P47 crashed at Bois des dimes /France
 

Dear all,

the picture attached allegedly shows (i) a P47 (ii) which crashed at Bois des Dimes, near Vienne, South of Lyon.

Friends have been tying unsuccessfully to identify this aircraft, can you help? does it ring a bell ?

Thanks as usual.

GC

Re: P47 crashed at Bois des dimes /France
 

Most (French) websites agree that pilot was killed in the crash, identity however unknown.
Date range understood to be late August/early Sept 1944.
Since no MACR appears to exist, date on or just later than liberation of Vienne (on 3 Sept 44?).
Crash while on operational mission, otherwise accident report.

P-47 unit must be one of 12th AF (XXII TAC).

This info known to you for sure, but for benefit of forum readers.

Regards,
Leendert

Re: P47 crashed at Bois des dimes /France
 

By 03/09/44 losses were taking place far to the NE

On 28/08/44 seven P-47s of the 79FG straffed MV near Vienne and three were lost to flak

42-27109 crashed La Batie Rolland
42-76613 crashed near Saint Rambert d'Albon

42-75997 was lost, but no further details of crash site in Losses of 8th and 9th AF book
F/O RK Jennings + MACR 8381

Is the last one of interest?

Martin

Re: P47 crashed at Bois des dimes /France
 

Newspaper report for F/O Jennings tells of "Rhone River Valley": https://images.findagrave.com/photos...2efc39e58.jpeg
Interesting lead. Indeed, 9th AF losses in play as well.

Regards,
Leendert

Re: P47 crashed at Bois des dimes /France
 

No 'luck': see https://francecrashes39-45.net/page_...av.php?id=2029

Leendert

Re: P47 crashed at Bois des dimes /France
 

Hope this will help. The 'lift' stencil shows that the star and bar is more towards the tail . Any other photo's ?

Re: P47 crashed at Bois des dimes /France
 

Memorial for Jennings:
https://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/...=440&MemID=697

It can be seen on Google Street View here:

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.4239...7i13312!8i6656


https://www.google.com/maps/@44.4239...6!9m2!1b1!2i50


Regarding the location of Jennings Crash:
The actual location of the Jennings crash and his Memorial Marker is:
44.423927 N, 4.994750 E

The location of Jennings crash according to his MACR 8381 (link here):

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/91053018

The included map shows the location to be at bJ1840 (Lambert Zone 3 map):
This is East of Beaurepaire near Beaufort, at:
45.32677 N, 5.11804 E
The straight line distance between the MACR (reported) crash location and the actual crash site is around 70 miles so it appears the MACR is not "quite" correct.

Re: P47 crashed at Bois des dimes /France
 

Rick. The rear insignia position ( ie. behind the intercooler doors) was factory-applied and in Eighth and Ninth usually re-marked further forward to fit in the aircraft letter in front of the tailplane; Twelfth AF didn't bother as they did not have to accomodate

these codes.

This looks to me like a camouflaged razorback ( the insignia is quite low down) which would rule out 7109 an unpainted D-27-RE.
The other 2 were a D-20-RE and D-16-RE both would be OD/NG.
Just a thought.
Nick

Re: P47 crashed at Bois des dimes /France
 

Thanks everyone for your comments/answers shedding some light.

Take care.

GC

Re: P47 crashed at Bois des dimes /France
 

1st Lt Harry F. Murphy (O-751409), 27th FG/522nd FS (P-47s) is listed as DNB on 30 Aug 1944, buried at the Rhone American Cemetery.
Group changed stations in S. France that day.
Found no further info about Lt Murphy so far.

Now found that he was killed in a motorcycle accident, so no air crash

Regards,
Leendert

Re: P47 crashed at Bois des dimes /France
 

Looks like the 79th lost FOUR on the 28th, only Jennings killed though (2 bubble-tops, 2 razorbacks).
Bagian led a 79th flypast on May 4 1945 in Italy.


Nick

Re: P47 crashed at Bois des dimes /France
 

A track to explore: Charles B. McLean (O-707632), 79th FG/86th FS
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?p=242998

Re: P47 crashed at Bois des dimes /France
 

Just to look again at the four losses on the 28/08/44

Razor backs

42-75997 - Jennings, a/c almost effected a forced landing but exploded. It is not clear whether Jennings MACR 8381,managed to bail but it would seem that the a/c would have been too low. Within the MACR is a map reference J-1840, which should give a good idea as to the crash site

42-76613 - Brown, MACR 8383, reportedly belly landed and evaded. So would expect the a/c to perhaps be in one piece.Within the MACR is a map reference H-9534, which should give a good idea as to the crash site.

Bubble tops

42-26810 - Ogden - no MACR. So as he is reported to have evaded following a forced landing, again the a/c would be expected to be in one piece. As there is no MACR or accident report it may mean that he landed in allied occupied territory, in which case there may be a recovery report.

42-27109 - Baginton- MACR 8387, Not sure if he actually bailed out, if so then the a/c would most likely be wrecked. Within the MACR is a map reference J-1848, should give a good idea as to the crash site.

Also there may be available, details of recovery of these a/c perhaps.

Re: P47 crashed at Bois des dimes /France
 

French Cassini Map 3

bH9534 = St Rambert d'Albon (just S of )
bJ1840 = Beaufort (W of)
bJ1848 = Pommiere de Beaurepaire

Given the co-ordinates are only 4 figures, this indicates a 1km by 1km square on the map. (Six figures would give us squares of 100m).

Martin

Re: P47 crashed at Bois des dimes /France
 

All four P-47s mentioned in #13 on website francecrashes39-45.net with crash location and none of them in Vienne area.

Regards,
Leendert