Description
79th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Group, US Eighth Air Force, Kings Cliffe USAAF Station 367, August 1944
With ace pilot Jack Ilfrey having been shot down over France just six days after D-Day, but luckily managing to avoid capture thanks to the efforts of the French
resistance network, he soon found himself in London being interrogated by Allied intelligence officers. It was highly unusual to allow a downed airman to resume
combat operations in the same theatre of operations following a successful repatriation, as they were at risk of both placing his helpers in danger and being shot
as a spy if brought down again. Despite this, after a short spell touring USAAF airfields to recount his experiences to fellow pilots, Ilfrey found himself back at
Kings Cliffe airfield, the commanding officer of his old squadron. The unit had recently traded their twin engined P-38 Lightnings for North American P-51D
Mustangs, with the P-38s transferring to the Nineth Air Force for use in ground support operations. With his Mustang receiving the same 'Happy Jack's Go
Buggy' nose artwork as his previous fighter, Ilfrey would not score any further victories flying the Mustang, but he would use it as an unlikely wartime flying taxi.
On the way home from completing an escort mission to Berlin, Ilfrey's wingman was hit by flak and forced to make a hasty landing at an abandoned airstrip in
Holland. Unwilling to leave the young airman to an uncertain fate, Ilfrey landed his 'Go Buggy' at the same airfield, beckoned his wingman into the cockpit and
took off again sat on his lap - he described this as an extremely uncomfortable, but memorable flight back to Kings Cliffe for the pair.
Product Warnings
Product Warnings: The products we sell are adult collectibles and are generally not recommended for children under 14 unless specified. Many products contain small parts and can pose a choking risk to children. Please use only with adult supervision. If you have any questions or concerns as to whether a product is suitable for a child, please contact us. Also, always take note of warnings and directions on product packaging.
Warning for California Residents: Some products in our store can expose you to chemicals including Lead and Styrene, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects, or other reproductive harm. For more information, go to:
Shipping Policies
In stock items usually ship within 1-5 business days. Inventory is allocated upon receipt of your order. In the event an error with inventory occurs, one of our team members will contact you with an update on your order.
Black Forest® Hobby Supply Co shares inventories for some items across our network of affiliated retail brands. Most items ship from large commercial warehouses, hence the specified handling times. For further information, please refer to our policies page.
Our customer service team is available during business hours should you have any questions about your order or shipping status. Please contact us using the form below. We're happy to help!
We're Here to Help
The best way to reach us is right here!
Please fill out the below form and a customer service team member will get back to you shortly.
Monday — Friday, 9am — 5pm ET
