KITTEN
 

Hi Folks,
15 AAF, 332nd FG, 302nd FS P-51C, S/N: 42-103950 was marked #78, nicknamed 'JANICE'.
302nd FS pilot, Charles E. McGee flew P-51C, in many pics also marked as #78, but with the different nickname of 'KITTEN'.
Leon Spears' P-51C was also nicknamed 'KITTEN', but it was 42-103905, #51 of the 301st FS which was lost on March 24, 1945 over Germany.

Was 'KITTEN' and 'JANICE' the very same P-51C (42-103950) serving two different pilots with changed nicknames, or they were two different planes (42-103905 and 42-103950), one with single marking #78 in the 302nd FS, the other one marked with #78 in the 302nd, later with #51 in the 301st Squadron?

Thanks,
Gabor

Re: KITTEN
 

Hi Gabor. I've got a note here that 42-103950 / 78 was flown by 2/Lt. Paul L Green (302FS), survived the war and had a landing accident at one of the Foggia airfields on June 7 1945, salvaged 10 July; I don't know whether his assigned aircraft though. I would GUESS that McGee and Green flew the same P-51C (950), McGee first; he named her for his wife Francis. A second pilot wouldn't normally keep the previous name if it was someone's wife or girlfriend. There is no name for 42-103905 on the MACR, if there was a nickname it was usually included (but not always); as she was lost on 24 March with Spears (51 is a 301FS number) she had no connection to the 302nd. The 302nd was inactivated on March 6 so their older P-51Cs could have been flown to the Foggia complex for disposal; the last Group mission, a recon. to Bolzano was actually on 30 April recorded as the 311th.
Many of this C-10-NT block 42-103379--978 went to all 4-332nd squadrons.


Nick

Re: KITTEN
 

Hi Nick,
Thank you so much, very interesting info. I was not aware of the post war accident of 42-103950. Just found a pic of 'KITTEN', #78, which indicates that her S/N was 43-25072 (43-02572), that I doubt. 43-25072 was a 100th FS P-51C, not 302nd and was salvaged on September 30, 1945:

https://aircraftprofileprints.com/p-..._RghujD0yz3pZe


Another interesting info is that famous 100th FS P-51C, 'Bernice-Baby' was 42-103555, which had two landing accidents on September 2 and December 6, 1944 with William T. Mattison and Albert L. Young onboard. See the small digits of 3555 on the air intake panel:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/491877590553995947/

Does the accident report of 42-103950, #78 reveal the engine number of the plane? (32xxxx)

Cheers,
Gabor

Re: KITTEN
 

Gabor. These serials are often a problem (ask Stig). The accident report for Sept. 22 44 for Mattison says it was 44-13555 but this was 4FG / Eighth AF "Thunderbird". Dec. 6 44 does say Young in 42-103555 but I'm not sure this was "Bernice Baby" flown by J.D. Holsclaw (?). Young was lost in 42-103454 Jan. 21 45 over Austria.
McGee flew another "Kitten" in Korea later; do you want to see a colour photo?


Regards
Nick

Re: KITTEN
 

Nick, you are right. It is also true that pilots shared the same plane if they were on leave, being ill, etc. Several accident report show that famous and assigned planes were lost in accidents with new, rookie pilots. Thanks, I have the pic of KITTEN in Korea, and I try to stay within WWII only.
Gabor