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Re: 44-14036 in 364th FG, picture...still needed
Mathias, it is incorrect to form your assumptions in that manner. For a start, 44-14023 was in fact with the 505th FS, 339th FG as George Rich's 6N-H "Chute You're Faded".
If you look at the allocations immediately before 44-14036, these were:
44-14031 5Y-P with the 384th
44-14032 5Y-W with the 384th
44-14033 5E-M with the 385th
44-14034 5Y-U with the 384th and
44-14035 5E-A with the 385th
As far as 44-14036 is concerned, the only thing linking it to the 364th FG is a record on an early return due to mechanical problems on 10 September. No squadron, code letter or pilot being identified. It seems to me somewhat coincidental that both this aircraft and the next in sequence 44-14037 were "Issued to Group" on the same day - 23 July, and 44-14037 is recorded as flying its first combat mission on 10 September - the same day as the problem recorded with 14036. It looks to me as there might well have been a clerical error as far as 14036's service with the 364th is concerned, particularly as 14037 was with the 160th TRS, 363rd TRG. If 14036 did serve at all with the 364th, it can only have had a very short operational life with them seeing as it was lost on 25 November with 363rd TRG. So, if it did serve with the 364th, the short time scale for operational service might well explain the absence of any photo during its time there. In my opinion, for what it's worth, I think that it only ever served with the 162nd TRS 363rd TRG.
Peter
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