36th FG Operations 24.12.1944
 

Does anybody have the Mission Report or Combat Reports of th 36th FG (53rd FS) on December 24th, 1944? Would love to have copies....

Regards,

John

Re: 36th FG Operations 24.12.1944
 

I have the daily mission reports on CD and microfilm; have never found any combat reports for any of their aerial claims. The group flew nine missions on this date, with the 53rd Fighter Squadron making their claims on #4. Are you interested solely in this mission or all nine? It's been a while since I had the CD in, but do remember the quality of pages ranges from excellent to barely readable. I can give you the roll numbers if you wish to order from the AFHRA at Maxwell, or I can try and send you mission #4 via private message. It may take a bit to get it around, and I am not a computer whiz by any means, but I'll do what I can.

Kent

Re: 36th FG Operations 24.12.1944
 

Hi Kent,

Yeah, it's only the mission with the combat claims I am interested in. Would love to see the mission report. I will send you my email adress through PM, no hurry though as I will be traveling the coming weeks.

John

Re: 36th FG Operations 24.12.1944
 

Hello John,
Expect you have this by now,but just in case you are still searching.
24th December 1944.
The Group lost three P47's.
All over Belgium.
44-19864, 22nd Squadron, Losing, Charles J. becoming a POW. MACR 11441
44-19560, 53rd Squadron, Brannen, Shelton (nmi) becoming a POW. MACR 11440
44-19941, 53rd Squadron, Lane, Roger T. Who was KIA. MACR11442.

Alex

Re: 36th FG Operations 24.12.1944
 

Thanks Alex. Do we know where these two 53rd FS a/c crashed and the the exact time? Perhaps the MACR's contain some info. Has anybody these MACR's?

John

Re: 36th FG Operations 24.12.1944
 

Hello,
as my knowlege, Roger T. Lane was shoot down near Prüm Germany and MIA until 1993.
h.

Re: 36th FG Operations 24.12.1944
 

Hello,
From Macr's,
11440
"Last seen" a cross on map at Vielsalm.
11441
Hit by AA in the vicinity of Horton.
11442
Aircraft name "Scrumptious Betty".
"Last seen" a cross on map as per 11440, Vielsalm.
All three macr's are only five or so pages each.
Alex

Re: 36th FG Operations 24.12.1944
 

Good evening John !

Lt. Lane's P-47 crashed at about 12:15 into a field due South of Siedlung Schwirzheim-Gondelsheim, halfway between the road B 410 in the South and the railway line North. This is about 6 km ENE of Prüm and 1.5 km South of Gondelsheim.

Eyewhitnesses confirmed the time as around noon. They also reported that the a/c came out of a formation in high altitude and crashed in a steep dive with a smoke trail nearly vertically into the ground.

A search for the a/c in August 1994, which based initially on the interest of a local history-club, dug up a number of debris and parts inclusive one or two installed weapons. The numbers of this weapon-numbers were visible and so, they could be checked by AFHRA microfilm # A1115 as those, which were installed at Lt. Lanes's P-47 s/n 44-19941.

After this findings, JAPAC was informed and they did the final work to recover the human remains of the pilot and did the further actions.

John , since I was involved into the whole search, I can give you the information by first hand.


best wishes !

Horst Weber

Re: 36th FG Operations 24.12.1944
 

Thanks Horst, much appreciated!