4th FG book
 

I am looking for a good book that is currently in print and available on the 4th Fighter Group. Specifically I am interested in the 1943 to 1944 time period. Good text and lots of photos of aircraft with markings is a plus. I have "Debden Warbirds" by Frank Speer which has good day-to-day text but most of the photos are close ups of the pilots. Can anyone recommend a good one?

Thanks

Bluey

Re: 4th FG book
 

Hello, in Fry´s and Ethel’s history of the4th Fighter Group, Escort to Berlin there are some photos, few of them in colour, on planes. The text is day-to-day chronology. I can give a better count on photos tonight when I get to home if You are interested in.

HTH
Juha

Re: 4th FG book
 

The essential books on the Fourth if you can get hold of them are as follows:

1. 1000 Destroyed - Grover Hall

2. Tumult In the Clouds - Jim Goodson

3. The Look Of Eagles - John Godfrey (probably the best pilot autobiography ever written) but very hard to find...try ABE books on the net.

4. Kidd Hofer : The Last Of The Screwball Aces - Troy White

With these four, you will have everything you want to know about the 4th FG and photos to satisfy much of what you are looking for. Drop in 'Escort to Berlin' and you pretty much have it covered.

Re: 4th FG book
 

Yes, there are fourteen booksellers on the Abebooks what have „The Look Of Eagles“ by Godfrey. The price is from 15 to 200 (!) USD.

Michal

Re: 4th FG book
 

The paperbacks are cheap, the original hardcovers start at US $150,-

It all depends on what you are after!

:rolleyes:

Re: 4th FG book
 

1000 Destroyed will give you a great overview of the 4th, according to their own image. A little ancedotal, as the author was press agent for the group, but it gives a great flavor to the pilots and the spirit of the unit.

Escort To Berlin is essential as it gives lots of details and photos. While the Kid Hoffer book is useful, its more about him than the group.

Re: 4th FG book
 

I forgot that there is a paperback edition of the Godfrey book - the hardback as Ruy has said is hard to find and usually very expensive but definitely worth the trouble if you have a specific interest in the Fourth and want a good copy for your library.

Re: 4th FG book
 

Thanks to everyone for responding to my question. I will have a look to see what is currently available and within reason price wise.

Cheers,

Bluey

Warlords
 

If you are interested in aircraft and merkings, then "THE WARLORDS VOLUME 1: The 4th, 20th & 55th Fighter Groups " by Barry and Ann Moneymight be worth a look. A fairly recent paparbac, supposedly the first in a series. it attempts to document EVERY known aircraft of the Eighth AF fighter groups. EAch aircraft is presented in a 1/72 profile with separate views of the markings where appropriate. Althought the profiiles are "posterized" and the artwork is highly pixallated, it book in an interesting browse.

Re: 4th FG book
 

I would recommend Ethell/Fry Escort to Berlin as number one on your list...

"1000 Destroyed" by Hall is decent but many more factual errors - for example, Hall claims that the Green pick up of Pierce Mckinnon on 18 March 1945 was first Mustang "Piggyback Recue'. In fact Royce Priest rescued my father Bert Marshall, Jr on 18 August 1944 NE of Paris - exactly 6 months before. 354FS/355FG - both P-51D's.

As an aside Jeff steered me to a similar Combat Diary format for my own book "Angels, Bulldogs and Dragons - History of 355th FG in Word War II"

Regards, Bill Marshall

Re: 4th FG book
 

A few other suggestions - Aces & Wingmen (by Danny Morris), Aces & Wingmen II Vol 1 (also by Danny Morris), and Aces & Wingmen II Vol 2 (by Bill Hess) all have sections about the 4 FG with many photos of planes and pilots. And ... don't give up on The Look of Eagles - two months ago, I won a first edition copy (with dust jacket) on eBay for $49, and I was the only bidder.

Re: 4th FG book
 

Actually the first 'two seater' was FB382 PK-G, in which S/L Horbaczewski brought back W/O Tamowicz from a forward airfield in Normandy on 22 June 1944, both from 315 Sqn. Cockpit arrengement was later photographed with W/O Słoń instead of Tamowicz, and send to press agencies. It is interesting if this influenced further piggy-backs.

http://www.geocities.com/ratuszynski...on_Dziubek.jpg

Re: 4th FG book
 

Bluey,

In addition to all the volumes mentioned in previous posts, I would also recommend the following books: One Man Air Force, Don Gentile's short book (ghost written by journalist Ira Wolfert), Spitfires, Thunderbolts and Warm Beer (Lee Gover's story - good for info prior to the group switching to the P-51), The Debden Eagles (the precursor to Escort To Berlin), Kidd Hofer - Last of the Screwball Aces, Donald's Story (on 336 Squadron member Don Emerson), Wingman (Frank Speer's first book), The Last of the Knights and Over-paid, Over-sexed and Over Here(two other Goodson books) and The Eagles War (good info on the 4th prior to becoming the 4th!).

In addition, Fighters Up!, written by three journalists in the 1944 about 8AF fighter ops, has interesting observations on the 4th during the late March-early April 1944 time frame.

None of these volumes will give you a thorough history of the 4th, but each is valuable for giving a detailed look at specific events and personalities from a wide array of viewpoints.

Tim McCann

Re: 4th FG book
 

Another good book if you can find it is P - 51 Mustang Names and Nose Art by John and Donna Campbell.
Mike

Re: 4th FG book
 

The Number One book for the 4th F.G. in World War II is:

Grover Hall"s 1000 Destroyed.

Hall was there and knew what he was writing about. The many photos are also a plus.

Pyker

Re: 4th FG book
 

Franek - interesting question. I was aware of earlier pick ups in different a/c.. but very sure of the Mustang facts.. as well as another unpublished pick up attempt involving Lenfest (354FS Ops Officer flying my father's WR-B Jane III) and Brown (top 355FG ace just shot down after destroying his last German a/c on the ground) and Al White (future B-70 Test Pilot). On October 3, 1944 Lenfest attempted to pick up Brown and got stuck in mud. White landed nearby expecting to give up his WR-S to Brown and Lenfest but neither saw him and ran to the woods to become POW later.

White took off successfully and returned home for a royal chewing out.

As to the RAF piggy back influencing Priest - it could have. The other unique aspect of the Priest rescue is that Royce Priest trained as a Glider Pilot prior to entering Flight School and the skills he developed may also have contributed to his decision to pick up my father..

Another interesting aside is that my father had made his first belly landing (of 4) in WR-[u]B[u] Jane II 44-14293 on August 15th and flew Chuck Lenfest's WR-F on the 18th when he lost that to flak before being rescued by Priest..

Did not mean to elaborate or hijack this forum, but this is an example of Hall missing important fact in "1000 Destroyed". I still prefer "Mission to Berlin" as a more sound history.

Re: 4th FG book
 

Joe- many books with P - 51 pictures. Could you post some A/C that you can't find?
Mike

Re: 4th FG book
 

Franek - thanks for the info on the June Rescue. I will have to amend the 355th FG rescue to be the first P-51D rescue - lol. Seriously, when I re-do Angels, Bulldogs and Dragons I would like to incorporate this little bit of history and credit you for the source?

Regards,

Bill

Re: 4th FG book
 

Bill
Do you want a better scan of the photo? There were some piggybacks earlier but not involving Mustangs.