P-47 pilot killed in L-5 crash 21 Jan 1945

[Leendert]

Ken Wakefield's "The Fighting Grasshoppers" tells of an L-5 crash on 21 January 1945 at St. Aubin-sur-Aire, NE France (between St. Dizier and Toul) in which the pilot, 1st Lt John Reiter (O-693236) of 14th Liaison Squadron was killed. Serial of L-5 was 42-99078.

A second fatality in this crash however was a P-47 pilot who was transported back to base after he had crashed before.

I wonder if the fighter pilot can be identified?

Thanks for the info.

Regards,

Leendert

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
The AAIR Website has John Teiter probably a typo error.
A/c serial same, 42-99078.
The ABMC Memorial link has this -

http://www.wwiimemorial.com/registry/search/pframe.asp?HonoreeID=633458&popcount=63&tcount=125

Perhaps somehow you could make contact.
Alex

[Leendert]

Alex,

"Teiter" is a typo indeed and unfortunately copied on several crash websites. John (NMI) Reiter from Queens County, NY is the correct spelling.
I'm trying to identify his passenger, who also was killed.

Regards,

Leendert

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
Have looke and could only finf the following P-47's for the 21st Jan 45.
France: 324FG/316FS - Heath, Nuckolls B.- 42-26811.
France: 324FG/316FS - Treitz, Richard H. - 42-27978.
Belgium: 366FG.389FS - Robinson, A. S. - 42-27377.
Belgium: 373FG/412FS - Burns, Robert G. - 42-7900.
Belgium: 48FG/493FS - Cole, Minor T. - 42-28625.
Germany: 366FG/390FS - Aageberg, James B. - 44-20424.
2 in Italy and 1 in FE.
Aageberg's macr has that his chute failed but a "Cub" was seen to be circling the area.
Perhaps trees sved him and the "Cub" picked him up only to be lost with the "Cub" ?
The other that might be is the Treitz loss, this might explain the "Typo" of the Reiter name if Treitz was the passenger ?

Alex

[Leendert]

Alex,

Thanks for the suggestions, but as far I could gather, only Capt James Aageberg was killed. This was at the crash site near Vielsalm, Belgium.

The crash date of the P-47 may have been some days before 21 Jan 45 as well.

Regards,

Leendert

[dp_burke]

if you have a reference to Reiters crash on AAIA then contact the nice folks at

http://www.afhso.af.mil/questions/askahistorian.asp

They should be able to send you a copy of the crash report. I imagine a passenger will be mentioned in the report.

[dp_burke]

Leendert,

anything you wish to say can be said in public, yes you have asked the question in public (two forums) and did not get the answer, possibly because people don't have the answer, just contact the AFHSO and then post the answer up here, day is saved and the forum continues. The forum is not going to drop dead becuase you request a few crash reports from an official resource.

[Alex Smart]

Hello dennis,
I have already sent them an e-mail .
Will let you know if I ever get a reply.
Alex

[Leendert]

Alex, Dennis,

Thanks for taking an interest in this case and I (also) look forward to whatever info comes forward from official sources.
But because a quicker input by our distinghuised board members can never be ruled out, I value to ask the question here first as well.


Regards,

Leendert

[Paul]

Talked to Ken Wakefield and he too is interested in the name of the P-47 pilot !

Paul

[Alex Smart]

Hello Leendert,
I have looked at the P-47 losses from the 14th to 21st Jan 45.
Came down to only a few where pilots were killed (KIA or DNB).
Here is my list.
14-1-1945
1Lt. Roland C. Potter - FOD. But why are two different a/c serial numbers given.
42-76313 and 44-20446. Have not yet checked Flag3 macr 11785.
14-1-1945
2Lt. CyrilJ. Konesy - KIA. But although the same a/c serial is given (42-76531) why are two dates are given, the 14th January 45 and the 25th January 45.
14-1-1945
2Lt. James S. Wither - KIA. Macr 11857
15-1-1945
1Lt Gordon J. McGrath - KIA. macr 11846.
16-1-1945
2Lt. James E. Hutcherson - KIA. macr 11840.
17th and 18th nil.
19-1-1945
1Lt. Alton O. Swanson - DNB. macr 11842.
20th - nil
21-1-1945
1Lt. Max H. Dahl - DNB - UK.
2Lt. Robert S. Hall - KIA - UK.
1Lt. Willard C. Scherz - KIA - UK.
1Lt. Edward B. Lightfoot - DNB - UK.
Capt. James B. Aageberg - KIA. macr 11783.

My search lead me to the ABMC Memorial section in the site.
There the 19th January loss of Alton O. Swanson isremembered by his wife.
There is a photo of him and a write up of his loss.
He bailed out and following recovery was lost in a transport a/c that crashed into the side of a mountain, no date given except the 19th however. But he is recorded as DNB.A penciled date on the macr has 3-3-45.
Have not yet heard from AFHSO but my money is on Swanson as passenger in the L-5 on the 21st. Perhaps they were not found until early March ???
Then again, two C47's were lost on the 3rd March, he could have been in one of those ???
And if so then we will still not have the answer to the L-5 passenger :(
all the very best
Alex

[Leendert]

Alex,

A lot to digest!
On wwiimemorial it says with Lt Alton O. Swanson that he was "returning on a hospital plane which flew into the side of a mountain".
Unfortunately his name is not on airforcehistoryindex.org which may lead us to the accident described.
Will look further into all you've written.

Regards,

Leendert

[Leendert]

Alex,

Although the possible AFHSO report hopefully will clarify matters, then to put Swanson forward by you may very well be a good estimate.
The L-5 reportedly was enroute to St. Dizier, home base of 405th FG, the unit Swanson was assigned to (510th FS). Swanson, I gathered, was WIA when his P-47 42-29153 had crashed near Diekirch, Luxembourg, on 19 Jan 45.
L-5 was with 14th LS and station on 21 Jan 45, crash date of 44-99078, was A-97, or Sandweiler, also in Luxembourg ....

Regards,

Leendert

[Alex Smart]

Hello Leendert,
Have looked at Flag3 and found:
Potter - only details of 44-20446 and macr 11785, nothing on 42-76313 ?
Konesny (note spelling) - macr 11786 has date 14th January 45.
Wither - a/c 44-19964 (Y) just east of the river Elbe, N of Burg.
McGrath - a/c 42-26296 just to the north- east of Lutz Kampen on map.
Hutcherson - Location given as R-3482.
Swanson - Location given as S of Diekirch, and was over friendly area.
Aageberg - Location pilot, P-7488, aprox 2 miles E of Vielsalm a/c aprox west of him.
Hope it helps
Alex

[Alex Smart]

Hello Leendert,
Very Swift reply from AFHSO.
Seven pages with photos.
will send you e-mail soon.
Alex

[Leendert]

Alex,

Good job, scans received!

To all those interested: the P-47 pilot was 1st Lt Alvin O. Swanson (O-706466) of 405th FG indeed, as Alex had suggested.
The L-5 was enroute from Thionville to St. Dizier and cause of crash is attributed to bad weather (snowstorm).

Regards,

Leendert