Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Hello,

I´m searching the exact location and the name of the Stalag Luft or the German Army Hospital in which Capt. Emmer, 354th Fighter Group (Status POW) died on 15.Feb.1945.

Also welcome is his burial place today.

Thank you.

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

I beleive he lies next to his younger brother Ray a GI KIA in Italy in St. Louis, MO.

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Flugplatz Giessen,

Capt Wallace N. Emmer (O-730422) was first held at Stalag Luft 12A (Limburg/Lahn) and was later moved to Stalag 9B (Bad Orb) according his POW record.

He was from St. Louis, MO and is buried there at the New Mt. Sinai Cemetery with his brother: see
http://www.newmtsinaicemetery.org/To...20New%20Mt.pdf
on page 4.

Regards,

Leendert

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Hello Leendert, Jack Cook and Flugplatz Giessen,

I saw your notations regarding my cousin, Capt. Wallace N. Emmer, USAAF. I am conducting family research and would very much like to know more of the details. Could you please tell me more on the forum, or respond offline to: aaatripp@cox.net? Any response greatly appreciated. With many thanks.

aaatripp

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Thank you Leendert and Cook for the informations.

Leendert,

is any information in Emmers POW-Record about the german army hospitel in which he died and the cementary he was burried on 15.Fbe.1945?

Thank you for the reply.

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Info is from the online http://aad.archives.gov/aad/ records.
No further details there than in reply.

Regards,

Leendert

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

15 Feb 45: 'Lest We Forget......Capt. Wallace N. Emmer, USAAF.

My cousin, Bud Emmer, died peacefully on this date. He was being repatriated in a prisoner swap and died of a heart attack as he was preparing to leave the camp. The mlty. certificate of death indicates cause as acute myocarditis---Bud was greatly weakened by burns suffered when he bailed out of his P51-D on 9 Aug 44.

The letter describing his passing was sent by SRO Allied POW Col. Charles W. Stark to my aunt and uncle from Dulag Luft (probably Wetzlar). Bud was borne to his final resting place by his comrades and buried on a hill near Bublinghausen. In 1948 his father purchased headstones for Bud and his younger brother Ray (found slumped over his B.A.R. in Belgium on 18 Nov which was Bud's birthday) so it begs the question....were their remains returned to St. Louis? I'm still researching this question (the cemetery records are inconclusive). Col. Stark's letter relates that Bud was standing next to an air raid siren just when it sounded a raid warning; Bud collapsed into the arms of fellow POW F/O Leonard Walker, RAAF.

On Sunday, 8 Apr 45, a memorial service was held in St. Louis where Bud's medals were presented to his parents. Present from the 354FG were Col. James Howard (MoH, CO 356FS/CO 354FG), Capt. David O'Hara and Capt. Robert Goodnight.

Tripp

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Hello Tripp,

this is a wonderfull message. The DULAG was the Dulag in Wetzlar. Büblingshausen is a part of the town of Wetzlar. There is the cemetery and I have a good picture of the burial of Wallace Emmer in Feb. 1945. German soldiers shoot salut on his grave. I will sent you the picture via PM. Stark was the Senior Office in this Camp and your cousin was treated in Giessen Hospitel near wetzlar.

Greetings

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

I talked to cousin Jay Emmer a few years back. I recall him saying that Wally and Ray were buried in St Louis. I also talked to another cousin in the Baltimore area (?). I vaguely recall being told that all the military stuff had been discarded or lost.
David O'Hara was a great guy and flew with Wally a lot. Bob Goodnight was in the 356th FS and was in flight school with Wally. Jim Howard was the 354th Fg CO. Don Beerbower (Wally's best friend) was KIA on Aug. 9th. His brother lived a couple of blocks away from me and was a very good friend.

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...randLtARMa.jpg
Capt Wally Emmer and Capt AR Matson prior to flying over St. Lo the the 354th FG's 2 seat P-51B.
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...lverStar7-.jpg
Capt Wally Emmer receives the Silver Star from M/Gen. Lewis Brereton commander 9th Air Force Normandy July 1944.
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...rdFS12-43_.jpg
Best buddies Capt Wally Emmer and Capt Don Beerbower 353rd FS Boxted, UK Jan 1944.

