Warbird Information Exchange

P-47D s/n 42-75855 5F*A of the 5th ERS on patrol over the English Channel 1944. Formerly flew with the 56th FG Wolfpack.

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Don't touch my junk!!

It'd be pretty cool to see a Thunderbolt now painted in those markings. Just sumthun' different...

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"There are two types of people here; airshow whores and airshow prostitutes. The whores, like you and I, do airshow stuff for free, whereas the prostitutes are paid" - Reg Urschler

what is behind the drop tank??? a bomb rack?? granted, it's not behind the centerline fuselage tank but from the angle of the pic it's deceiving!!

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Smoke bombs for marking survivors in the water and survival packs on the wing pylons.
Yes it's aft of the belly tank.

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jack, i've never heard of p-47's nor any other single engine fighters doing this kind of work, please elaborate!!

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/gallery.php?Group=5ers
Originally designated as Detachment B of the 65th Fighter Wing, the 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron was activated at Boxted in May 1944. The squadron's mission was to perform air/sea rescue missions with war weary P-47 Thunderbolts transferred from other fighter groups.
The squadron's fuselage code was "5F".
The aircraft were modified to carry dinghies, marker buoys and flares on their bomb racks. The mission of the unit was to locate pilots who had bailed out over the North Sea and would drop liferafts and inform sea-based rescue units who would then pick up the pilots.
The unit moved to RAF Halesworth in January 1945.
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Don't touch my junk!!