Roland 'Bud' L. Wolfe, USAAF pilot with 4 victories ?
 

Hallo all,

This American pilot joined the RAF c.1940 and later flew Spitfires with 133 Squadron. He was interned in neutral Ireland from 30 November 1941 until 1943.
A recent newspaper article claimed that after he was released he joined the USAAF and subsequently gained 4 victories. Also that he served postwar in the USAF during the Korean and Vietnam wars. After consulting various sources including the ACES HIGH series by Christopher Shores and STARS AND BARS by Frank Olynyk I can find no trace of him, let alone any victories.
Can anyone please add anything to the above - especially if he made any victory claims ?

Regards,

Martin Gleeson.

Re: Roland 'Bud' L. Wolfe, USAAF pilot with 4 victories ?
 

Hello,
There is a 2Lt. Raymond E. Wolf that had two confirmed with the 363rd FG.
Nothing in Korea either for a Wolf or Wolfe.
But perhaps your man never made any official claims in either war ?
i see that the irish incident was 30th Nov 41, but is there a ? over the Spitfire serial number or was that sorted out ?
Alex

Re: Roland 'Bud' L. Wolfe, USAAF pilot with 4 victories ?
 

He flew P8074 when he baled out and was interned. He transferred to USAAF in November 1943.

John

Re: Roland 'Bud' L. Wolfe, USAAF pilot with 4 victories ?
 

30th November 1941 Spitfire P8074 133 Sqn I believe - Thats what Hell on High Ground says

Re: Roland 'Bud' L. Wolfe, USAAF pilot with 4 victories ?
 

Flew P-47 with 82nd Squadron

http://siris-archives.si.edu/ipac20/...229099!0#focus

Retired Lt Col

Miami Herald - NewsBank - Jul 28, 1985
"Air Force Capt Barbara A Kucharczyk daughter of retired Air Force Lt Col Roland L Wolfe of 20030 SW 112th Ave has arrived for duty in South Korea ... "

He was originally from Ceresco Nebraska

Re: Roland 'Bud' L. Wolfe, USAAF pilot with 4 victories ?
 

Roland L Wolfe O-886175 of Ceresco, NE., served with the 82nd FS 78th FG between 23 February 1944 and 13 September 1944 when he completed his tour of duty. He was a 1Lt. on assignment and Capt. when returning to the ZI. With the 78th he was credited with 1 x FW190 damaged (air) on 6 March; 1 x He111 damaged (ground) on 28 April 1944 and 0.5 x He111 destroyed (ground) on 10 September 1944. During his service in the ETO he was also spent a period of detached service with the 5th ERS between 5th May and 10 June 1944.
Peter

Re: Roland 'Bud' L. Wolfe, USAAF pilot with 4 victories ?
 

Photo of him here


http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=y...lfe%22&f=false

Page 92

Re: Roland 'Bud' L. Wolfe, USAAF pilot with 4 victories ?
 

Alex, John, Paul and Peter

Many thanks for your assistance. Especially valuable as I had no details of his USAAF service.

Obviously the reference to four victories has turned out to be newspaper embellishment. I have 'EAGLES OF DUXFORD' (78thFG) by Garry L. Fry but had never spotted his name.

As Wolfe was only released from internment in Ireland on 18 October 1943 he was very quick to transfer to the USAAF in England.

Paul. I also have 'GROUNDED IN EIRE' and indeed gave a little help to the Canadian author about his father's crash in 1941.

Gentlemen, my thanks once more.

Regards,

Martin.

Re: Roland 'Bud' L. Wolfe, USAAF pilot with 4 victories ?
 

Her
http://library.uncg.edu/dp/wv/results5.aspx?i=3630&s=5


http://library.uncg.edu/dp/wv/result...spx?i=2380&s=6

Re: Roland 'Bud' L. Wolfe, USAAF pilot with 4 victories ?
 

Wow, Mark. I have lived in Greensboro for many years and, of course, know about UNCG (University of North Carolina at Greensboro), but I never knew about this project. It does not surprise me as the college began life as "The Normal college for Women" in the late 19th century.

THX

Re: Roland 'Bud' L. Wolfe, USAAF pilot with 4 victories ?
 

Martin


I now know why you asked about Wolf. His Spitfire P8074 has been dug out of the bog crashed

Re: Roland 'Bud' L. Wolfe, USAAF pilot with 4 victories ?
 

Hallo Paul,

Thanks for your reply. Last Wednesday my attention was drawn to an article that appeared in a daily newspaper in Northern Ireland earlier this month. The writer stated this dig was planned for the end of June as part of a new television series. (Has the dig happened ?) This was a total surprise to me, not least that they had apparently received permission to carry out the dig.

There were several statements in the piece that really made me sit up and take notice. One was the suggestion that the unnamed pilot - 'Bud' Wolfe obviously - had four 'kills' in his USAAF service. I had no evidence from my previous research to back that up so I posted my query a few days ago. The information from you and our other colleagues was both new to me and much appreciated.

The file on this crash in the Military Archives in Dublin has little on the 1941 salvage operation. It appears the Spitfire dived vertically into a boggy area on a mountain side. Very little was recovered at the time except for two badly damaged machine guns and many rounds of ammunition. The impact hole was flooding so the army personnel filled it in.

I don't know the people involved in this dig. However I feel they may be disappointed by the results - the famed preservative properties of Irish bogs notwithstanding ! I could yet be proved wrong but in the meantime remain an interested spectator.

Regards,

Martin.

Re: Roland 'Bud' L. Wolfe, USAAF pilot with 4 victories ?
 

Thanks to Flypast Forum..

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/...-an-Irish-jail

Re: Roland 'Bud' L. Wolfe, USAAF pilot with 4 victories ?
 

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the link. I really dread those articles about the crashes and forced landings here in Ireland during the war. I gave up a long time ago trying to correct inaccuracies after they were published, because the mainstream media want a 'sexy story', not the more mundane truth. It just wrecks my head to use a contemporary phrase. Before anyone objects I don't feel I have to respond to every single inaccuracy published, otherwise I would get nothing done.

Having said all that one of the reasons I am so keen on this research is to try to correct these myths and set the record straight for posterity. And some day I or others will do this. I the meantime I am working away and helping my colleagues, just as they are constantly helping me.

Rant over.

Regards and thanks again,

Martin.

Re: Roland 'Bud' L. Wolfe, USAAF pilot with 4 victories ?
 

The keep track of the dig,
some of the comments are priceless.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13924720

Re: Roland 'Bud' L. Wolfe, USAAF pilot with 4 victories ?
 

Our Army lads have got one of the guns firing again!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15652440

The comments on this article are priceless (priceless nonsense largely)

Re: Roland 'Bud' L. Wolfe, USAAF pilot with 4 victories ?
 

Perhaps it would be a nice gesture if at least one of the guns was donated to the Irish Air Corps Museum and Heritage Centre at Baldonnel, after all it is part of our heritage as much as Northern Ireland
Tony K

Re: Roland 'Bud' L. Wolfe, USAAF pilot with 4 victories ?
 

Jonny McNee has published the story of his research in a book, The Story of the Donegal Spitfire.* It is on amazon and can also be obtained directly from him, I have his email address.* It is self published.

It is a wonderful addition to the battery of knowledge that exists on the war time crashes and landings in Ireland.

Dennis