Transfer of 1st,14th and 82nd FG to MTO

[drgondog]

Originally Posted by Alex Smart

Hello,

78th FG pilots and enlisted men arrived in the UK via the RMS Queen Elizabeth. The first P-38's were delivered on the 15th December 42 about a week after arrival at Goxhill. My opinion is that these P-38's would not have been the same ones they left behind in the US.
But could be persuaded otherwise as I understand that 183 P-38's were flown across in Operation Bolero.
At least one pilot was lost with a P38 (41-7576 was this one of the Groups a/c in the US ?) on a Ferry flight to North Africa.

Ref: "Eagles of Duxford" by Garry L. Fry.

All the best
Alex

Alex - You are correct - I wasn't paying attention to the question. The 78th ferried by sea and did not fly their stateside P-38G's to England.
The early P-38s that the 78th received at Goxhill were ferried to Africa starting in late January 1943.