Re: Flying Amputees
 

Hey - this is great stuff, guys! Can anyone put dates and background to the incidents when those mentioned required amputation?

I believe there was another French pilot by the name of Zevacco-Lamour who lost a leg/arm? He was sadly later shot down by own AA when chasing a V-1 flying bomb. There was also a pilot on 41 Squadron involved in flying agaianst the V-1s who had only one leg, having been seriously injured by a bomb in Palembang, Sumatra in 1942. This was Flt Lt (later Grp Capt) Tom Burne, who was again seriously injured towards the end of the war (awarded the DSO). And wasn't there a German pilot at the beginning of WW2 who flew with an artificial leg - and how about those who had only one eye? I am sure there are many more of these gallant gents to identify - could be a book here!


Cheers
Brian

PS: The German pilot mentioned above was Huth, I believe

Re: Flying Amputees
 

From Don Caldwell's JG 26 War Diary, Oblt Viktor Hilgendorff rejoined JG 26 in May 1944 as CO of 9/JG 26, having had his right leg amputated above the knee due to injuries suffered when shot down on 8 June 1942, when flying with JG 26. Claimed a victory on 17 July 1944, Caldwell reports as a 354th FG P 51.

KIA the next day in combat with P47s.

According to Caldwell, Hilgendorff was shot down in combat with B24s on 15 June 1944 and had to detach his artificial leg and carry it under his arm while parachuting!