4th Fighter Group, Debden, Essex, April, 1944. Under a quintessential English sky, five 336th Fighter Squadron pilots gather near 1Lt. John T. Godfrey’s P-51B Mustang, nicknamed Reggie’s Reply. They are a great cross-section of the group’s wartime personnel — left to right, they are:
2Lt. Donald R. Emerson, from Pembina, ND (age 20). Don served with the 4th from early March to December 25th, 1944, when he was killed in action during a voluntary second tour of operations. A former enlisted armorer who entered pilot training, Emerson rose to squadron ops officer and A Flight commander. He is credited with 4.5 aerial victories.
1Lt. Robert E. Hughes (age 28). Hailing from Houston, TX, Hughes flew with the 4th from September 1943 to April 1944, getting an official “Probable” victory during his combat tour. He was shot down near Celle, Germany when his section was bounced by an overwhelming force of Luftwaffe fighters. Bob survived as a POW after bailing out. He passed away in 1986.
Capt. Don S. Gentile, from Piqua, OH (age 23). Don was a veteran of the Royal Air Force’s ‘Eagle’ Squadrons and transferred with them to the 4th in September 1942. He later made ace while flying P-47s and then really came into his own flying the P-51 Mustang. Gentile ended his time with the group as the 336th FS ops officer with nearly 350 combat hours in his logbook and as the overall top ace of the 4th FG with victories in three aircraft types, including two while flying Spits with the RAF, for a total of 21.83. General Eisenhower pinned the Distinguished Service Cross to Gentile’s tunic personally on April 11th, remarking that the young pilot seemed to be a "one-man air force!” Don was killed postwar in a T-33 accident while giving an enlisted man a long-promised ride in the jet. One of his three sons grew up to be an Air Force fighter pilot himself, flying the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
1Lt. Kendall E. ‘Swede’ Carlson (age 24) called Red Bluff, CA home. ‘Swede’ flew combat with the 4th from June 1943 until he mushed into the ground while strafing an enemy airfield in late February 1945. As his aircraft slid to a stop Carlson was about to hightail it towards nearby woods when he noticed that a single enemy fighter was orbiting and about to land. Standing on the wing of his Mustang, Swede keyed his microphone and called out the plane to his squadron mates. The German was promptly shot down, and, after giving a few more ‘heads up’ calls pointing out areas of interest on the airfield, Carlson was captured. His new hosts were unimpressed by his early ground FAC experiment, but Carlson, one of the group’s true characters, managed to sweat out the duration in a POW camp. ‘The Swede’ passed away in 1977. His official score is 6 victories.
2Lt. Donald J. Patchen, of Bainbridge, NY (age 21). Patchen scored two ground kills before a well-placed burst of flak mortally damaged his P-51 after only a couple of months on ops. He safely bailed out to finish the war as a prisoner. Don returned home to the quiet life of a rural route mailman, retiring after 30 years of public service. He passed away in 1999.
Completed 2019
Collection of Ron Freier
4th Fighter Group, Debden, Essex, April, 1944. Under a quintessential English sky, five 336th Fighter Squadron pilots gather near 1Lt. John T. Godfrey’s P-51B Mustang, nicknamed Reggie’s Reply. They are a great cross-section of the group’s wartime personnel — left to right, they are:
2Lt. Donald R. Emerson, from Pembina, ND (age 20). Don served with the 4th from early March to December 25th, 1944, when he was killed in action during a voluntary second tour of operations. A former enlisted armorer who entered pilot training, Emerson rose to squadron ops officer and A Flight commander. He is credited with 4.5 aerial victories.
1Lt. Robert E. Hughes (age 28). Hailing from Houston, TX, Hughes flew with the 4th from September 1943 to April 1944, getting an official “Probable” victory during his combat tour. He was shot down near Celle, Germany when his section was bounced by an overwhelming force of Luftwaffe fighters. Bob survived as a POW after bailing out. He passed away in 1986.
Capt. Don S. Gentile, from Piqua, OH (age 23). Don was a veteran of the Royal Air Force’s ‘Eagle’ Squadrons and transferred with them to the 4th in September 1942. He later made ace while flying P-47s and then really came into his own flying the P-51 Mustang. Gentile ended his time with the group as the 336th FS ops officer with nearly 350 combat hours in his logbook and as the overall top ace of the 4th FG with victories in three aircraft types, including two while flying Spits with the RAF, for a total of 21.83. General Eisenhower pinned the Distinguished Service Cross to Gentile’s tunic personally on April 11th, remarking that the young pilot seemed to be a "one-man air force!” Don was killed postwar in a T-33 accident while giving an enlisted man a long-promised ride in the jet. One of his three sons grew up to be an Air Force fighter pilot himself, flying the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
1Lt. Kendall E. ‘Swede’ Carlson (age 24) called Red Bluff, CA home. ‘Swede’ flew combat with the 4th from June 1943 until he mushed into the ground while strafing an enemy airfield in late February 1945. As his aircraft slid to a stop Carlson was about to hightail it towards nearby woods when he noticed that a single enemy fighter was orbiting and about to land. Standing on the wing of his Mustang, Swede keyed his microphone and called out the plane to his squadron mates. The German was promptly shot down, and, after giving a few more ‘heads up’ calls pointing out areas of interest on the airfield, Carlson was captured. His new hosts were unimpressed by his early ground FAC experiment, but Carlson, one of the group’s true characters, managed to sweat out the duration in a POW camp. ‘The Swede’ passed away in 1977. His official score is 6 victories.
2Lt. Donald J. Patchen, of Bainbridge, NY (age 21). Patchen scored two ground kills before a well-placed burst of flak mortally damaged his P-51 after only a couple of months on ops. He safely bailed out to finish the war as a prisoner. Don returned home to the quiet life of a rural route mailman, retiring after 30 years of public service. He passed away in 1999.
~ Lest We Forget ~