Lt James Bouchier, 479th FG, does anyone know the markings of his aircraft Dec 25th 1944?

[Mysticpuma]

Hello, I am wondering if ayone can provide me some details regarding Lt James Bouchier who was flying formation with Lt Gordon Cartee and Major George Preddy when they came under friendly fire and Preddy was shot down and KIA.

I am interested to know what markings would have been on the aircraft (still carrying D-Day stripes?), did he have any nose art, what fuselage lettering was there and did he have a serial stencilled on the Rudder?

Any help would be much appreciated, cheers, MP

[drgondog]

most invasion stripes were gone by end of November 1944

[Mysticpuma]

Agreed, but Preddy apparently still had his when he was shot down that day? I read he had the under fuselage markings and under wing stripes?

Cheers, MP

[John Beaman]

From My friend, Sam Sox Jr. who is a specialist in the 352nd and Preddy.

Can't find as to if a MACR was filled since he did not die but returned to his unit. What I can say is that he was flying a Mustang serial number 44-15376, "L2-?" I have a photo of him standing beside another "D" which was used as a back drop and it shows that the 479th applied the 2 broad black lower fuselage stripes like Preddy had on his last Cripes. They were first seen around the end of October. Came as a result of a directive from 8th Fighter Command. Not all had those stripes however. Wish I had more but one of those thing we keep watching out for. Oh, I also checked the serial number in the Mustang serial numbers which sometimes shows final disposition of a bird and that number is not listed. If infor for the 479th is sparse

[drgondog]

My father's first P-51D which he received in mid July 1944 had only the 'partial (lower) D-Day stripes.

The 8th AF issued a directive on July 7 or 9, 1944 to remove the top surface stripes - for the fuselage and wing. When the last squadron code directives for cowl bands and rudder color scheme came out in late October/early November it was accompanied by an instruction to remove the D-Day stripes altogether. Having said that I have photos identified as late November/early December where a few 355th FG Mustangs still had the markings.

[Mysticpuma]

Thanks for the information, it helped greatly.

Cheers, MP

[Henk Welting]

This info came from my best friend Jan Hey, a wellknown air war historian WW2 on the 8th/9th USAAF NW-Europe.
"On the fuselage of the P-51D 44-15376, piloted by Lt Bouchier on 25.12.44, was the squadron code L2 for 434 Sqdn. On the rudder was of course the aforesaid serial number without the first 4.
According to the info from the Preddy Brothers Memorial Foundation, Major George Preddy was shot down by own AA guns. His P-51 crashed near Langerwehe, about 20 km east-north-east from Aachen, Germany."
Regards,
Henk.