McComas’s “600”, P-51D
North American, P-51D-5NT (Mustang), Serial number 44-11280
118th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (TRS), 23rd Fighter Group, 14th Air Force,
(Suichuan/Chengkung?), China, December1944 to Juanuary 1945.
Flown by 118 TRS’s Commanding Officer, Lt.Col. Edward Otis McComas, ace with 14 aerial victories (+1 probable, +1 damaged)[1] + 4 destroyed on the ground + 1 Japanese destroyer sunk.
McComas’s P-51D “600” as it looked in late December 1944. The illustration is based on THIS photograph.
Note the presence of the antenna wires, as well as the compass loop on the dorsal spine.
Lt.Col. Ed McComas who commanded the 118th Squadron from September 1943, became the squadron’s top ace by scoring 14 confirmed aerial victories in the last three months of 1944, while the squadron was stationed in China. On December 23rd, 1944, McComas destroyed 5 enemy fighters (Oscars) in one day, a feat achieved by no other pilot in the whole of the China-Burma-India theater. McComas achievements were made all the more remarkable by the fact that he was ill, or in pain, from a variety of ailments during most of his tour in China [2].
Because of McComas’ outstanding feats, on Christmas Day 1944, the commanding general of the 14th Air Force, Claire Chennault, gave McComas a new P-51D [3] which was painted with McComas’ full victory tally. Like McComas previous airplane, a F-6C Mustang in which Edward scored most of his victories, his P-51D also had the number “600” painted on the fin. Unfortunately, McComas did not fly his P-51D “600” for long and did not score any more victories in it. Due to his ongoing physical problems, mainly his old back injury which was further aggrevated by a bailout behind enemy lines on September 29th, 1944, McComas was relieved of his command of 118th TRS in January 1945 and returned back to USA for medical treatment. His P-51D presumably remained in service with the 118th.
After the war McComas remained in service with the USAF and was promoted to Colonel.
Having undergone a number of unsuccessful surgeries on his back and still suffering from pain, as well as acute bouts of depression, Edward McComas ended his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot at his home in Virginia, on June 22nd, 1954. He was 35 years old [2].
The illustration above shows what 44-11280 looked like in early January 1945. The image is based on THIS photo.
Note that the plane appears to have the serial number painted over. Also the plane is adorned with 118 squadron’s lightning insignia on the top and bottom of the wing tips and horizontal stabilisers, illustrated below. These markings can be seen quite well in THIS colour photo.
FOOTNOTES
[1] Information about McComas’ victories is based on the book by Frank Olynyk called “Stars & Bars”, published by Grub Street in 1995, p.435., ISBN 1-898697-17-5
[2] Information is based on the article “Ace in a day” https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jMfGP1yjU3Oc3aZnBouMWLw-IYZOCTez/view
SUMMARY OF LINKS TO THE REFERENCE IMAGES AND/or VIDEOS
Many of the photos can be found on various pages on the 118th TRS website
https://www.118trs.com/more-photos
To help you find specific photos click on the links below (Google might ask you to confirm your Google account to view these photos) :
“Early” version
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczPKlM4KzSAYuEukyoZxKBzSSA_2NlEf7Qu_W6x-hRhSH-zVThi7o1jc69oYxprgFKL8FUInXWaLQqahhbTXxWl96z28bLCHwFxq7eq_bh3EtzKal-mQPJYa6vPSWTbTJFM32W2elmuXEipugoIAn235=w3092-h2048-s-no-gm?authuser=0
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczOLHWO-0o_h8cj68bZG3bT0iO7G1R2YjvkmU1_67TqDR1Rj8onI-zvMyqyvn1ZPAetHqGSLKLXlp2FHQhBMSeCNur4EjYd9SrrEA-v8XLjFOKTZzs4tMvewbj0dr0LLk38QQiUSppb6vXU3YaZZExK9=w3494-h2618-s-no-gm?authuser=0
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczPpkc45dxN0x3QnJxCmJT2uNx3nmgrIhX6dTUaUxTq5PaYYCAhoEbNaUUFlOuv4-jki9NdXju9hXB4E0rtSjnH-oFtqxm4rcEx9Q4Tg9H0RESPFNaMRMjHuGL5tTrfDbv7rJnRvBTHbkzvKSjSGfk2m=w3450-h2618-s-no-gm?authuser=0
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