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two books on a table with a yellow cover and a yellow book with a picture of a plane on itan open book with pictures of people in military uniformsan open book with pictures of people working on a projecta book with pictures of men and women in military uniformsan open book with pictures of people in military uniformsa book with pictures of people and a plane in itan open book with pictures of people on the pagesan open book on a table with a pen and papera book open on a white table with a yellow bordera book with a picture of a history of the us world war iian open book with a picture of a fighter plane in ita black and white photo of a man in a pilot ' s helmetan open book with a black and white photo of a planean open book with a picture of a plane on ittwo pages of a book with a picture of a plane and a plane with a cross on ittwo pages of a book with a picture of a plane and a picture of a planean open book with a picture of a cat on ita book open on a table with a cup of coffee on it
Maître Lydie BRIOULT

101 - Historical books on the ‘361st Fighter Group’ – 8th Air Forc…
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Estimate €40 - €70
Sale commission
Description
Historical books on the ‘361st Fighter Group’ – 8th Air Force These two books are devoted to the 361st Fighter Group of the 8th Air Force. The first, entitled ‘Little Friends: A Pictorial History of the 361st Fighter Group in World War II’, was written by Steve Gotts and originally published in 1993 by Fine Books Publishing Company. This 176-page book is highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts of the Second World War. In the jargon of American bomber crews, ‘Big Friends’ referred to heavy bombers such as the B-17 or B-24, whilst ‘Little Friends’ was the affectionate nickname given to escort fighter aircraft. The 361st Fighter Group, based in England and nicknamed the ‘Yellowjackets’ because of the yellow noses of their aircraft, (the title of the second book dedicated to this unit) escorted these bombers, first in P-47 Thunderbolts and later in the legendary P-51 Mustangs. This book is a monograph richly illustrated with period photographs, often taken from veterans’ personal albums, and details the history and pilots of the three squadrons that made up the group: the 374th, 375th and 376th Fighter Squadrons, listing their aerial victories and notable missions (particularly around D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge). This book has long been out of print and has never been translated into French. 176 pages. Written in English. The second book, entitled ‘Yellowjackets! : The 361st Fighter Group in World War II – P-51 Mustangs over Germany’, written by the historian Paul B. Cora, was published in 2002 by the renowned American publishing house Schiffer. This book is the modern reference work on this fighter unit of the 8th Air Force. Unlike Steve Gotts’ monograph, which is primarily a collection of photographs of veterans, Paul B. Cora’s book offers a comprehensive, chronological historical account: • A detailed operational history covering the group’s operations from its arrival in England in December 1943 until the end of the fighting in Europe in May 1945. • Escort missions: The focus is on the crucial role of the pilots protecting waves of B-17 and B-24 bombers over the German Reich, as well as on their ground-attack (strafing) missions. • High-quality visual content: The book contains over 130 rare black-and-white and colour photographs, accompanied by magnificent colour aircraft profiles detailing the unit’s distinctive markings. 152 pages. Published in English. (Grégory Pons Collection)
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About the sale Sale of the Grégory Pons collection and miscellaneous items (Aviation and WW2 Militaria)
Auction location
Auction time 11/14/2026 at 1:30 PM
Lot description modified on 09/26/2026 at 12:06 PM
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