Bidspirit auction | AC19c 40 Anniv VE -

AC19c 40 Anniv VE - Day Signed CoI. P. S. Gabreski and 2 USA Ace's. 8 May 85 BFPS 1945 postmark 40 Anniv VE - Day Flown in North American Mustang Pilot Captain Peter Jarvis. Personally Signed Pilot Captain Peter Jarvis Also Signed by CoI. P. S. Gabreski US Air Ace also in Korean War. Although best known for his credited destruction of 34½ aircraft in aerial combat and being one of only seven U. S. combat pilots to become an ace in two wars, Gabreski was also one of the Air Force's most accomplished leaders. In addition to commanding two fighter squadrons, Gabreski had six command tours at group or wing level, including one in combat in Korea, totalling over 11 years of command and 15 overall in operational fighter assignments. Lieutenant Colonel Robert W McClurg left for the South Pacific on 2 May 1943, joining VMF-214, the Black Sheep, on 7 August 1943. He flew both of the Black Sheep combat tours, By the end of both his combat tours with VMF-214, Bob would have a total of 7 confirmed aerial victories and 2 probables, and was one of the squadrons Aces. He was then transferred to VMF-211 for his third combat tour after the Black Sheep were disbanded. After the war he left duty in 1946, but remained active in the reserves, from which he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. Lieutenant Colonel William R Dunn. USAF was the first American flying ace of World War II. Joining the Canadian Army at the outbreak of war in 1939, he was an infantryman until he transferred to the Royal Air Force (RAF) in late 1940. After completing RAF Flying School at Tern Hill, England, on April 16, 1941, Pilot Officer Dunn was assigned to the RAF's 71 Sqn, Eagle Sqn (so named because it was composed of expatriate American pilots in the RAF prior to the official entry of the United States into WW11) from May to August 1941, during which time he became the first American fighter ace of World War II by destroying 5 German fighters in aerial combat plus a shared probable; all while flying RAF Hurricane and Spitfire fighters. After being wounded in action on August 27, 1941, Dunn was hospitalized for 3 months and then spent another 3 months in the U. S. on leave before serving as an instructor pilot in Canada until he transferred to the US Army Air Force on June 15, 1943. Lieutenant Dunn served as a gunnery officer with the 53rd Fighter Group and then joined the 513th Fighter Squadron of the 406th Fighter-Bomber Group, flying the P - 47 Thunderbolt, in October 1943, and deployed with the group to England in April 1944. He was credited with the destruction of his 6th and final enemy aircraft in aerial combat in June 1944. Promoted to captain and then major, he later completed Command and General Staff College before transferring to China, where he served as commander of Luchien and Luchow Air Bases as a lieutenant colonel from May 1945 to 1947, participating in the Chinese Civil War on the side of the Nationalists. Black and White Photo of Gabreski with details of all 3 Certified Copy no 0375 of 1000.