Warbird Information Exchange

I got a reprint of the "Backdoor Gang" that way, but the "Retail Gang' reprints were gone That was a while ago, 2-3 years at least.

Someone mentioned that to Jim Byers once and he took a swing at him!!!

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Don't touch my junk!!

Just found this topic regarding the "Backdoor Gang" - I have a friend I visit regularly who flew with the 430th in WWII - Lt. John Ackley, residing in Moline, Illinois. In fact, I just picked up John and his wife to take them to a local television station to view for the first time a dvd made from original 16mm footage from his P-38. John mentioned to me he had this film & I aked if I could have it copied if I was able to find someone to transfer it. Well, for 68 years John thought this was combat footage, but when the interviewer played the dvd I gave him, John watched intently then said it was film shot when he was training stateside about a month before they went overseas! We were all somewhat disappointed, although the reporter said it will still make a great human interest story on the news.

I wish we could get some f that posted here...hint hint...

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"I knew the jig was up when I saw the P-51D-20-NA Mustang blue-nosed bastards from Bodney, and by the way the blue was more of a royal blue than an indigo and the inner landing gear interiors were NOT green, over Berlin."

I will try to post some of Lt. Ackley's video that was shot while in training in California - looks like it was in Jan. '44. The local television station still has it. Possibly I could run the segment the interviewer is doing on Ackley.

[url][/url]http://wqad.com/2012/03/30/forgotten-wwii-footage-discovered-in-moline/

Here's the news clip run on our local WQAD television station. I found a business that copied Lt. John Ackley's 16mm P-38 footage that he had since 1945. John was a bit disapointed that it wasn't his combat footage - it was actually from his training manuvers in Santa Anna, California shortly before the 430th FS "Backdoor Gang" went overseas. None-the-less, the reporter made an interesting 3 minute segment on John and his wife who he met while he was hospitalized from a collapsed lung as a result from his flying.

http://wqad.com/2012/03/30/forgotten-ww ... in-moline/