Me 109 / Fw 190 claims by Jack Bernhard of 78th FG, 82nd FS

[Andy Fletcher]

Hi Roger,

Here are all claims made by 78FG on 20Feb44

Name; Unit; Claim; Location

Col J.J. Stone; HQ/78FG; 1xFW190 dam (air); Coblenz
Lt J.J. Hockery; 82FS/78FG; 1xFW190 dest (air); Coblenz
Lt G.M. Turley; 82FS/78FG; 1xFW190 dest (air); Coblenz
Lt J.W. Wilkinson; 82FS/78FG; 1xBf109 dest (air); Coblenz

Regards

Andy Fletcher

[Roger Gaemperle]

Hi Andy,

Thank you for the info. That's interesting. I don't think that Jack Bernhard did write something in his log which was not true, but perhaps it was not confirmed or another pilot got credit for it. Probably, it is almost impossible to find out if he really shot down a German fighter or not unless there exist some combat reports (speaking of combat reports: do they still exist and if so, in what archive?).

If anyone has a photo of 42-8505 MX-K Smilin' Jack, please let me know. It would be great to see how it looked like. First Bernhard flew MX-E but in the log the same number (8505) is written next to MX-E. So, I assume that they later changed it to MX-K.

Regards,
Roger Gaemperle

[Fairlop]

Hi Roger,

There´s a photo of the Smilin Jack in Fry´s „The 78th Fighter Group in WWII“ book on page 97.

Regards,
Michal

[Roger Gaemperle]

Hi Michal,

Thank you for your message. Would it be possible to either post a scan here or to send it to my e-mail address directly (if there is a copyright issue with posting it here)? I don't have the book, but would be very glad to see the photo of Jack Bernhard's P-47.

Best regards,
Roger Gaemperle

[Fairlop]

Roger,

I´ll send the scan to your e-mail address but later. I´am off my scanner for 2 weeks. I note your need and will contact you.

Regards,
Michal

[Ivo de Jong]

This is getting very interesting....
I looked at the photo in Fry's "Eagles of Duxford", as Michal indicated. It is on page 47 in my copy, by the way. The photo caption tells us that it is P-47 MX-K 42-8505. On the photo in the book the serial is not legible, but the fuselage code is (thus note that it has a bar under the K). It is an olive-drab machine.
Close examination of the nose art shows that there is a small "II" behind Jack, that thus wasn't noticed by Gary Fry. Coincidently, I have a close up of this interesting piece of nose art, which I would like to have attached for your interest, if I knew how to do it.. I'll send it to you off board. Apparently the original "Smilin Jack" was lost or scrapped, and its successor was flown by Bernhard for some time.
According to Fry, Bernhard flew with the Group from Feb 23, 1943 to June 16, 1944 when he transferred out. He had no credited air-to-air victories, so was one of those unsung heroes who did not get a 'kill', but did all to protect their 'big friends'.
Hope this helps.
Ivo de Jong

[Roger Gaemperle]

Hi Ivo,

That's indeed very interesting. I had a closer look at the log and there is also such a bar underneath the K (i.e. MX-K) but normally the letters are not underlined except K and a few others. Also interesting is that first he flew a P-47 MX-E 8505 a few times, then MX-K 8505 and then again MX-E until he makes a crash landing on "Beachy Head" in November 1943. From then on MX-E 8505 doesn't show up again. So, I assume that MX-E and K were two different machines although they had the same number 8505.

The date Feb 23 1943 fits quite well with the log. Two days later, on 25 Feb, he had the first flight with a P-47 (before that he flew Spitfires). The last mission was on May 29 1944, shortly before the invasion.

If he wrote that he shot at the Me 109 and Fw 190, I assume that he really did but perhaps was either not successful or did just not get the credit for it as there was not witness or someone else got it.

Best regards,
Roger Gaemperle

[Andy Fletcher]

Hi Roger,

I'm sure that Bernhard made the claims in good faith, they were probably credited to other pilots or not confirmed.

Best Regards

Andy Fletcher

[Fairlop]

Hi Roger,

Please contact me off board because of the picture.

Regards,
Michal

fairlopATquick.cz