World War II - Golden Pilot's Class Ring - Freeman Field Indiana

Yes super nice ring and a wonderful find. Since no inscription can't be returned. Yes Army Air Force was during WW2.

And that is a P-38. They used to fly out of Selfridge in Detroit. Loved those planes.
 
I stand corrected, My flaw was failure to read properly. The ring says U.S. Army Air force. I did not read Army first just U.S. Airforce. So you are in with a true winner. Congrats!!!!!!
 
Dear fellow hunters,


A friend of me found this 10k golden ring in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. It was found a few miles from the landing place where the 101st Airborn division landed on 17 september 1944 because of Operation Market Garden. Can anyone help me identify this ring?


The texts on the ring:

Front: United States Army, Air Force
Side 1: Pilot
Side 2: Freeman field SEA FTC(?) and Prepare for Combat

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Here are all the pics I made of the ring:

https://plus.google.com/photos/105837108022563648969/albums/5886105319597543361?authkey=CLPppsfupIu8Lg

Hi,
If you know the location the ring was found and this corresponds with the location of a downed aircraft from Operation Market Garden (check the Missing Aircraft Report listings for it) then you can get the name of the pilot and thus some idea of the rings owner, either pilot or co-pilot.

Nice find, and especially poignant as it probably relates to a crash victim.

Kind Regards,
Simon.
 
Here is a Southeast Training Command DUI that I found at a WW2 AAF bomber training base.
 

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Next step: I found a list of all airplane crashes during WWII in my country. I think I have the most chance to find a match in 1944, so I focus on this year for now.

There were 1650 reported crashes during that year. 119 were direct in or around my city Eindhoven. 72 of those planes were American. I focus even further on crashes that were actually in Eindhoven itself.

This leaves 25 cases:

T3379 04-feb-44 1250 Eindhoven (vlgv.) B-17 G 42-39771 91BG/401BS 2nd Lt. J.P. Lutz B B-17
T3454 22-feb-44 1515 Eindhoven (ZO van) P-47 C 41-6335 78FG/83FS 2nd Lt. J.H. Johnson B P-47
T3764 08-jun-44 1115 Eindhoven (Blaarthemseweg 80-50) P-38 A 42-12981 7PG/14PS Capt. R.R. Nelson B P-38
T4128 18-sep-44 Eindhoven - Turnhout P-47 D 42-26337 56FG/62FS 2nd Lt. T.A. Edwards B P-47
T4277 22-sep-44 1835 Eindhoven (N van) Typhoon Ib JP800 181 Sqdn F/O. T.I. Pervin B Typhoon
T4302 23-sep-44 Eindhoven (vlgv.) Typhoon Ib MN421 137 Sqdn W/O. T.J. Pike B Typhoon
T4303 23-sep-44 Eindhoven (vlgv.) Typhoon Ib MN664 182 Sqdn F/Sgt. A. Bales B Typhoon
T4309 23-sep-44 1607 Oirschot (Oirschotsebaan) C-47 B 43-48400 440TCG/96Sq Maj. W.R. Cooper B C-47
T4397 27-sep-44 0900 Eindhoven (vlgv.) Boston III BZ338 342 Sqdn Sgt. G. Martin B Boston III
T4401 27-sep-44 Veghel (buurt van) Mustang IIIb FB151 306 Sqdn F/Sgt. T.J. Koloszczyk B Mustang IIIb
T4496 07-okt-44 Eindhoven (vlgv.) Mustang I AM210 430 Sqdn F/Lt. W.M. Middleton B Mustang I
T4522 11-okt-44 1655 Eindhoven (buurt van vlgv.) Mustang I AG514 430 Sqdn F/Lt. I.M. Duff B Mustang I
T4583 28-okt-44 1650 Eindhoven (buurt van vlgv.) Mustang I AM153 430 Sqdn F/O. McMahon B Mustang I
T4591 29-okt-44 1610 Eindhoven (buurt van) Mitchell II FV967 180 Sqdn Lt. J.R.C. Armstrong B Mitchell
T4597 29-okt-44 1240 Eindhoven Typhoon Ib JR202 247 Sqdn W/O. K.H. Brown B Typhoon
T4633 03-nov-44 Eindhoven (Stuiverstraat 39) Typhoon Ib JR500 439 Sqdn F/O. R.N. MacDonald B Typhoon
T4653 06-nov-44 1715 Eindhoven (2 km NO B.78) Typhoon Ib PD475 438 Sqdn F/O. R.G. Crosby B Typhoon
T4656A 07-nov-44 Eindhoven (vlgv.) Hudson VI FK482 MCS - O Hudson VI
T4662 08-nov-44 1030 Eindhoven (Spoorweg) Typhoon Ib EK133 247 Sqdn F/O. D.C. Orriss B Typhoon
T4755 29-nov-44 1645 Eindhoven (8 km N van) Typhoon Ib PD552 182 Sqdn F/Lt. W.M. Weeks B Typhoon
T4769 03-dec-44 1430 Eindhoven (in Beatrixkanaal) Typhoon Ib MN251 440 Sqdn P/O. A.W.E. Sugden B Typhoon
T4786 08-dec-44 Eindhoven (vlgv.) Anson I NL204 2 TAF CS - O Anson I
T4837 24-dec-44 1245 Eindhoven (16 km ZO van) Typhoon Ib MN665 440 Sqdn F/O. D.H. Cumming B Typhoon
T4860 26-dec-44 1630 Eindhoven (vlgv.) Typhoon Ib PD459 439 Sqdn F/O. J.D. Sweeney B Typhoon
 
