Lt Col McComas and Miss Revenge

[FlyingYankee]

The 118th served in China for only fifteen and on-half months and was engaged in strenuous combat for just over six of those months, June 1944 to January 1945, yet it compiled an enviable record during this time. The 118th produced three "Aces" in those six months, Capt Oran S. Watts being the first and 1stLt Russell D. Williams the last, with each scoring five aerial victories and one ground victory. LtCol Ed McComas, a very aggressive fighter pilot and a hard charging squadron commander, became the highest scoring pilot in the squadron with fourteen aerial victories, four destroyed on the ground and one Japanese destroyer in Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong. He scored all of his victories in only ten weeks beginning October 16, 1944 and ending December 23, 1944 on which he shot down five Japanese airplanes made him the only "Ace-in-a-day" in the 14th Air Force. His fourteen victories ranked him fourth overall in the 14th Air Force behind "Tex" Hill and LtCol "Chuck" Older (with victories while flying with the A.V.G "Flying Tigers") and Major "Pappy" Herbst, all with 18 and a fraction victories.

I hope you enjoyed a piece of my units history, Can anyone identify Ed McComas flight jacket. I would like to have John Chapman make me on like it.

 

[PaulGT3]

The jacket looks like a Battle of Britain Irvin?

 

[unclegrumpy]

It is a bit hard to see the details, but it looks like a B-3 to me....

 

[Marv]

It is a bit hard to see the details, but it looks like a B-3 to me....

I agree, it's a B3 as you can see the collar studs in the sheepskin.

 

[bfrench]

The plane is fairly rare also as there weren't that many b models manufactured - I think it's a B model because the C model doesn't appear to have the sliding window and the cowling has the cooling screen on the port side that the A model didn't have.

 

[Peter Graham]

A B-3 for sure.

 

[TankBuster]

Great photo. I agree with everyone else, it is a B-3.

Also, I think that I have a original photo of McComas in an A-2. If you're interested, I could track it down and email you a copy. I've got a collection of 23rd fighter group material. I also have a photo or 2 of Watts somewhere.

 

[Stony]

I used to own his A-2. Sold it a couple of years ago.

 

[TankBuster]

I used to own his A-2. Sold it a couple of years ago.

Wow! Now I would love to see photos of that! I currently own a trunk group to another 23rd ace but sadly no A-2 jacket!

 

[FlyingYankee]

I love history, How many people have sunk an enemy ship with a single aircraft?