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Brigadier General Frank L. Gailer
General Gailer was born in Bakersfield, Calif., in 1923. Shortly thereafter, his family moved to New York, finally settling in Great Neck, Long Island. He graduated from Staunton Military Academy, Staunton, Va., in 1941, and attended Hofstra College, Hempstead, N.Y., until June 1942. He then entered the aviation cadet program and received pilot training at Parks Air College, Garden City, Kan., and Eagle Pass, Texas, where he earned his pilot wings and commission as second lieutenant. Frank Gailer was posted to England, joining the 357th Fighter Group at Leiston. Flying with the 363rd FS he went into combat in august, and in the next few months destroyed 6 enemy aircraft before being shot down in November 1944. Captured by the Germans, he was interned in Stalug I. After the war, in Vietnam, he commanded the 35th TFW at Phan Rang AB, flying over 500 hours combat on F-100s. In 1969 he returned to England once again, to command the 48th TW, and then as Vice-Commander of Third Air Force, USAF Europe.
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Air Superiority by Robert Taylor. It had taken almost six years of continual air fighting for the Allied forces to attain complete and total air superiority over the Luftwaffe. At the outbreak of World War II the mighty German Air Force had appeared invincible but the ensuing Battle of Britain gave the Luftwaffe its first taste of what was to come. When America joined the war, bringing with her to Europe new types of fighters and bombers, the writing must have been clearly chalked on the wall of Hitler's bunker. Unleashing the full power of the Eighth Air Force against the Third Reich by day, and with the RAF Bomber Command's constant attacks by night, production in Germany's aircraft and munitions factories became fatally depleted. In the air the Allied fighter pilots were beginning to dominate the skies, and by the spring of 1945, had achieved complete air superiority. It had been a long and bitter struggle, fought with great courage and sacrifice. |
Looking for Trouble by Robert Taylor. When Hitler invaded Poland the British found themselves at war - and isolated. Desperate for new fighters and with production at full capacity they turned to the US aircraft manufacturer North American Aviation who were convinced they had the answer for Britain's needs - but it was still on the drawing board. They were, however, sure they could meet the deadline and incredibly, within the space of just four months the company had their brand new machine in the air. The Mustang was a triumph - conceived and born in a shorter period than any other significant aircraft in history and testament to its designer Edgar Schmued, and the people who built it. Delivered to the RAF in October 1941, it was fast, manoeuvrable, hard-hitting and, by the time it was combined with the legendary Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, was capable of outperforming anything the enemy could throw at it. With the arrival of the long-range fighter the heavy bombers of the USAAF could now be escorted all the way to the German capital and back so whilst the RAF pounded Berlin at night, the Mighty Eighth would do the same by day. When P-51s first appeared in the skies over Berlin, Hermann Goering was reported to have announced that he knew then the war was lost. Like the Spitfire, a special new breed of men flew the Mustang as the Allies pushed for victory in Europe. Tough, supremely confident, determined, and gloriously brave; it was an era that belonged to them and the P-51 helped produce some of the greatest aces of the war. Such iconic pilots as George Preddy, John Meyer, Don Blakeslee, Kit Carson and Bud Anderson scored all or most of their victories in this thoroughbred fighter. In fact, the Mustang was responsible for more US victories than any other fighter of the war. In this painting, P-51Ds of the 352nd Fighter Group with full long-range tanks slung under their wings, head out from their forward base in Belgium on an extended sweep east of the Rhine crossing on the lookout for enemy aircraft, in the spring of 1945. |
Eagles on the Rampage by Robert Taylor. Dominating the skies over Germany, P-51s of the 4th Fighter Group - The Eagles - sweep across the cloud tops, their pilots scanning the distant horizon for any signs of the Luftwaffe. They are ready for trouble should the enemy decide to chance their luck. The greatness of the Mustang is beyond doubt; it was the fighter pilot's ultimate machine. Tough, hard-hitting, it handled beautifully and - once the mighty Merlin engine had been included - possessed a performance unrivalled by any single piston-engined fighter of World War II. British inspired and American built, the P-51 was the aircraft the eager young pilots of the Eighth Air Force had been waiting for. Formed in September 1942 from the RAF Eagle Squadrons, the Fourth Fighter Group was the oldest fighter unit in the Eighth Air Force. Under the command of Don Blakeslee, described as probably the best fighter leader of the war, the combined air and ground victories notched up by 'The Eagles' during World War II surpassed any other fighter group. They were the first to penetrate German air space, and the first to engage the Luftwaffe over Berlin. Hermann Goering later remarked 'When I saw those Mustangs over Berlin, I knew that the war was lost'. Each print in this outstanding edition is signed by some of the most famous Mustang pilots that flew in the European Theatre during World War II. Every signatory in the edition has reached Ace status, creating a historic new collectors' edition which may never be surpassed. |
| Brigadier General Frank L. Gailer Aircraft details |
| Brigadier General Frank L. Gailer Squadron details |
357th Fighter Group Country : US | 357th Fighter Group Yoxford Boys |
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