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Just A FYI in case you don't have this:
There is a Good Photo of Wallace Emmer with
5 other Pilots in Book:
Mustang At War by Roger Freeman Page 62
Mike

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Hello,
I have some photos of the Dulag camp, and some are of the funeral of an american pilot, but the name was Emmerett or Emmett, a B17 pilot killed by the germans, when the pilot tried to escape.I have an account of this from G/C Gilpin who was with Stark as Officer commanding the camp on the POW side .
I can post what exactly said Gilpin if you want .

Alain Charpentier

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Hallo Alain,

thank you very much for you answer. Please post what exactly Gilpin said. I´m very interesting on that case. I didnt know about lynch law again emmert or emmet. I´m living near Wetzlar and I wrote a book about the airwar in the giessen/wetzlar area. At this time I´m writing volume two of the book. I´m also interesting about pictures of the DULAG in Wetzlar.

Thank you.

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Hello Jack Cook,


thank you for the great pictures of Wallace Emmer. I sent you also a pm with the picture of emmer burial.

Greetings

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

This is directed to Jack Cook. I have never come across any photos of the Mustangs flown by Emmer. He made claims with P-51Bs coded FT-N, FT-J, FT-V and FT-G (the latter apparently his assigned aircraft) as well as P-51D coded FT-W and P-51D-5NA (44-13948) FT-G Arson's Revenge in which he was shot down. Do you know of any photos extant of these P-51s?

Thanks,
Tom

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Hello----some catch up to questions and items from the original posting on 11 Feb 08:

1. Attached is a transcription of the letter from Col. Charles W. Stark, USAAF, to my aunt & uncle on 19 Feb 45 describing the death & burial of
their son, Capt. Wallace N. Emmer, 353FS, 354FG, 9AF, USAAF.

2. To Jack Cook----curious where you found the great photos of Wally with Capt. Matson (in front of "Stars Look Down") and "best buddies" the
shot of Wally with Don Beerbower?

3. Thanks again to all who posted info. to the Forum regarding my cousin.
Especially for the links to NARA, photo of burial salute & additional photos.
For your information, he was known as "Bud" by family when growing up in St. Louis and known as "Wally" while in mlty. aviation.

Regards,
Tripp Alyn

Attachment 2287

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Additional NOTE-----Re Tom Semenza's request. I have photos of Bud in front of both his "B" model and the "D" model of ARSON'S REWARD (FT-G), and a great shot of a smiling Bud standing over the smoldering remains of his first P-51, the PEACEFUL PENGUIN, which caught fire and burned during servicing of the oxygen unit. Hence the origins of the name A.R. Also, have a shot of Bud in P-39 formation during 353FS training at Portland, OR.
Tripp

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

9 Aug 44 - 'Lest We Forget

This day would remain forever in the history of the 353FS (354FG, 9AF) as a sad day.

On 354FG Mission #2 (16 P-51s, t/o 1103) from ALS-2 (American Landing Strip #2) near Cricqueville, France, the Sqdn CO Maj. Don M. Beerbower (from Hill City, MN, flying his "Bonnie B II," marking FT-E) was shot down and KIA by ground fire while strafing approx. 30+ Ju 88s at a German airfield 3 mi. north of Reims, France. At this time he was officially credited with 15.5 aerial victories.

Sqdn Operations Officer (OPSO), Capt. Wallace N. Emmer (from St. Louis, MO, flying his "Arson's Reward," marking FT-G) led Mission #5 (12 P-51s, t/o 1658) in the Red One position and was shot down approx. 5 mi. north of Rouen, France (just east of the Seine River), when a German 88 flak round hit his fuselage fuel tank at 1855 at approx. 11,000 ft. Emmer was badly burned exiting his burning P-51D, but his parachute was observed at approx. 10,500 ft. by 1Lt. Theodore W. Sedvert (flying in the Blue Two position, 353FS). Emmer was captured and later died of myocarditis at 1410 on 15 Feb 45 while departing the Dulag Luft Wetzlar camp (see earlier posts on this thread). Capt. Emmer had 14 confirmed aerial kills.

On a brighter note:
Capt. Felix M. Rogers (from Newton, MA, flying his "Beantown Banshee," marking FT-O), who had been on the morning mission with Beerbower,
became acting CO of the 353rd but was kept from flying as Group did not want to lose "a 3rd CO in a day." Mike Rogers went on to a long Air Force career, retiring as a 4-star general. He is credited with 7 aerial victories.

Our eternal thanks to these fine aces who protected our country.

Tripp Alyn

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Additional note regarding photos of the Emmer a/c:

1. The P-51B displays iron crosses indicating 6 aerial victories.
2. The P-51D shows 11 victories.

Bud's final total stands at 14 in the air + 2 1/2 destroyed on the ground.

