[skeeter4206]

A new update on findings of my grandfather. I used a newspaper clipping he saved that had our home town talk a little bit about him. Well they meantioned a little bit about the 479th fighter group with lieutenant Colonel Kyle L. Riddles bomber escort. They flew the P-51 mustang fighters. So I searched to find out a little bit about the 479th fighter group.

I found out they were stationed at Debden airfield in North Essex England. They flew bomber escorts for B-17 and B-24 bombers from the 4th strategic air depot. They patrolled the beachhead during the Normandy invasion. While escorting these bombers they also dive-bombed troops, bridges, locomotives, railway cars, barges, vehilcles, airfields and other targets. They flew area patrols to support the breakthrough at Saint-Lo in the airborn attack on Holland. They received a distinguished unit citation for the destruction of numerous aircraft on airfields in France on August 18 and September 5 1944 during an aerial battle near Munster. They also participated in the Battle of the Bulge.

Well looking through some of the pictures on line there was a certain building that was in a picture of Bob Hope talking with the troops on a parade field. Well, just so happen my grandfather had a picture of him on that same parade field with what looked to me to be the same building. So I downloaded a bunch of pictures off line of the fighters and the aerial photos of the airfield in 1946 and what it looks like today. I also Added some more pictures of my grandfather with some of the buildings in the background to post here. Now I know he didnt fly with the fighter groups or bombers on their missions I know that much, so I guess he was part of the ground crew that helped out around the airfield. You can see in some of the pictures these WWII Nissen Huts that he is in one of the pictures laying brick. My mom said she knows that was where he pretty lived in when he was there.

Enjoy the pics