P-51 Pilot Grouping

[Witt]

A small grouping I have named to F/O Frank A. Ryan Jr. who was a P-51 Mustang pilot. The patches were cut from one of his uniforms as well as the wings and insignia. Also included is his unnamed Air Medal and a printed copy listing the decoration. Four photos, three of which are good posed photos of him on his Mustang. I know that he flew with one of the fighter groups in the 3rd Air Division, VII Fighter Command, but I haven’t been able to find any more specifics related to him or the Air Medal he was awarded. I haven’t seen his name online in records or an obituary. The serial of the Mustang appears to be 44-6415?? Seems to match that of a P-51D-20-NA and painted with art of his girl back in the United States.

Thanks, Ben

[RH1941]

Very cool nice little grouping

[MAP]

Great stuff. I do hope your research can turn up more about his service.

[Eagle mtn]

Nice B-15 Jacket!

[Danmark]

Neat!! .... I may have his plane's lights

possible P51 Mustang wing lights

[Rich Moran]

you need this to complete your grouping! Only a cool $2+ million at $12,000.00 + a month. Looking at his images, thinking about being his age to fly and fight in a P51 must of been a great experience that caffeine does not even come close to. To think in the 50's these were being sold for what today is the cost of a new Mercedes is mind boggling. BTW, great foundation to build on for his combat history and like artifacts.

Pardon Our Interruption

[AZPhil]

Very Nice grouping.
A Major plus having those period photo's of him.

Semper Fi
Phil

[Tank Destroyer]

Wonderful grouping

[Witt]

I have just found this photo online and it’s a match for the craft, P-51D-20-NA serial 44-64156 “WZ-O”. The pilot pictured here is not F/O Ryan Jr. but instead Captain Carl Elmo Calloway. Both flew with the 84th FS, 78th FG out of RAF Duxford (USAAF Station 357) towards the end of the war in Europe. I don’t know if fighter pilots switched between aircraft like bomber crews and individuals would, but Capt. Calloway is also marked down as piloting a P-47 leaving this plane to? He had flown 45+ missions and had 6 oak leaf clusters to his Air Medal making him more of a veteran airman.

“The Virgin Anne IV” was brought down by flak and crashed SW of Berlin on April 10, 1945. There were some battles with Me 262s around Berlin on this day, but the planes from the 78th strafed Werder/Havel Airfield where this plane and four others were brought down. This straf attack was said to claim 78 planes destroyed and an additional 45 damaged. Among the wrecks was a Junkers Ju 290 and a Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant.