Rare Diary 71st 1st Fighter Squadron Group WWII P-38 History P.E. MacAllister For Sale

The Squadron Diary 71st Fighter Squadron First Fighter Group WWII P-38 History
Headline DescriptionA rare, privately printed unit history of the 71st Fighter Squadron, First Fighter Group, tracing its service from activation at Selfridge Field, Michigan in January 1941 through combat in North Africa, Sicily, and Europe flying the P-38 Lightning. This 268 page, 8 by 11 inch volume is illustrated throughout with period photographs, original hand drawn artwork and cartoons by squadron members, and an illustrated personnel roster with individual portraits of named enlisted men. Compiled from wartime rosters and first person combat accounts, and edited decades later by former squadron officer P.E. MacAllister, who went on to become one of Indianapolis\'s most prominent business and civic leaders. Issued in a small, limited run in 1988 with no findable copies currently in the market, and directly tied to the original manuscript later presented to the 1st Fighter Wing for permanent safekeeping.
Description
This is an original 1988 privately printed history of the 71st Fighter Squadron, First Fighter Group, compiled and edited by former squadron officer P.E. MacAllister, known to enlisted men as \"Mac.\" The manuscript began as a wartime project by squadron headquarters staff and volunteers, was carried home after the war by a squadron member, and was finally typed up and duplicated for circulation forty one years later, as explained in MacAllister\'s editor\'s note and August 1988 cover letter reproduced in the front matter. The finished volume runs 268 pages, comb bound at 8 by 11 inches.
The book traces the squadron\'s activation at Selfridge Field, Michigan in January 1941 as the 71st Pursuit Squadron, its early training on P-35 and P-38 aircraft, and its combat service across North Africa and Europe. The narrative includes detailed, named first person combat accounts, among them a rear gunner\'s duel with a German fighter during an escort mission, a December 1943 engagement involving named pilots defending a bomber convoy against enemy fighters, and a pilot\'s own account of intercepting and shooting down a JU-88 near Biskra. Daily diary entries record missions over targets including Bucharest, Ploesti, Zagreb, and Treviso, and note losses, including a pilot listed as missing in action after being hit over Zagreb.
The book also functions as an illustrated personnel roster, with individual portrait photographs of named enlisted men arranged by rank throughout the volume, a valuable feature for descendants and genealogical researchers tracing individual servicemen. It includes candid photographs of camp life, among them the squadron\'s softball team \"The Clippers,\" an improvised hot water heating rig built by Capt. Henry Neck, ground crew at work on aircraft engines, and a group portrait captioned \"Foggia, Summer \'44.\" Original hand drawn artwork appears throughout, including detailed pencil illustrations of enemy aircraft credited to a squadron member in the editor\'s note, and a full page of original cartoons depicting squadron life and in-jokes, credited to another squadron member. A period Allied Military Currency note issued in Italy is also reproduced as an illustration.
P.E. MacAllister, born Pershing Edwin MacAllister in 1918 in Oconto, Wisconsin, graduated from Carroll College in 1940 and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps soon after. He served as the 71st Fighter Squadron\'s armament officer, spending 27 months overseas with the 1st Fighter Group in England, North Africa, and Italy. After his discharge he returned to Indianapolis and joined his father\'s business, MacAllister Machinery Co., eventually leading it as president and chairman for decades. He became one of Indianapolis\'s most prominent civic figures, serving as president of the Indianapolis Opera and chairman of the Capital Improvement Board during construction of the Hoosier Dome and Indiana Convention Center. He died in 2019 at the age of 101.
According to the 1st Fighter Association\'s own newsletter, MacAllister personally kept the original 71st Fighter Squadron WWII diary manuscript for years while the Association searched for an appropriate permanent repository. In June 2010, during the retirement ceremonies marking the deactivation of the 71st Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, the Association formally presented the original diary to the commander of the 1st Fighter Wing, who passed it to the Wing\'s historian for restoration and permanent display. This 1988 edition is the duplicated, circulated version of that same manuscript. MacAllister also gave the keynote address at the squadron\'s retirement banquet that week, reflecting on his service as the unit\'s WWII armament officer.
A few pages in this copy show light show through from an old mailing label pressed against the back of an interior sheet, consistent with the book having been mailed to a previous owner.
Condition
Binding and Structure: Comb bound, 268 pages. The binding is generally secure and holds all pages, though a few rings near the top edge show slight separation.
Spine: No traditional spine; held by black plastic comb binding along the left edge, intact throughout.
Boards: Soft card covers in blue gray. The front cover shows scattered surface wear and a soiling mark in the lower right corner. Corners show light bumping.
Dustjacket: Not applicable. Issued in plain card covers with no dust jacket.
Pages and Interior: Typewritten text reproduced by duplication, clean and fully legible throughout. Photographs and illustrations reproduce clearly. Paper is bright with no foxing or water staining observed. Light show through from an old mailing label appears on the back of a few interior pages.
Ephemera and Inserts: None loose or laid in.
Overall Condition Grade: Good+Item SpecificsFormat: Spiral Bound Book
Language: English
Subject: Militaria, Military History
Topic: World War II, Aviation History
Region: North Africa, Europe
Country/Place of Publication: United States (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Publication Year: 1988
Author: P.E. MacAllister (editor and compiler)
Publisher: Privately printed
Number of Pages: 268
Dimensions: 8 x 11 inches
Keyword Tag StringSquadron Diary 71st Fighter Squadron First Fighter Group WWII history P-38 Lightning fighter pilots Selfridge Field Michigan North Africa Tunisia Sicily Egypt Libya Ploesti Biskra P.E. MacAllister unit history privately printed Army Air Corps Army Air Forces military aviation genealogy militaria collector rare unit diary Indianapolis nose art squadron cartoons roster
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