War Eagle ~ SNAFU was a Duxford-based 78th Fighter Group P-47 Thunderbolt assigned to the 84th Fighter Squadron. Her first pilot, Alabamian 1Lt. Julius P. Maxwell, named the ship after the battle cry of Auburn University. Later, Texan 1Lt. Severino Calderon added the moniker “SNAFU” to the side near the cockpit when he was assigned the plane after Maxwell completed his first tour.
Maxwell scored two confirmed aerial victories (one each Bf 109 and Fw 190, plus one Bf 109 damaged) over 133 combat missions during his two tours with the 'Eagles of Duxford.' He rose to the rank of Captain and become B and then A Flight commander of the 84th FS. Calderon joined the group a few weeks after D-Day and completed his tour in January 1945.
War Eagle herself was substantially damaged and written off on 15 December 1944 when 1Lt. Earl Stier belly landed the Jug at Duxford after a mission.
Completed 2026
Collection of Bela Ballo
War Eagle ~ SNAFU was a Duxford-based 78th Fighter Group P-47 Thunderbolt assigned to the 84th Fighter Squadron. Her first pilot, Alabamian 1Lt. Julius P. Maxwell, named the ship after the battle cry of Auburn University. Later, Texan 1Lt. Severino Calderon added the moniker “SNAFU” to the side near the cockpit when he was assigned the plane after Maxwell completed his first tour.
Maxwell scored two confirmed aerial victories (one each Bf 109 and Fw 190, plus one Bf 109 damaged) over 133 combat missions during his two tours with the 'Eagles of Duxford.' He rose to the rank of Captain and become B and then A Flight commander of the 84th FS. Calderon joined the group a few weeks after D-Day and completed his tour in January 1945.
War Eagle herself was substantially damaged and written off on 15 December 1944 when 1Lt. Earl Stier belly landed the Jug at Duxford after a mission.