Warbird Information Exchange

Still adding...

- The Flying Heritage Collection's F-86A - said to be nearing completion of restoration to fly - is a Korean War combat vet, having been the personal aircraft of Lt. James Leatherbee of the 334th FIS, 4th FIW)
- The Flying Heritage Collection's FG-1D Corsair (in-store somewhere - perhaps, or perhaps not, under restoration to fly) is a WWII combat vet
- Neil Melton's Skyraider "Lieutenant America" is a Vietnam War combat vet

With regard to Mustangs, there are of course some with very specific known squadron assignments and combat records. Others are known to have gone overseas and been assigned to various fighter wings, but no specific squadron assignments/combat records are known, and most of these are believed to have never actually entered combat service, having likely arrived in Theatre not long before VE-Day and never assigned to any particular unit (eventually being prime candidates for being sold to other country's air forces, or simply being shipped right back to the US).

This is all from my understanding (i.e., could very well be subject to error)...

- TP-51C "Betty Jane" (a new aircraft, built using the identity of a 370th FS/359th FG, 8th AF P-51C that was dug up from the ground in England)
- P-51B "Impatient Virgin" (a new aircraft, and using some D-model components, built using the identity of the original 367th FS/361st FG, 8th AF P-51B that was dug up from the ground in England)
- P-51B "Berlin Express" (a new aircraft, and using a few D-model components, built using the identity of a 382nd FS/363rd FG, 9th AF P-51B dug up from the ground in England)
- P-51C "Princess Elizabeth" (assembled using a D-model fuselage, a B/C wing, and C tail, with the identity of a 20th TRS/8th TRG, 10th AF F-6C/P-51C assigned)
- P-51K "Fragile but Agile" (originally assigned to the 342nd FS/348th FG, 5th AF)
- P-51D "Marinell" (a mostly new aircraft, built as a clone of the much later-variant D-model "Janie", using the identity/parts of the original 504th FS/339th FG, 8th AF P-51D (some sections of which were recovered from a scrap-yard in France))
- P-51D "Millie G" (a new aircraft, built using the identity of the original 343rd FS/55th FG, 8th AF P-51D)
*** Ed Giller actually ended up having 4 different P-51D's named "Millie G", and another, 44-72123, survives today mounted to a pole in the Dominican Republic as well ***
- P-51D Lou IV N51TK (delivered to the 15th AF in Italy, but not assigned to a Fighter Group/never saw WWII combat)
- P-51D "Sierra Sue II" (originally assigned to the 402nd FS/370th FG, 9th AF)
- P-51D "Grim Reaper" (delivered to the 8th AF in England, but not assigned to a Fighter Group/never saw WWII combat)
- P-51D 44-63762 (under restoration to fly - originally assigned to the 27th Photo Squadron/7th Photo Recon Group, 8th AF)
- TP-51D "Daddy's Girl" (delivered to the 8th AF in England, but not assigned to a Fighter Group/never saw WWII combat)
- P-51D "Twilight Tear" (a mostly new aircraft, built using the identity/parts of the original 83rd FS/78th FG, 8th AF P-51D (interestingly the wing is traced to the serial number of another 83rd FS Mustang, which was grafted to the fuselage of "Twilight Tear" during the war))
- TF-51D former-"Tempus Fugit" (delivered to the 8th AF in England, but not assigned to a Fighter Group/never saw WWII combat)
- P-51D "Queen of Hearts" (originally assigned to the 318th FS/325th FG, 15th AF)
- P-51D "Mary Mine" (originally assigned to the 376th FS/61st FG, 8th AF, said to be under restoration)
- P-51D "Kansas City Kitty III" (originally assigned to the 351st FS/353rd FG, 8th AF)
- P-51D "Tall in the Saddle" (delivered to the 15th AF, but original combat record unknown (believed to be 332nd FG, based on circumstantial evidence, along with possible bullet hole patches))
- P-51D "Sweet Revenge" (delivered to the 8th AF, but not assigned to a Fighter Group/never saw WWII combat)
- P-51D 44-72059 (under restoration to fly, originally assigned to the 384th FS/364th FG, 8th AF)
- P-51D "Baby Duck" (delivered to the 8th AF, but not assigned to a Fighter Group/never saw WWII combat)
- P-51D "Miss Helen" (the fuselage is original to this aircraft, and was originally assigned to the 487th FS/352nd FG, 8th AF)
- P-51D "The Brat III" (originally assigned to the 401st FS/370th FG, 9th AF)
- P-51D "Upupa Epops" (originally assigned to the 352nd FS/353rd FG, 8th AF)
- P-51D 44-72395 (under restoration to fly, originally assigned to the 435th FS/479th FG, 8th AF)
- P-51D "Hell-er Bust" (delivered to the 8th AF, but not assigned to a Fighter Group/never saw WWII combat)
- P-51D former-"Ridge Runner III" (originally assigned to the 356th FS/354th FG, 9th AF)
- P-51D "See Me Later" (delivered (I believe) to either the 12th or 15th AF, but original combat record, if any, is unknown)
- P-51D "Blondie/Sparky" (originally assigned to the 5th FS/52nd FG, 15th AF)
- P-51D D-FBUN (originally assigned to the 374th FS/361st FG, 8th AF)
- TF-51D "Scat VII" (highly rebuilt, using identity/remaining parts of the original 434th FS/479th FG, 8th AF P-51D)
- P-51D "Petie 2nd" N5427V (delivered to the 12th AF, but original combat record, if any, is unknown)
- P-51D "Ferocious Frankie" (delivered to the 8th AF in England, and reportedly assigned to the 357th FG, but this is quite a late example by this point)

There are a few more examples beyond this point that made it as far as England, such as the Mustangs "Never Miss", "Worry Bird", and "Moonbeam McSwine", but by this point, arriving in Theatre so late, they never made it beyond USAAF/8th AF depot level before being shipped back to the States. There are also a couple Mustang projects in England, that if they ever come to fruition in a completed/flying aircraft, will be new Mustangs with original wartime combat vet identities assigned, having been based on vastly-deteriorated recovered wrecks.