440925 - P51D 4th FG - 25-9-1944
 

South African Pilot Capt Roy A. HENWICK detached 4th FG USAAF ('Debden Eagles') failed to return from an escort mission to Frankfurt 25-9-1944 flying a P51D (probably 334th FS). He survived and may have been an evader. Looking for the aircraft serial number and cause of the accident.
Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

Re: 440925 - P51D 4th FG - 25-9-1944
 

Good evening, Henk !

From the available primary and secondary sources, your case seems to be a "hard nut". There is no entry into the LGK-J/KU-reports catalogue, which would match to your case.

AFHRA microfilm A5686 doesn't mention a P-51 loss of 4th FG on September 25th, 1944. Neither as MIA, SAL-BD nor SAL-NBD.

The available post-war literature doesn't mention the a/c's s/n in question.

Is it maybe possible, that this case with all this circumstances found a high level of classification from Sept. 25th, 44 to the first postwar years, so that the infos about the case didn't found entry into the primary sources ?.

Maybe the simple 334th Squadron Operation report for the day may help.

All the best !

Horst Weber

Re: 440925 - P51D 4th FG - 25-9-1944
 

He is listed as CTD of his exchange duty on 25 October 1944, and assigned a/c QP-M in Escort to Berlin, pg 174.

If he went down on 25 Sept 1944 then the probability is that he ditched or made it back to Allied lines and therefore no Macr was prepared.

Re: 440925 - P51D 4th FG - 25-9-1944
 

And he was flying QP-M on 25 September when he crash-landed near Casteljaloux, France. I'm afraid that serial #of QP-M is not given for this event.

Peter

Re: 440925 - P51D 4th FG - 25-9-1944
 

Thanks friends for all your help. Will inform my friend Jan Hey on whose request I 'launched' this thread on the forum.
Regards,
Henk.

Re: 440925 - P51D 4th FG - 25-9-1944
 

The page is not part of the scanned book on Google books but there is a small preview,

Osprey's
4th Fighter Group 'Debden Eagles' By Chris Bucholtz, Chris Davey
".... but in exchange 334th FS pilot Capt Roy Henwick failed to return. His compass and radio failed, then he ran our of fuel near Castel Jaloux, ...."

"... Henwick was taken to Bordeaux, then to Paris, and he returned to the group on 28 September. Two days later...."

Perhaps someone with that book can advise the context of the above statements? I might be able to get my hands on a copy soon.

Re: 440925 - P51D 4th FG - 25-9-1944
 

Thanks Dennis. Also found the said book on "Google Advanced Search" and read about 334 FS; probably missed the phrase you mentioned. Yes the pages were not scanned (....just the period I was looking for.....September 1944).
Regards,
Henk.

Re: 440925 - P51D 4th FG - 25-9-1944
 

Henk,

I've often wondered how they came up with some of the "assigned" a/c in "Escort to Berlin" and thought that you might like to see the variety that Capt. Henwick flew during his TDY with the 334th FS. Can't understand how they could say that QP-M was assigned to him. Just hope that my tabs work so that the following data is readable!

1944
20 July White 2 QP-S
22 July White 2 QP-O
28 July Red 2 QP-S
31 July QP- Early return – rough engine. Position and a/c unknown
01 Aug Red 2 QP-F
02 Aug White 4 QP-M
05 Aug Red 4 QP-F
08 Aug White 4 QP-D
09 Aug White 2 QP-D
10 Aug Green 4 QP-D
13 Aug Red 3 QP-I
16 Aug Blue 4 QP-J
24 Aug Green 4 QP-Z
25 Aug Red 4 QP-A F.O. 529 Early return – glass tube to tank broke
25 Aug Blue 1 QP-W F.O. 531
27 Aug Blue 4 QP-D
01 Sep Spare 1 QP-Q F.O. 543
01 Sep Blue 3 QP-T F.O. 546
05 Sep Green 3 QP-K
08 Sep Spare 2 QP-D
09 Sep Red 3 QP-G
11 Sep Green 3 QP-G Landed A-71 Clastres
13 Sep Red 3 QP-D
19 Sep Green 3 QP-Q
25 Sep Spare 1 QP-M Crash-landed near Casteljaloux, France - out of gas.
05 Oct White 3 QP-D
07 Oct Green 2 QP-E
09 Oct Blue 3 QP-A
12 Oct Red 3 QP-L
25 Oct Detached service finished.


Hope that this is of interest to you.


Peter

Re: 440925 - P51D 4th FG - 25-9-1944
 

Oh well, they didn't work but it is at least readable!

Peter

Re: 440925 - P51D 4th FG - 25-9-1944
 

Peter - the 4th Gp exchange seems to coincide exactly with Warren Peglar and Lionel Frost TDY to 355th for 60+ days from RAF.

Same outcome. Neither were assigned a specific ship from the 354FS and 358FS throughout their assignment.

Interestingly Peglar had four air and one ground credit while dad was 354FS CO to become an 8th AF 'combined' ace - which I think is unique for the RAF/RCAF exchange pilots to 8th AF.