| Original caption: “Competition is great among individual crew chiefs of the all-negro 332nd Fighter Group, Fifteenth Air Force, Italy, and its never more evident than this picture which shows Staff Sergeant William Accoo, 358 Keasby Street, Salem, New Jersey, washing his plane down with soap and water. After this he will wax it. Note the crew chief’s reflection in the side of the North American P-51 Mustang – and that’s not done with mirrors either. “Original caption: “Staff Sergeant William Accoo, crew chief in a Negro group of the Fifteenth United States Air Force, washes down the [North American] P-51 Mustang fighter plane of his pilot with soap and water before waxing it to give it more speed,” Staff Sergeant William “Bill” H. Accoo (October 14, 1914 – August 27, 2008) served with the 99th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group. He was inducted on February 23, 1942, and discharged on August 25, 1945. Accoo was bestowed with the Congressional Medal of Honor on May 25, 2007. | |
| Image Filename | wwii2188.jpg |
| Image Size | 671.54 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2250 x 2874 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Army Air Force |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | September 1, 1944 |
| Location | |
| City | Ramatelli |
| State or Province | Campobasso |
| Country | Itally |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | 342-AM-53696AC |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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