the brave airmen who flew the P-51 Mustang in combat during the Second World War. Gentile is shown leading a group of pilots from the 336th Fighter Squadron home to their base at Debden in March 1944. Flying his personal P-51B, VF-T ‘Shangrai-La’, he is followed by his close friend and wingman Johnny Godfrey, the group’s third highest- scoring Ace.

Signatures:

Colonel DON BLAKESELEE - 335th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group / 17½ victories

Major JAMES GOODSON - 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group / 32 victories

Major PETE PETERSON - 364th Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group / 15½ victories

Colonel ARTHUR ‘ART’ FIEDLER - 317th Fighter Squadron, 325th Fighter Group / 8 victories

Colonel CLARENCE E. ‘BUD’ ANDERSON - 363rd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group / 16¼ victories

Brigadier General RUSSELL BERG - 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group

Major JIM BROOKS - 307th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group / 13 victories

Colonel GERALD BROWN - 334th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group / 5 victories

Colonel HERSCHEL ‘HERKY’ GREEN - 317th Fighter Squadron, 325th Fighter Group / 26 victories

Captain CLAYTON KELLY GROSS - 355th Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group / 6 victories

Colonel ARTHUR ‘ART’ JEFFREY - 434th Fighter Squadron, 479th Fighter Group / 14 victories

Lieutenant BILL KING - 355th Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group / 2 victories

Colonel JOHN LOWELL - 384th Fighter Squadron, 364th Fighter Group / 7½ victories

Colonel DONALD CUMMINGS - 39th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group / 6½ victories

Major LEONARD ‘KIT’ CARSON - 362nd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group / 18½ victories