On the list mentioned earlier there are several types of airplanes. It is likely the pilot who owned the ring was a bomber pilot, so i can focus on those:

B-17
P-38 (this airplane is in the ring!)
Mitchell
Hudson VI

This leaves the following crashes:

T3379 04-feb-44 1250 Eindhoven (vlgv.) B-17 G 42-39771 91BG/401BS 2nd Lt. J.P. Lutz B
T3764 08-jun-44 1115 Eindhoven (Blaarthemseweg 80-50) P-38 A 42-12981 7PG/14PS Capt. R.R. Nelson B
T4591 29-okt-44 1610 Eindhoven (buurt van) Mitchell II FV967 180 Sqdn Lt. J.R.C. Armstrong B
T4656A 07-nov-44 Eindhoven (vlgv.) Hudson VI FK482 MCS - O
 
I really think you might want to look into the second one on your shortened list. While I could be horribly wrong, I kind of doubt that a fighter pilot (P-38 was a fighter plane) would wear a ring depicting a bomber such as a B-17 or a B-25 (Mitchell). It's an ego thing among pilots.
 
I really think you might want to look into the second one on your shortened list. While I could be horribly wrong, I kind of doubt that a fighter pilot (P-38 was a fighter plane) would wear a ring depicting a bomber such as a B-17 or a B-25 (Mitchell). It's an ego thing among pilots.

Ok, thanks. I will keep all options open! :good:
 
The fighter-bomber planes on your list of 25 planes are:
P-47
P-38
Typhoon
Mustang I & III (P-51)

The Hawker Typhoons were British planes that could be eliminated from your list as I believe they were only flown by the RAF and not Americans in Operation Market Garden.

The C-47 was a transport plane, and it's probable it was carrying paratroopers during the crash unless they had already jumped.

Anyway, that's an awesome ring and very interesting circumstances. WW2 planes are one of my biggest interests. :)
 
The fighter-bomber planes on your list of 25 planes are:
P-47
P-38
Typhoon
Mustang I & III (P-51)

The Hawker Typhoons were British planes that could be eliminated from your list as I believe they were only flown by the RAF and not Americans in Operation Market Garden.

The C-47 was a transport plane, and it's probable it was carrying paratroopers during the crash unless they had already jumped.

Anyway, that's an awesome ring and very interesting circumstances. WW2 planes are one of my biggest interests. :)

Thanks for your help!
 
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