Help ID'ing 381st FS, 363rd FG P-51

[marcpoole]

Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie...my first post. I'm am seeking help possibly tracking down the ID/date/mission for an in-flight photo. I'm a historian for the 384th bomb group, and we have an interesting pic (I don't know if it is widely circulated or not, but it was the first I had seen it) taken from the waist window of a 384th B-17 of a Malcolm-hooded P-51B/C, code B3 * W, which I take at being 381st FS/363rd FG. A guess on the date is sometime between March-May 1944, but I have no other info at this point. I don't know much about the 363rd...can anyone shed light on the pic for me?

Thanks in advance,

Marc Poole

[Robbie Stuart]

First of all, welcome to WIX!
B3 W would have been Capt. George R. Doerr, the aircraft serial number was 43-6426, "Pegasus".
Capt Doerr flew 10 missions, the last being April 22, 1944. He was hit by flak on a fighter sweep, bailed out near St. Dizier France, & taken POW. Hope that helps.
My dad, Lt. Charles F. Stuart flew B3 E, "Stinky", 111 missions.
Robbie

[marcpoole]

Robbie, thank you so much...that is absolutely fantastic. Further narrows down this pic then to sometime in March or April then. I have read that USAAF units did not receive the Malcolm hood conversions until March...do you know if that is correct? Do you know of any other photos of Pegasus?

Thank you again...BINGO!

[marcpoole]

Robbie, would you happen to have a list of the 9 other missions that Capt. Doerr flew? If so, I will cross-reference with the 384th's missions during that time-frame. Thank you again,

Marc Poole

[Robbie Stuart]

Robbie, thank you so much...that is absolutely fantastic. Further narrows down this pic then to sometime in March or April then. I have read that USAAF units did not receive the Malcolm hood conversions until March...do you know if that is correct? Do you know of any other photos of Pegasus?

Thank you again...BINGO!

Not sure just when the Malcolm Hood's started being installed, & there may be a picture of Pegasus in the book "363 Fighter Group In World War Two" by Kent D. Miller which was originally published as "Seven Months Over Europe". I am at work now & really don't have time to check. That book is an excellent source of info for the 363rd.
Robbie

[mike furline]

You can join Fold3 for a week for free and download the MACR #4221.

http://www.fold3.com/s.php#query=43-6426&t=95

[marcpoole]

Great. Thanks!

[Robbie Stuart]

One more note, the B3 W markings were reassigned to another airplane which was flown by Lt John Gervan, who was KIA July 4, 1944 at St. Lo, France while flying support for the D-Day Invasion.
Robbie

[marcpoole]

Interesting... I ordered the 363rd book off amazon to see if I could glean any other bits, and actually found George Doerr's obituary online from 2007, and managed to contact 2 of his sons to help corroborate the story and share the photo. I am assuming at this point that it was Doerr in the photo. I would think that if it were post D-Day, the Mustang would have evidence of invasion stripes, so the lack of them makes me think it would be either March or April. Hopefully I can fill in some more blanks!

Thank you for your assistance.