Tripp Alyn

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Hi, Please post if you can these photo's ,the P-51B would be the first photo I have seen of this plane.
The P-51D I have seen in a belly landing photo,not a close up.
Thank you
Rick

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Hi Rick,

Great to hear from you about a new photo. Can you tell me more about the P-51D belly landing photo? I've never seen nor heard about this situation. Is this photo available online? Do you know of any other photos of Bud (as he was called by the family) Emmer or his planes?

I will be happy to post the two photos, but there will be a delay as they are currently on an inactive computer and I must transfer to currently active unit. Thanks.

Tripp

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Sorry I don't have a copy of the photo because it was in the 354 FG book printed after the war that I had about 7 years ago .
Sold the book because it was a reprint and photo's were fuzzy plus you couldn't see the nose art other markings very well on this photo(on my copy).
Maybe someone has a frist edition.
Thank you for reply on the photos.I can wait no problem.
It is amazing very little is known about Capt. Emmer so you helped a lot.
Thanks again.
Rick

To 354 FG's specialists
 

Hello,

I search specifical information concerning an escort mission of 354th FG dated 1st August 1944 in Angers area, West of France. Could I contact a 354 FG's expert on this subject with a private message ?

Thanks in advance

Pierre Babin

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Hello Babin,

You might try contacting the U.S. Air Force Historical Research Agency directly as they have many of the group and squadron histories. Their website URL is: http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/ I have one of their pages
which tells of all the group's missions on 9 Aug 44.

The 354FG website is being further developed and soon you should be able to post questions for the veterans to answer directly. The 354FG website URL is: 354thpmfg.com.

Best wishes,

Tripp Alyn

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

For rpeck350, Tom Semenza, Flugplatz Giessen, Leendert, shooshoobaby, Babin, Jack Cook, Alain Charpentier and Others:

Hello & Guten Tag! ----finally I have transferred the photos from the old computer to the new one and resized the files to enable attachment on this Forum.

#1 You will note on Bud's P51B (FT-G) that it is not equipped with a Malcolm hood. Photos of Don Beerbower's BONNIE B II (FT-E) are an excellent example of a B-model with the hood. Bud had 6 aerial victories at the time of this photo.

#2 Bud's P51D ARSON'S REWARD is pictured indicating 11 kills & includes the "Victory Stripes" used during and after 6 June 44 (DDay). If you use any of these photos we would appreciate it if you would please credit "Emmer Family Collection" as your original source (thank you, fielen dank).

We are planning a permanent memorial to the Emmer boys in St. Louis, including their medals. The photo from Flugplatz Giessen will be a welcome addition.


Due to your interest in the Emmers I will update you on the latest info:

1. I have confirmed with the cemetery that the remains of both Bud & Ray were returned from Europe after the war and buried in St. Louis. I spoke with a family friend who was a pallbearer for Ray's interment.

2. Military records indicate that Ray was killed by shell fragments from an artillery shell that entered his thigh and severed an artery. Ray went into shock and was found slumped over his B.A.R. near Weissenborn, Germany. (this is a correction to earlier post of Belgium location)

3. Corrections to Jack Cook's posting of 17 Feb 08:

a. Bud Emmer is pictured with 1Lt A.R. Madsen (of Chicago), a combat camerman who was the 2nd person to fly in the back seat of the P-51B "The Stars Look Down" (Gen. Eisenhower was the first).
b. Bud receives his Silver Star from Lt. Gen. Brereton (note 3 stars on his cap).

4. To Rick----found the photo of the belly landing of ARSON'S REWARD. It is at the back of "History in the Sky" compiled by Capt. Arthur F. Brown. It must have been taken within weeks of 9 Aug (when Bud was shot down) due to the # of victories painted on the fuselage. The question would be---was this a/c #44-13948 and was it repaired, or did he receive #44-13948 as a new a/c shortly before he was downed by German a/a fire?

I hope that some of this new info. answers some of the questions which were expressed earlier. Thanks again for your interest. Best wishes.

Tripp

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Tripp,

Many thanks for posting these two photos! They were well worth the wait. I don't suppose you happen to know the serial number for the B model?

