WORLD WAR 2 EIGHTH AIR FORCE
From Canton, Ohio, Myers completed
a 200-hour fi rst tour fl ying P-38J
Lightnings with the 55th FG at
Nuthampstead, Herts. He joined the
78th FG on August 2, 1944, becoming
acting CO of the 82nd FS six days later.
He became squadron ops offi cer on
October 1 and went to the 82nd HQ on
December 3. He returned to the 55th FG
on February 21, 1945. Myers remained in the USAF and retired as a
brigadier general in 1970.
‘S tax Blue 1’ - Major Joseph My s
P-47D-27-RE 42-27339 ‘MX-S’
This machine was built at Evansville,
Indiana – most P-47s originated at
Farmingdale, New York – and was
normally assigned to 2nd Lt James
L Mattern. From Tupman, California,
Wayne Coleman joined the 78th FG’s
82nd FS on July 29, 1944. He was
promoted to fi rst lieutenant in October
1944 and captain in April 1945. Post-warhe studied for a degree in engineering and worked for Rockwell
International from 1959 to 1985.
‘S tax Blue 2’ - 2nd Lt Wayne Coleman
P-47D-20-RA 43-25318 ‘MX-P’
Fairly new to the 82nd FS, this
Thunderbolt fl ew its fi rst mission
on July 26, 1944. From Sheboygan,
Wisconsin, Fred Bolgert was assigned to
the 78th FG’s 82nd FS on June 27, 1944.
He was promoted to fi rst lieutenant in
September 1944 and returned to the
USA on November 13, 1944. He fl ew 69
missions in 270 combat hours. Fredremained in the USAF and retired as a lieutenant colonel. After the
USAF, he used his mechanical engineering experience while working
for the Kohler Corporation at, Kohler, Wisconsin between 1980 and
- He passed away at 88 in 2010.
‘S tax Blue 3’ – Lt Col Fred Bolg t
P-47D-20-RE 42-75204 ‘MX-L’
“The E/A was burning brightly,
giving off great clouds of black
smoke. There were no propellers
on the plane or on the ground
near it. I claim one Me 262
destroyed, shared with
Lt M O Croy Jr”
Wayne Coleman fl ew 325318 ‘MX-P’ on August 28,
1944; it is illustrated post-D-Day with full ‘Invasion
Stripes’.First Lt Warren V Van Dyk with ‘his’ P-47 ‘Queen
Mu’ ‘MX-M’, wearing ‘Invasion Stripes’. On August
28, 1944 this machine was fl own by 2nd Lt
Manford O Croy Jr.56 FLYPAST January 2018