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  • Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.

    Post 16 Update

    Post 17 Warning

P-51D 44-13557 'Slender Tender and Tall'

DaveQ

DaveQ

Charter Member
This is still a WIP but depicts Maj. 'Wild Bill' Halton's 'Slender, Tender and Tall', 487th FS, 352nd May-September 1945.This aircraft seems to have had an odd career. Originally issued to the Scouting Force (Experimental) at Steeple Morden in July 1944 and coded OS-E, it was transferred to the 1st Scouting Force when that was established at RAF Honington in September 1944. There it became the mount of Lt Richard 'Spider' Smith, coded 5E-E 'Easy Does It' until November 1944 when it was virtually written off in a taxying accident, colliding with Capt. Fred Brown's 'Frances Anne' after skidding on an iced-covered taxi track. However 577 was rebuilt and transferred to the 352nd where it was given to Maj. (later Lt. Col.) Bill Halton who christened it 'Slender Tender & Tall'. Photographic evidence suggests it was this aircraft that that Maj. Halton was flying after the end of hostilities as it bears the buzz code HO-T under the left wing. Bill Halton was made a Lt. Col. in July 1945 and was the last CO of the 352nd, staying until September 1945 when the group moved back Stateside and 44-13557 was finally scrapped in theatre.

Bill Halton's better-known aircraft, 44-14812, the subject of the restored Commonwealth Mustang A68-175, appears to be one he used during late 1944 to early 1945. Why he chose to replace it with an old D-5 that had been rebuilt and not a newer D-20 is anybody's guess; perhaps he preferred the D-5, having previously flown 44-13996 and another D-10 44-14327. Answers on a postcard....!

P-51DSTAT3.jpg



The way 'S,T & T' was written seemed to have varied quite a bit so I've tried to match the post-war one; the kill marks appear to have gone too when the photo I've worked from was taken. Also bomb-aiming strips appear to have been added so I used the Iwo-Jima ones. It appears to be very clean so dirt's been left off for now.

View attachment 65035

Will publish soon.

DaveQ
 
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