Best regards,
Tom

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Hi Tripp,
Yes that is the book ,sorry I could not remember the name of the book.
Excellant !!!! photo's,will be a good subject for a model.
Thank you for sharing.
Rick Peck

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

To Rick: If you're considering a model of the P-51D, you will enjoy these websites which both feature ARSON'S REWARD:

http://www.hyperscale.com/galleries/2002/p51dfd_1.htm

http://modelingmadness.com/scotts/de...ro/am48478.htm

I wonder what Bud would say....to know that his Mustang had been selected as a model??


To Tom Semenza: sorry, no info. on Serial # for the B model. One item though. Bud's previous a/c was the PEACEFUL PENGUIN, which he joked was named for a flightless bird.....due to the frequent maintenance problems with his first a/c. Most likely the PP was also a B model, since the first AR was a B model. The end of the PP came following the explosion and subsequent fire while the oxygen unit was being serviced.

You may enjoy this link to two websites:
http://www.cybermodeler.com/history/354fg/353fs.shtml

This website has much 353FS info, such as Don Beerbower's B model BONNIE B II with the Malcolm hood:

http://www.cybermodeler.net/history/...s/53183act.jpg and a great shot of the sqdn. on 29 July 43 at Tonopah, NV for gunnery training before embarking from NJ on the Athlone Castle bound for England

http://www.cybermodeler.net/history/...es/353d_02.jpg

http://www.cybermodeler.net/history/...s/353d_02t.jpg

It should be remembered that the 353FS produced 21 aces (who accounted for 196 aerial victories) and, when you add the additional victories of those with less than 5, the 77 pilots of the Fighting Cobras scored 286.5 kills and contributed heavily to the 701 aerial kills tallied by the 354FG. Please note that the 56FG (1005 1/2) and 4FG (1002) had more total enemy a/c destroyed in the ETO when you add those destroyed on the ground. The 354FG total of 956 places them 3rd in total enemy a/c destroyed in the ETO and you can visit their website at: http://www.354thpmfg.com/

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Correction:

I re-scanned the AFHRA site for 353FS aerial victories and now have a figure of: 85 pilots, 290.5 victories (instead of 77 pilots, 286 victories).

Any hints on how to lock in the correct # ?

Tripp

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

I you want the toal air list by pilot and complete ground kill list drop me a email. BTW Beerbower and Emmer had 3-0-1 ground credits.

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

15 Feb 1945 - 'Lest We Forget......

To remember Bud (Wally) Emmer. He died 64 years ago in Dulag Luft Wetzlar and he was laid to rest on 18 Feb 45 by his fellow Allied POWs with honors rendered by German soldiers. (Please see the attached sent by Pflugplatz Giessen, excerpted from the book "The Interrogator.")

We remember & appreciate the accomplishments and sacrifices of these fine men to protect their country.

Tripp Alyn

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

Bud (Wally) Emmer is buried next to his brother & parents in St. Louis, MO.
His brother Raymond P. Emmer was KIA by artillery shrapnel on 18 Nov 44 while serving with his unit: F Co./2 Bat./394 Inf. Regiment/99 Inf. Division/1 Army near Wirtzfeld, Belgium. The medical record indicated that Ray was killed in the vicinity of Weissenborn, Germany. However, mlty. maps indicate the positions of Ray's units on that date clearly in Belgium, not Germany. And, Weissenborn is located far to the east, deep within Germany. Later, on 15Dec 44, Ray's unit was just east of Murringen, Hunningen & Losheimergraben (just over the German border) right up front facing the Scharnhorst Line of the German West Wall. This was near the main thrusts of the German (12 SS Panzer Group) advances on 16 Dec....the Battle of the Bulge.

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

To Rick, Tom & others-----

Got it! Thanks for your patience, I finally found the answer to the "mystery a/c" involved in the belly landing picture in History in the Sky.

Here's the remark on this thread from 6 Oct 08:

4. To Rick----found the photo of the belly landing of ARSON'S REWARD. It is at the back of "History in the Sky" compiled by Capt. Arthur F. Brown. It must have been taken within weeks of 9 Aug (when Bud was shot down) due to the # of victories painted on the fuselage. The question would be---was this a/c #44-13948 and was it repaired, or did he receive #44-13948 as a new a/c shortly before he was downed by German a/a fire?

THE ANSWER: Thanks to Steve Blake's great new book on the 354FG, the a/c pictured is a brand new P51-D "Arson's Reward" (a/c# 44-13400) which was delivered to Capt. Wallace N. Emmer, OPSO of 353FS. Within days of delivery the plane was bellied in on 3 Aug 44 by Franklin "Bud" Rose, whose assigned a/c was FT-V "Dream Girl" (after Ed Regis was downed in FT-V "Rigor Mortis" (#42-106897) on 26 April 44). Bud Emmer was downed just 6 days later in another new P-51-D, FT-G "Arson's Reward" (a/c# 44-13948) north of Rouen, France, by a German 88mm AAA shell which hit his fuselage fuel tank (a lucky shot because the flt. had just changed altitude to evade flak).

As another note, there is evidence in other ref. sources that Joseph Sanchez flew a later FT-G (a/c#44-63768) which was lost in action on 30 Mar 45. For those of you curious about Emmer's "Peaceful Penguin" the a/c was listed as #43-6430 (typo, missing a digit) in Blake's book.

Hope that this clarifies your previous question.
Tripp

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

9 Aug 44 - 'Lest We Forget. To remember this day, 65 years later, when Bud was shot down while returning with his squadron which he led as RED ONE. He died 6 months later as a POW.

To remember his skill as a combat fighter pilot, his leadership and his care for
his men.

Tripp

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

15 Feb 1945 - 'Lest We Forget. Bud Emmer died on this day 65 years ago (DNB) at Dulag Luft Wetzlar. He collapsed into the arms of fellow POW F/O Leonard A. Walker after suffering a fatal heart attack when the nearby air raid siren sounded an alarm. He had been recovering from burns suffered 9 Aug 44 when his P-51D "Arson's Reward" (FT-G) of the 353FS (354FG/9AF) was hit in the fuselage fuel tank by a German 88mm shell, just north of Rouen, France. In the POW camp, Bud had spoken with a B-17 ball turret gunner, Sgt. Don Beal, only 1-2 days before his death....his spirits were high as he looked forward to going home after the war. Dulag Luft Wetzlar would be liberated just 3 weeks later.

Sadly, Bud's younger brother, PFC Raymond P. Emmer, was killed 3 months earlier in the Weisser Stein woods along the International Highway, just west of Udenbreth, Germany. Ray was serving as an ammo loader for a 30cal MG in a heavy weapons platoon of H Company/394th Inf. Regiment/99 Division. It was 2015 on 18 Nov 44 & Ray had recently received a letter from home informing him that Bud had been shot down. Ray exited his foxhole (shared with Bill Williams) and was hit by shrapnel from a German mortar round. The shrapnel pierced an artery & Ray went into shock. They were just over the Belgian-German border, and assigned to Gen. Omar Bradley's 1st Army. One month later many of Ray's fellow soldiers (including his squad sgt., Fred Zimmerman) would be killed, wounded or captured just to the south of this location in the early morning hours of 16 Dec 44....by the massive artillery barrage & panzer onslaught at the start of the Battle of the Bulge.

Both Bud & Ray were brought home from Europe to St. Louis in 1948 and now rest beside their parents.

We remember their service and their sacrifice.....

Tripp

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

18 Nov 44 --- we remember this day when Ray was killed by shrapnel from a German mortar. He was out of his foxhole, which he shared with William B. Williams. They were just east of the Intl. Hwy which marked the border of Belgium & Germany, in the woods just 1/2 mi. west of Udenbreth, Germany. Across from them were the German lines and a Wehrmacht mortar crew had the American positions registered. When Ray lit his cigarette, his buddy Bill told me it was only seconds before a mortar barrage was on its way and the shells exploded nearby. Ray was hit immediately and Bill hauled him back into the foxhole. Ray moaned once.

Ray was thinking of his brother, Bud, a P-51 pilot with the 353FS. A letter from his mother, Blanche, had recently reached him to inform him that Bud had been shot down (9 Aug 44) and was MIA. Ray was convinced that his brother Bud was dead. As Ray lay dying, his brother was in fact a POW in the German camp Dulag-Luft Wetzlar.....less than 100 mi. to the east.....it was Bud's birthday.....

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

After further research I must post a correction to my post of 26 November.

The letter from Col. Charles Stark to Bud's parents (informing them of Bud's death) indicates that Bud arrived at Dulag Luft Wetzlar in late December in "an extremely weakened condition." He was not there on 18 Nov...so, where was he?

Bud's location had been earlier reported as in a hospital between LeHavre & Caen, France. This can be confirmed up to 31 Aug 44 when he and other wounded were evacuated by the Germans due to the advance of British and French underground forces. This was reported by St. Louis bombardier, Fred Wolter, when he was repatriated by Allied forces. Wolter had occupied the bed next to Bud, but was left when the Germans rapidly evacuated the hospital. Most likely Bud remained under medical care for the next several months. Dulag Luft Wetzlar was a transit camp, so there is the possibility that he had been in nearby Dulag Luft Oberusel for interrogation, though his medical condition might have precluded that.

