A Republic P-47 “Thunderbolt” from the Pacific Theater of Operations

A Republic P-47 “Thunderbolt” from the Pacific Theater of Operations

William D. ”Bill” Dunham was the second leading ace of the 348th Fighter Group, and the second leading Thunderbolt ace fighting against Japan. He scored 15 out of his 16 victories while flying P-47s.

The first Dunham’s victories were scored with 342nd Fighter Squadron in October 1943 over New Guinea while flying P-47D-2. Those times he was assigned with a P-47D-2-RE no. 42-8067 ”68” nicknamed ”Bonnie”. The profile shown below depicts ”Bonnie” as she looked like after October 21st 1943, when Dunham had four victories to his credit. In December 1943 Dunham would add three more kills while flying a P-47D-2.

The P-47D-2 42-8067 carried a typical plain but well-worn Olive Drab finish. It sported white theatre markings consisting of white tail and white wing leading edges. The location and angle of the extent of white on the tail is conjectural as there was no standard, and no photos showing the rear part of Dunham’s original ”Bonnie” have surfaced. Most Group’s P-47D-2s had the colour demarcation similar to this on the profile, but for example Kearby’s P-47D had the division more slanted. What is certain is that the white wing leading edges were rather narrow on Dunham’s 42-8067.

Since July 1943 US aircraft had to carry new national insignia with stars and bars surrounded with thin red outline. 5th Air Force refused to use red and added white bars only. Though in September 1943 new insignia with blue outline was introduced, apparently the old intermediate stars and bars were still seen on 348th Group’s Thunderbolts.

The exact colours of the ”Bonnie” nose art are yet to be confirmed. The name appears to be white with darker shadow. The shadow is too light to be black, thus it is shown here as red.

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2007/08/profile-p47-thunderbolt-william-dunham.htm