354th Photo Found on FOOTNOTE.COM

Here is a photo from FOOTNOTE.COM I found this morning. Jim Howard is the only one named. Do you recognize anyone else?






Existing Photo Information :

Publication Title: Black and White and Color Photographs of U.S. Air Force and Predecessor Agencies Activities, Facilities, and Personnel - World War II
Content Source: NARA
Partner: NARA
Footnote Publication Year: 2007
Classified Status: This image has been declassified under the following NARA Authority: NND983062
Short Description: This series of photos documents an important era in US military aviation history, especially activities of the US Air Force during World War II.
War Theater Number: 12
War Theater: Europe
Place: England
Category: Crews
Sub Category: Fighter
Short Caption: Fighter Pilots Of Th...
Caption: Fighter Pilots Of The 9Th Air Force Squadron, Based At Boxted, England, Chat Informally Before Taking Off On A Mission Over Enemy Territory. They Are, Left To Right: 1St Lt. Franklyn E. Hendrickson Of Long Island, 1St Lt. William E. Pitcher Of Spokane, W
Photo Series: WWII
Updated Subject: ENGLAND, CREWS,FIGHTER
History: Original 4" x 5" (Lot No. 7363) received 26 February 1944.
NARA Reference Number: 342-FH-3A12429-79916AC
Record Group: 342
Series: FH

American Battle Monuments Commission Search Engine

I just found a website to search for people buried in American Military Cemeteries throughout the world.

You can search by name. (Or if you want you can search by unit by clicking the UNIT link.)

Take a look...

Newspaper Articles: Lt. Charles W. Moore

Several weeks ago I was sent two articles about the 355th Fighter Squadron's Lt. Charles W. Moore from James Best, one of his nephews.

I think these are important to post on our blog today as we remember the fight for our country's independence.

More Photos from Jon's Trip to France

Jon Teboe flying the same flight path Lt. Perkins flew. It was Perkins' last flight. He crashed and was killed in the morning of June 13, 1944.





John Torchio arranged the flight. He is a WW2 historian and through his research learned the path of the last flight Perkins flew.




The town of Notre Dame de Cenilly's church. Perkins was first buried here until his remains were moved. This was very near where Perkins' last flight took place.




John Torchio shows Jon Teboe the barn that Perkins flew over during his last flight.




John Torchio shows Jon Teboe the place where Perkins flew down to strafe a convey of German soldiers on June 13, 1944.








Down the road from the barn is where Perkins' P-51 crashed.




John Torchio looks at his research notebook on Lt. Perkins of the 354th Fighter Group. This is where Perkins' body landed.





John Torchio points to where Perkins' body and plane landed.





John Torchio points to where the engine of the P-51 came to a stop.


What an incredible trip I had. Much thanks to John Torchio and all the people he arranged for me to meet!!!!

Trip to Crulai, France

We had a great time meeting Charles Simonson and family at his home in 2007. He told us about his time in the second World War in the 354th Fighter Group.




Charles Simonson shows us the village of Crulai where he crashed in France in August 1944. Last week, I was lucky enough to visit the village of Crulai, France where Charles was pulled from the wreckage of his plane and was hidden from the Germans by the townspeople.





The Mayor Joel Buffard of Crulai, France, Jon Teboe, (Andre Briand ), Etienne Cohu. They are about to take me on a tour of the places where Charles Simonson stayed while being hidden from the enemy in 1944.





The Mayor of Crulai Joel Buffard, Jon Teboe and Etienne Cohu at the crash site of Charles Simonson's plane in August 1944.





Jon Teboe and Etienne Cohu at the site of the crash of pilot Charles Simonson in August 1944. Cohu was one of the townspeople who pulled Simonson from the wreckage and saved his life.




The building at the top in the middle of this photo is the barn where Simonson was first hidden.




Etienne Cohu and Mayor Joel Buffard show me where the townspeople first hid Simonson from the Germans in August 1944.





