For many years the P-47 Thunderbolt Pilots Association was a fixture in the P-47 community of interest. A primary objective was “…dedicated to preserving the memories of the men and women who flew the P-47 Thunderbolt “Jug” in World War II.”
Due to the march of time, the organization decided to inactivate in 2006. However, the association’s objective and website remain, in order to “…continue to grow as a perpetual resource and memory for generations to come.” You can find the website at: http://p47pilots.com/
The P-47 Pilot Association website banner (Courtesy http://p47pilots.com/)
A great feature of this website is the P-47 Pilot Biography section, where one can find many Thunderbolt pilot biographies, including some from the 371st Fighter Group. They are listed alphabetically by last name, A to Z, so a particular name is easy to find. See the biography page at: http://p47pilots.com/P47-Pilots.cfm?p=*&c=incP47BiographyHome.cfm
For example, take a gander at the biography for 406th Fighter Squadron P-47 pilot Francis E. “Gene” Madore, viewable at: http://p47pilots.com/P47-Pilots.cfm?c=incP47BiographyHome.cfm&vm=BIO&pilotid=346&p=Francis%20E.%20Madore
And back on the main page of the site (link above), there is a nifty section called “Honor Them,” at which P-47 pilots or family members can use to submit a biography, or pilot story, if they wish.
For those with the time and inclination to peruse, the P-47 Pilots Guestbook is another great place to sift through for nuggets of information on the P-47 and those associated with the aircraft. View the Guestbook at: http://p47pilots.com/P47-Pilots.cfm?p=*&c=_incGuestbookList.cfm
And if one wishes to leave a comment at this site, you can do so on the Guestbook page. Look just above and to the right of the entries for the place to post an entry. It’s a good way to either share or to ask for information.
Some website features are currently in maintenance mode and not available just now, such as the P-47 Photo Gallery. Hopefully these will be restored soon. But please don’t let that stop you from acquainting yourself with this great resource! Good hunting!
371st Fighter Group 