US Kittyhawk pilot shot down Italy 2 December 1943
 

Hi guys

Just re-reading the late, great Spike Milligan's book "Milligan's War", in which he mentions a US Kittyhawk shot down by British AA fire near Monte Camino, on 2 December 1943.

According to Spike, the Kittyhanks were strafing British troops in error, when one was hit by AA. The pilot baled out and Spike was ordered by his officer to help locate him. They found him quickly, and according to Splke he was wearing a red flying jacket on which was painted:

HANK, THE KID FROM IDAHO (front)
FLYING EAGLES and a yellow bird (back)

Are we able to identify the pilot?

Stay safe
Brian

Re: US Kittyhawk pilot shot down Italy 2 December 1943
 

I didn't do a deep dive on this, but possibly Ernest H.(Hank?) Kellerman, 79th FG, 85th FS?
The date and strafing align with your story.

MACR 1411 https://catalog.archives.gov/id/90905550

Re: US Kittyhawk pilot shot down Italy 2 December 1943
 

Kellerman was from New Jersey.

https://www.abmc.gov/decedent-search/kellerman%3Dernest


I believe in the book ( I don't have it and maybe Brian can confirm) but the pilot actually bailed out and landed safely nearby. When the British get to him, he was smoking a cigarette. Maybe there are a few more clues in the book?

Re: US Kittyhawk pilot shot down Italy 2 December 1943
 

I have e-mailed a P-40 museum located in the state of Idaho: https://warhawkairmuseum.org/
I have also passed on to the museum the full quote from Milligan's book and have asked for help. We will see where it goes.

Here is the quote from the book:

"December 2, 1943"
“The rain had let up, a weak silver sun strained to make itself felt. Suddenly, from what seems directly above me, comes the roar of aero engines, oh God! are we for it?, a long burst of machine-gun fire. We all rush out, there are shouts of alarm, men are running and looking up. There, at about 500 feet, are a squadron of American Kittyhawks; the leading plane appears to be coming straight for me. I don’t understand, I hadn’t ordered one. His machine guns are blazing away, a figure hurtles from the cockpit, a parachute mushrooms, the fighter flashes past and hits the ground a hundred yards to our left. There is no explosion, so! Hollywood had been lying to us. The pilot is floating down on to an adjacent field. Our idiot Major appears.”
““Follow me,” he says as though we’re the Light Brigade. He leads, holding out his pistol, he doesn’t run straight for the pilot, no: we follow the track plan, we skirt the edge of the field in Indian file, the pilot is extricating himself from his chute and wondering why we are circling him, the Major bounds up, he points his pistol at a man chewing gum, wearing a red flying jacket with the words HANK, THE KID FROM IDAHO on the front, and a yellow bird on the back inscribed FLYING EAGLES, he is taking a cigarette from a packet of Camels.”
““Hands up! English or German,” says the looney Major. The American went purple. “You’re fucking lucky I’m anything, it’s your trigger-happy fucking Ack-Ack, why don’t they make up their minds whose fucking side they are on.” The Major was a little taken aback, steadied himself and said, “Consider it a gesture in return for the number of bloody times you’ve bombed us.” This was great fun—Christmas, not only fighting Germans but each other. After being entertained at the officers’ mess with a cup of tea, he was whisked away by a USAAF jeep driven by a coloured private wearing a white bowler hat. Don’t ask me why. We waved them goodbye. “Come and crash on us again some time,” we called.”

Re: US Kittyhawk pilot shot down Italy 2 December 1943
 

Hi Rolland

You beat me to it!

Stay safe
Brian