One of my favorite pieces in my collection of WWII relics is this main wing spar section (approx 6′ long) from one of the P-47Ds lost by the 56th Fighter Group on September 18, 1944 in the Arnhem area. On September 17th the 56th Fighter group flew ground attack missions protecting the Allied airborne landings (Operation Market Garden) in Holland. On Sept. 18th the 56th dispatched 39 fighters to attack anti-aircraft positions in support of a resupply mission for the U.S. airborne divisions, for which the group was awarded its second Distinguished Unit Citation. Duelling flak sites near Oosterhout, Netherlands, with a 500-foot cloud ceiling and severe haze, the 56th lost 16 aircraft: 5 shot down over German-held territory, 9 crash-landed in Allied territory on the continent, and two crashed in England.
