WWII, European Theater

US Army Air Corps, Flight Officer,

352nd Fighter Squadron, 8th Air Force

Enlistment Date: 4 Feb 1943

Killed in Action

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The aircraft was then flown by a variety of Squadron pilots until assigned to F/O John J Swanezy. He named the aircraft "Betty" and flew it throughout July and into August, 1944. Swanezy was killed in action while flying this aircraft on August 18, 1944.

[A Brief History of SX-F of the 352nd Fighter Squadron]

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Lt John J Swanezy, USAAF #062176

The enlistment date for Lt John Swanezy is not available, but what is available is that at the time of his enlistment he resided with his parents and his two sisters and one brother at 272 Commonwealth Ave in the "Falls" section of North Attleboro. We also learned that he was an outstanding football player for North Attleboro High school.

September 28, 1942 he became a part of a new fighter squadron being organized at Mitchell Air force base in New York. The unit was designated the 352nd Fighter Squadron. In October 7, 1942 it was sent to Richmond Army Air force base to be trained as a fighter pilots on the new P-47D fighter. In March 1943 the squadron was transferred to Millville, in New Jersey, for further training. In the fall of 1943 the squadron found itself back in Virginia. This time it was stationed at Langley Field. The date that the unite was sent over seas in not known, but what is known is the squadron was stationed at Goxhill, then Mitfield and finally at Raydon, all fighter strips. About this time the squadron became attached to the 353rd Fighter Group along with the 350th and the 351st fighter squadrons. Now the official records grow silent and we must rely on an eyewitness of the events of August 18, 1944.

We learn that Lt Swanezy's regular aircraft is down for maintenance so he is assigned to another for a planned strike on ground targets north of Paris. The plane he flew on this mission is listed as a P-47D, SN 42-75622, marked SX-F, "Hun Buster", on MACR 8132. His wingman, Harrison Tordoff, said that he had run out of ammunition, but regulations were that he was to stay with his air wing. He said that Lt Swanezy was a bit of a daredevil but a good pilot. Lt Swanezy went into a steep dive to attack their assigned target, but failed to pull up in time. The aircraft stuck the earth at a great speed and blew up in a great fireball and explosions of ordinance on the aircraft. He felt that there was no chance that he would have survived.

His father John J Swanezy, his mother Evelyn Swanezy and his two sisters, Janet and

Evelyn and his brother Edward, survived Lt Swanezy. Apparently his remains were not located. Perhaps they were and are in an US Cemetery in France. If that were the case he would be at rest as an unknown.

At the age of 19, John J Swanezy was too young to vote and too young to legally buy a beer, but not too young to die for his country.

Just for the record the P-47D was one of the biggest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter planes built during WWII. Fully loaded for combat they would weigh in at about eight tons and carry 2,500 pounds of either bombs or rockets. They were armed with eight. 50 cal. Machine-guns. They were recognized as excellent ground support aircraft and had a reputation as bringing their pilots home no matter how badly they were damaged.

[VFW Post 443, North Attleboro Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines Lost...]