Jon Teboe, Etienne Cohu and the Mayor Joel Buffard stand in front of the barn where Simonson was first hidden from the Germans in August 1944





Etienne Cohu and Brigitte Briand in front of the barn where Simonson was hidden from the Germans in 1944. Much thanks goes to Brigitte who did much of the translating for me! She helped make the interviewing much easier!!! I was lucky she was around to help!

FLYING PERKINS LAST FLIGHT PATH

Jon Teboe shoots the flight path of the last flight of William R. Perkins. Much thanks goes to John Torchio who arranged this fantastic flight!

He also has been researching the life and death of Perkins for many years and has been a great source of information.








This is the center of the village of Notre Dame de Cenilly. Perkins crashed near here. At the bottom of the church's WWI Memorial, a plaque honoring Perkins is placed.









Perkins strafed these roads and this barn on the morning of June 13, 1944. We interviewed an eye witness last week who told us about Perkins' final flight. John Torchio arranged this amazing interview!




Just to left of this photo is where the plane crashed.

site verify

google-site-verification: googlef41806bca764b936.html

From the Official History Record of the 356th Fighter Squadron:

Here is a page from the official historical record of the 356th Fighter Squad of the 354th Fighter Group concerning Lt. Perkins' death....





This is from the June 1944 records. The next paragraph talks about the first sighting of a V1 rocket(aka buzz bomb) over the 356th's camp in England...

FANTASTIC NEWS

I just got an email from the man in France who knows where the crash site of William Perkins is!

He has agreed to meet me on May 13 to show me!

This is fantastic news....

Finding the spot of the Perkins Crash

I just found an old email that explains where Lt. William Perkins was shot down on June 13, 1944.

The email states:

"The exact names of the farms are between Le Pointu and Le Mesnil Rave along D 27 road. The plane was scattered along 600 yards."


I am still trying to contact the man who grew up in the near by village (Notre Dame de Cenilly) by email.

But this information may be enough to find the exact spot....I will have to research on google maps with this new information!!!

DECLASSIFIED MEMO: PERKINS CRASHES (and present day maps)

Lt. Welden described what he saw.






Where Welden believed Perkins crashed.






Present day map showing the towns of St. Lo and Notre Dame de Cenilly.






A WWII memorial is in the center of town.

A few photos from Charles Simonson's 1997 Trip

Here are a few photos of Charles Simonson attending the dedication of the William Perkins Memorial Plaque in 1997. Charles is seen in the first photo, second from the left.

Website showing one of the places where I am hoping to visit in France

Take a look at this website...



One of the photos on the site shows a plaque that was placed at the bottom of a WWII memorial to honor Lt. William Perkins of the 354th Fighter Group for giving his life for the liberation of France.

This town(Notre-Dame-de-Cenilly) is where I am hoping to get to in May. I believe that there is wreckage of his plane still in the town somewhere. In 1997, Charles Simonson of the 356th Fighter Squadron attended the dedication of the memorial plaque and there were still photos of a wheel and metal from the plane.

I hope to get there to shoot some video of the town and the place nearby where Perkins was shot down.

I only have a few short weeks to do more research and to contact some people who may know more about this town...

I am very thankful Charles Simonson told us about this place when we met him!!!

Charles Simonson - 356th Fighter Squad Pilot

NEW VIDEO CLIP POSTED -

A FRENCH TV NEWS STORY FROM 1996 ----


Charles Simonson was shot down in August 1944
while flying for the 354th Fighter Group in WW2.

In 1996, he went back to place where he was shot down
and the French villagers pulled him from the wreckage.

This is a French newscast about his return to France.
(We do not currently have a translation)

We met Charles and did a new interview with him for
our up-coming documentary
"The Heroes of the 354th Fighter Group."

He gave us a copy of this video for use in the documentary.

Another Article about a Reunion of the American Fighter Aces in the 1970s

This is an article from AIR CLASSICS MAGAZINE.

An Article about the 354th Fighter Group from 1986

Here is an article from a magazine called ELITE. It was published in the 1986.

Take a look....