Remember the badass dude posted below? My first post on him can be found here. 2nd Lt. Robert Duffy has an incredible WWII story, nearly seven years before these phtoto were taken……..
On July 27th 1944, an American fighter plane crashed in flames in a field belonging to the Laurent family in the hamlet of the Scellerie… The battle was raging and the inhabitants of Le Mesnilbus had several days past received the order to evacuate. Returning from the exodus, they found the wreckage of the war strewn across the countryside, but they had to pick up their lives, to repair the damage as best they could…they had many worries! A half century has quickly passed…and now Michael Rainfroy, impassioned by the history of lost aircraft, has brought back from oblivion and the earth the American aircraft…a Thunderbolt P-47. Thanks to the records of the American Army, they found that it was a plane from the 404th Fighter Group. Then they discovered the name of the pilot and with the help of the “Poop Sheet” of former American pilots, they found our pilot alive and well and living in Colorado! That was Robert Lee Duffy who had successfully parachuted near the village of Cambernon. This memorial, erected in his honor, will keep alive the memories of the sacrifices of all the fighters and of this page of local history.
Robert Duffy in the Korean War
Check out the squint in those eyes……… he’s seen some combat and is more than likely glad to be in a maintenance squadron during the Korean War. The funny thing is that he didn’t resist the urge to fly and test out the recently rehabbed fighters. In the shot below, never before seen, we can see Lt. Duffy testing out the recently installed rudder of a Korean War P-51. Shot with 35mm color Kodachrome film by his wing man, this photo is an incredible snapshot for the family and friends of the Duffy’s.
Testing Out a P-51 Rudder
More to come…………………………
Portraits of War 