[blythsco]

Hello Don

This is definitely hear-say evidence. My father was a photo recon pilot with the 14th squadron of the 7th group based at Mount Farm, Oxfordshire, UK. He brought back a lot of photos which he took from F-5s (P-38s) and Spitfire MK XIs. One of the photos was taken from an F-5 and was not taken by him. It was a B-17 in flight and tracing the serial number I was able to verify that it was "Slienthe Je Vahr" of the 452nd BG. Out of curiosity I was able to determine that "Slienthe Je Vahr" was lost on the 250th and last mission of the Group. This was the 1st and last mission for this crew and there was only one survivor. According to various sources there was one claim of a B-17 that day and it was by Adolf Galland with JV 44 flying an ME-262. The only other B-17 lost that day in the ETO was "Struggle Buggy" of the 94th BG. Assuming that AG downed a B-17 that day it was most likely "Struggle Buggy." The crash site has apparently been excavated and the German expert has determined that "Struggle Buggy" was downed by a German fighter and not by prop wash.

All the best
Scott Blyth