My Favorite Display at NEAM...the 57th FG's Bar!

[Jerry O'Neill]

I just thought I'd share my favorite item at the New England Air Museum. It's the 57th Fighter Group's Bar from the Officer's Club. It's made from a German aircraft wing skin. It is on loan from NASM and a proud part of the 57th Fighter Group Display at the museum. The 57th was formed at Bradley Field, so it's where it all started.
You can see it in the film "Thunderbolt" as the pilots and their CO, Gil Wymond, are drinking around it.
It's the real thing and I think very cool!

[Pat Carry]

Oh so kool! What a great piece of history.

[Jerry O'Neill]

Here are two shots of the Bar in use during the war.

James Hadnot (left) collecting his drink from Major Gilbert Wymond, Commanding Officer of the 65th Fighter Squadron for besting Wymond in simulated combat. Wymond flew a Republic P-47 and Hadnot flew a captured Messerschmitt Bf 109 at high noon over Foggia airfield, Italy. Wymond also had to buy the bar for all the squadron officers. Pic courtesy NEAM.


An earlier photo of the same bar before it was cut down a bit and more names and kills added.

[svengi]

There's some more pictures of the bar, uncle bud, and the lot at their website: http://www.57thfightergroup.org/pictures.html Amazing photos that really help illuminate their experience.