A NARA record of 12 March 45 reports Bud's camp as "Stalag 12A to 9B Limburg An Der Lahn, Hessen-Nassau, Prussia 50-08". This camp is approx. 25mi. SW of Wetzlar. The date of the report is nearly a month after Bud's death. Bud's death occurred as he was about to leave D-L Wetzlar bound for permanent hospital (according to Col. Charles W. Stark, USAAF the Senior Allied Officer at D-L Wetzlar) so perhaps Stalag 12A was an earlier location reported to the International Committee of the Red Cross (though, as an USAAF pilot, he should have been in a Stalag Luft). German documents already posted in this thread clearly show that Bud was in D-L Wetzlar at the time of his death. Can anyone explain the Stalag 12A confusion?

Does anyone have any additional info. on Bud's location from 31 Aug. to late December? Any assistance always appreciated.

Thank you.
Tripp

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

A further correction to Jack Cook's post #10 on 17 Feb 08 regarding the photo of Bud receiving a medal:

Capt. Wallace N. Emmer, USAAF is awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by Lt. Gen. Lewis Brereton on 2 July 44 in Normandy.

(please note that Bud's Silver Star and his OLC & 2nd OLC to his DFC were not authorized until G.O. #267 by HQ 9AF on 13 Nov 44,
over 3 months after he was shot down. His DSC was authorized 22 Sep 44 by G.O. #69 of HQ US Strategic AF in Europe)

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

To Tom Semenza,

Your patience has been rewarded, Tom. A friend from St. Louis found an online photo of Bud's 1st P-51B "The Peaceful Penguin".
The photo would confirm the info. in my posting #33 on 31 Jul 09 confirming the partial a/c ser. #43-6430.

(please note that this photo is displayed for informational purposes only)

Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group
 

"He made claims with P-51Bs coded FT-N, FT-J, FT-V and FT-G (the latter apparently his assigned aircraft) as well as P-51D coded FT-W and P-51D-5NA (44-13948) FT-G Arson's Revenge in which he was shot down..."

Thanks,
Tom[/quote]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom---I've tracked the confirmed kills in FT-J, V and of course G. However, I can't find the record regarding FT-W. Also, N was credited only as a Probable. Can you tell me more about the claim in "W" ?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Peaceful Penguin in the photo above is the a/c which was destroyed on the ground by an accident during the servicing of the oxygen unit on 4 May 44. BTW, Bud got 1 confirmed kill in PP, a FW190 on 13 Apr 44. 3 weeks later the PP was a pile of burned debris.

Bud's replacement a/c (named "Arson's Reward) was the P-51B pictured in an earlier post, which clearly displayed 6 aerial victories. I do not have a Ser. # for that a/c, but Steve Blake's book indicates that Bud was credited with 6 kills in a FT-G with no ser. # indicated.

It's now possible to confirm the dating of the two photos of Bud's "Arson's Reward" a/c. The 1st one is clearly a B-model with 6 kills. On 13 May Bud got his 4th & 5th kills (a pair of ME109s). Then he got 3 kills on 28 May (2 109s & a 190) which are 6, 7 & 8. Most likely he got #6 in the morning, posed for the photo with 6 kills, then got 7 & 8 in the afternoon. OK, sounds plausible. For the photo of his P-51D sporting the 11 kills, this must clearly be a/c #44-13400. On 29 June Bud was credited with 0.5 confirmed (a FW190) which gave him a total of 10.5. On 26 July he's credited with 2.5, so this photo of 44-13400 must have been taken mid-day of 26 July 44 before the addtl. 2 kills were added to give him 13. THAT WAS INDEED AN UNLUCKY NUMBER....because 8 days later that a/c was bellied in....fortunately the pilot, Bud Rose, survived the crash.

Bud Emmer's next NEW P-51D (to replace 44-13400) was 44-13948. He got a ME109 on 7 Aug and that gave him a total of 14 aerial victories....his official total when he was shot down on 9 Aug 1944.

Would appreciate assistance from all readers in determining the Ser. # of the FT-G which Bud was flying from mid-May to mid-June '44. Yes, it's the B-model in the photo with 6 victories painted near the canopy. Thanks!

Tripp