88th Fighter Squadron || 89th Fighter Squadron || 90th Fighter Squadron

Laughing Skull

The skull painted on ship #70 appears to be quite the jolly character. This photo,
said to have been taken in April of 1944, is interesting in that the bars of the national
insignia under the wing are lighter than the star, indicating probable field application.


From: 'Air International' Vol.12 No.2 February 1977 - Larger Image

Outta sight...

A 90th FS P-40N-1 is pushed back into a concealed revetment at the edge of a treeline.


Project 914 Archives - Larger Image

From Wisconsin to the CBI

Second Lieutenant Gerald P. Wergin in the cockpit of a P-40N during the final two months of training
before receiving orders to deploy overseas, where he would join the 90th FS, 80th FG in the CBI. At
this time, he was assigned to the 98th FS, 337th FG at Sarasota Army Air Base in Florida. The ship
in which he is sitting, P-40N-20-CU 43-23117, was heavily damaged in a mid-air collision on January
17th, 1944, just seven days after 2Lt. Wergin departed the USA, headed for India.

You can read much more about Gerry Wergin HERE...


Jean Wergin via WisconsinCentral.net

Jungle Skulls

A couple'a shots showing men and ships of the 90th at an airfield in India or Burma.


National Archives and Records Administration via Remembering the CBI - Larger Image

This photo may show #82 from the shot above.


National Archives and Records Administration via Remembering the CBI - Larger Image

Mixed Company

This photo shows a Skulls Hawk mingling with four others, two of which are CACW ships.
Not sure which outfits the other two (nearest to and farthest from the camera) might be from.
The Skulls Hawk has the white spinner of the 88th Fighter Squadron, but the '73' on the tail
would seem to indicate a 90th Fighter Squadron ship. A transfer from one squadron to the
other is an inescapable conclusion, but who knows from which to which? Whatever the
case, your webmaster flipped a coin and so this image landed here on the 90th FS page.


San Diego Air and Space Museum Archives (Jack Canary Special Collection)

Null Skull

P-40N 43-22863 of the 90th FS, sans skull. I'm currently digging for more info on this ship...


San Diego Air and Space Museum Archives (Jack Canary Special Collection) - Larger Image

Battered Skull

P-40N-1 serial number 42-104651, date and location unknown. This Hawk served with
the 90th FS for at least a year's time and was banged up a bit, suffering a forced landing
at Karachi AB on August 23rd, 1943 with one Burton N. Rodier at the controls, then was
bellied in by Benjamin F. Ford a year and a few weeks later, on September 13th, 1944, at
Panagarh, India; the exact circumstances of each incident are currently unknown to me.
Looks like she survived the war, and was condemned for salvage on December 9th, 1945.


Walter Orey photo via cbi-theater.com - Larger Image

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