P38 pilot Charles E Moran.

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Mike Booth
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Joined: December 4th, 2008, 5:51 pm

P38 pilot Charles E Moran.

Postby Mike Booth » December 6th, 2012, 8:49 pm

For about a year now I've owned a pair of mint condition VitaRay aviator sunglasses owned by an 8th Airforce P38 pilot called Charles. E. Moran.
The name is written by hand,in ink, inside the equally mint VitaRay case.

I feel rather privileged to be the custodian of this bit of aviation history as I picked them up for a song on eBay .

Can anyone point me in the direction of a good website, as I would like to research the combat career of Flt Lt Moran.

Thanks.

Vince Raia
Posts: 154
Joined: February 13th, 2009, 3:49 pm

Re: P38 pilot Charles E Moran.

Postby Vince Raia » December 7th, 2012, 8:02 am

Hi Mike, might be nice if you could post a photo of this fantastic piece of kit you have bought. I also have quite a few old pilots goggles and RAF goggles, your very lucky that you have a name on them, a great start to what could be an interesting story. Please keep us up to date with this one.

Cary Bailey
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Re: P38 pilot Charles E Moran.

Postby Cary Bailey » December 7th, 2012, 8:31 am

Fl LT C E Moran flew in the korean war, website http://www.koreanwar.org seems to be down at present.
However this might be useful:-
Before dawn on 27 June, the 347th Provisional Group was up in the air over Korea, with a mission to provide cover for the Douglas C-54 Skymaster transports flying in and out of Kimpo Airfield as they moved the last civilians out. Fearing that the North Korean Air Force might try to shoot down the transport (a C-54 had been destroyed on the ground at Kimpo by North Korean fighters on 25 June), the Air Force requested air cover to protect the aircraft during takeoff. Fortunately, 339th Fighter All Weather Squadron (F(AW)S) with their F-82Gs were based at Yokota AB and the 68th F(AW)S was based at Itazuke AB Japan. With Lieutenant Colonel John F. Sharp in command, 27 F-82Gs of the 35 in Japan answered the call. Arriving in the early morning, they orbited Kimpo Airfield in three flights, each above the other. Suddenly, at 1150 hours, a mixed group of five North Korean fighters (Soviet-built Yak-9s, Yak-11s and La-7s) appeared, heading for the airfield. One of the Yak-11s immediately scored several hits on 68th F(AW)S pilot Lt. Charles Moran's vertical stabilizer. Moments later, Lt. William G. "Skeeter" Hudson, also of the 68th F(AW)S, initiated a high-G turn to engage the Yak, and soon was closing in on the Yak's tail. He then fired a short burst at close range, scoring hits with his six .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns. The Yak banked hard to the right, with the F-82G in close pursuit. A second burst hit the Yak's right wing, setting the gas tank on fire and knocking off the right flap and aileron. The North Korean pilot bailed out, but his observer, who was either dead or badly wounded, remained in the doomed aircraft. Parachuting down to Kimpo Airfield, the North Korean pilot was immediately surrounded by South Korean soldiers. Surprisingly, he pulled out a pistol and began firing at them. The South Korean soldiers returned fire, killing him. Moments later, Lt. Moran shot down an La-7 over the airfield, while a few miles away, Major James W. Little, commanding officer of the 339th F(AW)S, shot down another La-7. The C-54 was able to escape safely. Of the five North Korean aircraft dispatched, only two returned to their base. In the process, Lt. William G. "Skeeter" Hudson, with his radar operator Lt. Carl Fraiser, had scored the first aerial "kill" of the Korean War.[5]

Cary Bailey
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Re: P38 pilot Charles E Moran.

Postby Cary Bailey » December 7th, 2012, 11:55 am

Update, the Koreanwar site is back up & here is the excerpt:-
Entry: 16318
68TH FIGHTER INTERCEPTOR SQDN FIRST AIR TO AIR KILL IN KOREAN WAR

A.J. (GUS) HIPP wrote on May 4, 2001




City and State: ST. PAUL MN

Unit: 68 TH FIGHTER INTERCEPTOR SQUADRON

Service or Relationship: AIR FORCE VETERAN - KOREA

Comments: Lt. Hudson of the 68th FIS, flying an F-82 (twin Mustang), scored the first air to
air kill of the Korean War when he shot down a North Korean aircraft on June 27,
1950. A squadron mate, Lt. Charles Moran, got the second one a few minutes late

Keywords: Lt. Hudson of 68th FIS gets first Kill

chris willis
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Re: P38 pilot Charles E Moran.

Postby chris willis » December 7th, 2012, 1:29 pm

How about that then Chockey.

Cary Bailey
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Location: Stoke On Trent
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Re: P38 pilot Charles E Moran.

Postby Cary Bailey » December 7th, 2012, 2:44 pm

You might also like this as it's still around!!
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsh ... p?id=16872
Image

Mike Booth
Posts: 650
Joined: December 4th, 2008, 5:51 pm

Re: P38 pilot Charles E Moran.

Postby Mike Booth » December 9th, 2012, 9:11 am

Fantastic, a quick check told me its Captain Charles E Moran AAF in the case. P38s in UK and France.


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