Spring Military Aviation and Militaria Auction
Lot 100:
Description
This collection consists of approximately 40 original black-and-white photographs documenting the personnel and equipment of the 355th Fighter Group and the 357th Fighter Squadron of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. The images primarily feature Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter aircraft, including several airframes displaying the YF squadron code assigned to the 358th Fighter Squadron. The photographs depict aircraft on the flight line, during maintenance, and in close-up views of nose and propeller sections. Personnel are shown in period-correct flight gear, including A-2 leather flight jackets, B-8 goggles, and flight helmets. Ground crew members are also pictured in fatigue uniforms. The collection includes a printed card featuring the red dragon insignia of the Three Hundred Fifty-Seventh Fighter Squadron. Subject matter extends to candid interior views of airmen in mess halls and barracks, sequence shots of aerial strafing missions, and an award ceremony involving a high-ranking officer and a soldier in a Class A uniform with visible unit patches. Handwritten identifications on photo margins include Sgt. Reid Line Chief, Cpl. Crew chief, Henry 45, and O. [illegible]. The photographs are presented in modern archival protective sleeves.
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