P-47 42-8435 on 20th february 1945
 

Gents,

P-47 42-8435 was lost on a ferryflight from Burtonwood UK to Y-29 Asch Belgium.It crashed near Hunsel Netherlands on 20th february 1945. The a/c was asigned to 406FG / 514FS.
MACR 12554 is very difficult to read.
I'm looking for the name and whereabouts of the pilot.

I believe the MACR reads:
1st Lt H.K.DEJA, 01995948, but I'm not sure.

Can anyone help me out?
TIA

Re: P-47 42-8435 on 20th february 1945
 

Bas,

Pilot was 1 Lt Henry M. Deja from St. Maries, Idaho.

Website wwiimemorial.com says hat he was killed due to a non-combat related cause.

Groet,

Leendert

Re: P-47 42-8435 on 20th february 1945
 

Bas,

Just to add that Lt Deja is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, St. Maries, Idaho.
Born 18 June 1923, died 20 Feb 1945.

Cemetery website says he was with 512 FS.

Groet,

Leendert

Re: P-47 42-8435 on 20th february 1945
 

Leendert,

Thanks very much for your help. Much appreciated.

Re: P-47 42-8435 on 20th february 1945
 

Just received info that the pilot of this P-47 didn't die. He jumped to savety but got wounded on landing some 300 meters from the a/c.
So the name in the MACR is most likely not the name of the pilot of 42-8435.
Any suggestions?

Re: P-47 42-8435 on 20th february 1945
 

Bas maybe he was wounded in landing and died of his injuries. Danny

Re: P-47 42-8435 on 20th february 1945
 

Danny,
Thanks for you help!
An eyewitness stated that the pilot broke his leg on landing. He gave his parachute to the Dutch people who helped him.
So I don't think he would have died from a broken leg. Although it is possible he died later on during the War.

Re: P-47 42-8435 on 20th february 1945
 

A break of the upper leg bone can be fatal if not treated especially if a major artery is ruptured

Re: P-47 42-8435 on 20th february 1945
 

Bas,

Woodland Cemetery information does say that Lt Henry M. Deja died on 20 February 1945...

See http://www.interment.net/data/us/id/...wn/wood_ce.htm


Also found this on the website of his former school:

http://ihmacademy.com/ihmgraduates1925-31.html

Son Henry M DEJA, b 18 Jun 1923, enlisted from the Reserves on 15 Feb 1943 at Buckley Field, Denver, served in WW2 as 1st Lt in 512th AAF Fighter Squadron, and died 20 Feb 1945.

Groet,

Leendert

Re: P-47 42-8435 on 20th february 1945
 

The only way to get a clear answer would be to request his IDPF. That would clearly state what happened to him, most likely what airplane he was flying and why he died. I believe he might have had like larry said, a torn artery and never knew he was bleeding out from the inside. Danny

Re: P-47 42-8435 on 20th february 1945
 

Hello to all

During the same ferry flight the Capt Gildersleeve John R.(KIA)O-353421 (514FS)was loss

2nd Lt Deja was found dead at MONS (near Liege ) the 19 March 1945

Regards
Phil

Re: P-47 42-8435 on 20th february 1945
 

If he would have been 513th FS, I could have helped you, as I have the daily mission logs for that unit. But the records for the 512th might be located in Pima, Arizona. The whole 406th FG documents are now held at Pima Air Museum. Danny

Re: P-47 42-8435 on 20th february 1945
 

Good evening !

Just to rise the confusion in this case, the french P-47-database site reports, that P-47, AAF-s/n 42-8435, crashed on 20 Feb. 1945 near Hunsel/Holland. The pilot Earl L. Abbot bailed out and was WIA. The cause of the crash was engine failure. The unit is noted as 352nd FG.

Best regards !

Horst Weber

Re: P-47 42-8435 on 20th february 1945
 

It’s quite strange because the 328th FS was equipped with P-51 at that moment
It was his former A/C Nicnamed “Sandra Lee” , the A/C was probably transferred to the 9th AF

Best Regards
Phil

Re: P-47 42-8435 on 20th february 1945
 

I wonder if the abbot's A/C was not the 44-15212 , but not sure
Best regards
Phil

Re: P-47 42-8435 on 20th february 1945
 

Well, this a/c have may had been an ex-ship of 352nd FG. But why was a ferry-flight of such an "old" P-47 undertaken in February 1945 from England to the Continent in this stage of war ?.

Horst Weber

Re: P-47 42-8435 on 20th february 1945
 

Horst,

Major Earl L. Abbott went missing on 24 Jan 45 in the Aachen area in P-51D 44-14710 of 352nd FG. He's still on the MIA list with date 26 Jan 46.

As Flupke writes, two 406th FG P-47s went down on 20 Feb 1945, one with Capt Gildersleeve, the other with Lt Deja. Both KIFA.
Losses covered in MACR 12553 and 12554.
Capt John A. Gildersleeve is buried in Belgium (Neupré).

Mons is near Visé, just south of the Dutch province of Limburg.

Regards,

Leendert

Re: P-47 42-8435 on 20th february 1945
 

Yes, and Abbott will be a pain in the tush anyways. He was last seen in combat near Aachen, but there are assumptions that he actually did not crash in this area. If I am not mistaken he was last seen south of Geilenkirchen (general area of Aachen). I live near Geilenkirchen and no one knows about a fighter crash during that time period. Danny

Re: P-47 42-8435 on 20th february 1945
 

Gentlemen, I have been doing a genealogy research and ran across this web page.
My Uncle was Henry Deja and indeed is buried in St. Maries, Idaho. My father was also in WW2 and a gunner on a B-26 bomber and survived the war and told us the Uncle Hank was shot down over Belgium but thats all I know. He came from a family of 8 kids in the woods of northern Idaho and always had a smile on his face and was very soft spoken.
Anyway another bit of information I can put in my research.

Patrick Deja
Port Angeles, WA USA

Re: P-47 42-8435 on 20th february 1945
 

Bronco, thanks for that information. And welcome to the forum by the way. Danny