Jack Ilfrey and the 79th FS

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Tue Nov 13, 2007 9:40 am

Sept 1944 King's Cliffe, UK

Locobuster · **Posted:** Tue Nov 13, 2007 10:24 am

Outstanding photograph of a great bunch of men!

Mudge · **Posted:** Tue Nov 13, 2007 10:29 pm

I didn't know Tom Hanks was old enough to be in WWII, but there he sits on the wing of his P-51.

Mudge the amazed :shock:

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Tue Nov 13, 2007 10:43 pm

L-R
1.
2.
3.
4. Capt Jim Bradshaw
5.
6. Lt George Merriman
7.
8. Capt Bob Phipps

Locobuster · **Posted:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:38 am

Jack,

In Aces and Wingmen II, Vol.2, Bill Hess has the men pictured as:

(l. to r.)
1. Lt. Arthur "Ace" Heiden
2. Lt. John "Jack" Armstrong
3. Capt. Jack M. Ilfrey (on wing)
4. Lt. Jesse E. Carpenter
5. Lt. Jim "Brad" Bradshaw (smoking in leather jacket)
6. Lt. Arthur "Pappy" Kemp
7. Lt. George Merriman
8. Lt. James Baldwin (smoking)
9. Capt. Bob Phipps

Bradshaw, Baldwin, and Heiden all returned to the US on 17 August, and Armstrong was shot down on 28 August, which negates the September '44 date generally given the photo.

BTW, congrats on passing the 4000 post mark!

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:48 am

Who's the 9th guy behind Bradshaw????
and BTW no fair cheating by using a book :shock:

Locobuster · **Posted:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 12:47 pm

LOL!

The reason I double-checked with the book was I was unsure which man was Carpenter and which was Kemp.

As it turns out the man behind Bradshaw is Arthur Kemp, I received confirmation on this from Capt. Heiden just a few minutes ago.

However, Heiden did add that he was not 100% sure if the man leaning on Bradshaw and Baldwin is Merriman. He said "Somehow it never seemed right to me."

Many of the men pictured took part in the infamous celebration of Ilfrey's promotion to Major, which promptly led to his demotion down to Second Lieutenant a few days later. :shock:

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Jack Ilfrey and the 79th FS

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