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Duxford Eagles
Base to the legendary Douglas Bader Fighter Wing during the Battle of
Britain, Duxford became home to the 78th Fighter Group in April 1943. Today it
appropriately houses the American Air Museum, and hosts the many summer
air-shows where crowds thrill to the sight and sound of the glorious WWII
warbirds. First equipped with P-47 Thunderbolts then P-51Ds, the 78th Fighter
Group was credited with 688 enemy aircraft destroyed, 474 in the air, and
another 406 destroyed on the ground during low-level strafing missions. Charles
London of the 78th became the 8th Air Forces first fighter ace of the war and a
78th pilot, Quince Brown, was the first to down a Me262 jet in August 1944. It
is March 1945. Led by Colonel John Landers flying Big Beautiful Doll, one of the
8th Air Forces most flamboyant fighters, the 78th P-51D Mustangs roar off the
field to begin an escort mission taking B-17 Fortresses already airborne in the
background all the way to Hamburg. |
