31/3/45: 2 RCAF Spits shot down by P-51
 

Hi guys

Two RCAF Spitfires from 416 Squadron were shot down on 31 March 1945 by a USAF P-51 flown by an unidentified American major, who was later court-martialled.

Can anyone provide the errant pilot's identity, please?

Cheers
Brian

Re: 31/3/45: 2 RCAF Spits shot down by P-51
 

Hi guys

Further to this enquiry, can anyone advise if any relevant P-51 squadron CO was removed from command on 1 April 1945 or shortly afterwards? The errant pilot was apparently a Major, and I assume was a CO.

Cheers
Brian

Re: 31/3/45: 2 RCAF Spits shot down by P-51
 

Not necesarily, many times high ranking (Major and above)pilots flew misions with Fighter Groups on attachment from HQ

Re: 31/3/45: 2 RCAF Spits shot down by P-51
 

Hi Kaki

Yes, that's true, but still no suggestion as to who it was.

Cheers
Brian

Re: 31/3/45: 2 RCAF Spits shot down by P-51
 

Can you provide a location for the two planes shot down? That would narrow down some possibilities for my search.

Kent

Re: 31/3/45: 2 RCAF Spits shot down by P-51
 

Try and look up Major William M Long from 353rd FG. The two Spitfires came from No. 416 Squadron.

Re: 31/3/45: 2 RCAF Spits shot down by P-51
 

Long did claim a Me 109 destroyed at 1015 hours, close to an airfield near Hanover on March 31, but is this even close to where the two Spitfires lost? Long served with Headquarters of the 353rd Fighter Group and was still with the unit until being transferred in July 1945. A location for the 416 Squadron losses would still help.

Kent

Re: 31/3/45: 2 RCAF Spits shot down by P-51
 

Here is a link to Long's report of the 31 March encounter.
http://www.spitfireperformance.com/m...-31march45.jpg

Re: 31/3/45: 2 RCAF Spits shot down by P-51
 

Re: 31/3/45: 2 RCAF Spits shot down by P-51
 

Interesting comments about Long on those pages. This link has a lot of encounter reports,
http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.o...t-reports.html

and includes this one by Tordoff, who was leading Long's "Jockey Red" flight.

http://www.spitfireperformance.com/m...-31march45.jpg

As far as the encounters report being "edited", I believe that is very likely. I have seen similar things for Fighter Groups operating in Italy.

Now... was Long ever court martialled?

Here is a prior link about Long.
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=32301

Here is a plane he cracked up in a taxi accident.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougsheley/5769887277/

Re: 31/3/45: 2 RCAF Spits shot down by P-51
 

Hello,
I had a swift look in FCL vol 3.
For the period begining June 44 til May 45 there are recorded at least 15 such events some fatal, not counting allied AA events. This is just the northern european area of war.
We are looking at a single small event within an even larger event - it was called WAR.
In war these things happen, when thousands a day were killed on all sides.

That said, it does look like the Canadian Squadrons were the worst hit ? Was that because of the areas they were covering ?

The pinned thread on Friendly fire may well give more info on this and the other events.

Alex

Re: 31/3/45: 2 RCAF Spits shot down by P-51
 

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

It looks as though Major William Long was the guy in question.

Cheers
Brian