Warbird Information Exchange

Anybody have info or know Maj, James Empy?????? I knew him when he was with the Wings of War group (members that split from the VAC back in the late 80's).
He had 5 kills in WW2 flying a P-51B called "Little Ambassador"

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Long Live the N3N-3 "The Last US Military Bi-Plane" 1940-1959
Badmouthing Stearmans on WIX since 2005

My googling turns this a/c up as 43-24853 that belong to the 4FG that crashed in the Rhine in Switzerland and the pilot was interned. No info on the pilot tho.

http://home.tiscali.be/ed.ragas/awswissus.html

from swissinternees.tripod.com:




If this is the case, I'm sure Martin may be able to provide add'l info.

regards,

t~

Name was James Empey

I do have his bio at home - after he went home, his a/c was flown by various other pilots of the 52nd FG 5th FS, it crashlanded in the River Rhine in Switzerland in late February 1945 with pilot Rhodes. The a/c was interned and later salvaged in Switzerland - some parts were used to keep another interned P-51B flyable.

send me a PM and I'll treat you with more details.
Cordially
Martin / Swiss Mustangs

Hi Jeff, I know 1st Lt. Empey, He attends a scale model show every year in San Antonio, Tx. He is a great guy and has a sense of humor that keeps everyone in stitches. here are a couple of pics from last Feb. show
He built all those models on the table behind him. Here is another pic.

Here he is with 'Tex" Hill and Dick Cole (Doolittles co-pilot on the Tokyo raid) Would you like to contact him?

Tim Landers

thank you for the flowers, originalboxcar

4th FG is rubbish - same confusion as recently discussed, i.e. the duplication of the well known "Mighty Eighth" 4th and 78th FG codes on 15th AAF 52nd and 31st FG Mustangs in Italy........

here two more shots of the a/c somewhat soaked and later when dragged out of the riverbed.





Martin

I've been out of touch with Jim for years but he is a great guy.
He was in the 5th FS 52nd FG and downed 4 ME-1092 and a JU-88.
He was awarded the DFC, Air Medal with 9 olc and a DUB. I remember
something about he and his son serving together in VN where Jim was a forward air controller.

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Don't touch my junk!!

Dam, you guys are good. When I knew jim, he was flying his L-19 at the shows. He gave me a copy of the pic of his mustang that he signed for me. That and the article that was in a newspaper in VN about him and his son. I also have a full size pic of his Varga Girl that he had on the side of his mustang.
I had seen the pic of it in the river after he left, but never the one of it up on shore. WIXers are something else. Yes I would love to get incontact with him again. Would be nice to see if he remembers the 14 yr old kid asking him all the questions durring a VAC airshow.

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Long Live the N3N-3 "The Last US Military Bi-Plane" 1940-1959
Badmouthing Stearmans on WIX since 2005

Could you PM me the contact information as well? I live in SA and would like to talk to him also.

Ryan

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Aerial Photographer with Red Wing Aerial Photography currently based at KRBD and tailwheel CFI.
Websites: Texas Tailwheel Flight Training, DoolittleRaid.com and Lbirds.com.

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. - Prov. 21:31 - Train, Practice, Trust.

N3NJeff

I only posted the 'known' photos here - I have a dozen or so more showing the a/c in the water - will use some in my forthcoming book on the Swiss AF Mustangs, which also includes the internment cases.

Martin