2 (or just 1???) 332 FG Tuskegee Mustang(s)

[HGabor]

Hi Folks,
I need the AC serial of Capt. Wendell Oliver Pruitt's famous P-51C, #73, 'ALICE-JO' (15 AAF, 332nd FG, 302nd FS). What I know is this:

P-51C-10-NT (S/N: 42-103960, "Skipper's Darlin' III.") was Capt. Andrew D. Turner's famous black #1 in 15 AAF, 332nd FG, 100th FS and Pruitt's famous #73 was also previously marked #1! The single digit of '1' is visibly overpainted with some grey or silver paint under the later digits of 7 and 3!

So: is it possible that Pruitt's famous P-51C, #73 (yellow squadron) was in fact Turner's former and famous Skipper's Darlin' III., alias 42-103960, black #1 from the black squadron in the fall of 1944???

Thanks,
Gabor

See:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...lice-Jo%22.jpg

[Faenor]

Hi GAbor and all,

maybe - there is Turnerś plane for compare:

https://assets.americanairmuseum.com...?itok=lSB0KIrQ

Faenor

[HGabor]

Thanks Faenor,
I think I will answer my own question: I think P-51C No.73 and P-51C No.1 were two different planes. If you check carefully the overpainted digit '1' on P-51C No.73 you'll see that this digit has a 'foot'. The No.'1' digit on "Skipper's Darlin' III." had no foot, it was just a straight line on the bottom. So "Skipper's Darlin' III." was 42-103960, but S/N of No.73 is still unknown to me.
Cheers,
Gabor

[Buckeye30]

Gabor, the 2 "1"s were different thicknesses too; if you go down to the last page on the second link there are 2 shots of 73, the same plane in both as the radio serial is the same (if you enlarge the second photo I think you can see a slight shadow under the 73). Obviously taken later with weathering. In the 100FS the c/o flew no "1"; Turner replaced Capt. Robert Tresville who was lost in the sea 22 June 44 in P-47D 42-75798 (MACR 6079) at the time the Group was converting to P-51s. He is remembered on the Sicily-Rome Memorial.
No luck with 73's serial though.


https://www.facebook.com/permalink.p...d=121277570085


https://timelessmoon.getarchive.net/...rmy+air+forces


Nick