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Re: Oberammergau crash - 332nd FG involved ?
Gentlemen,
last summer I had the chance to live 3 weeks in Oberammergau and I studied the case in the context of the whole airbattle on 18 July 1944 (Mission to Memmingen airfield) where the 332nd FG should provide escort coverage for the bombers.
In short:
I met an eyewittnes of the crash of 2nd Lt Gene C. Browne with the statement - I saw a pilot coming down on a parachute and he was black. Aircraft itself came down about 100m in front of here, while she was hiding in a barn. Next day she saw the prisoner looking out of a cellar of the Passion Play Theatre in Oberammergau. She could see only the eyes and the teeth. Everything else was black.
A local friend did a search and found pieces with oliv trap and red color. These were sent to the 332nd FG Association and concluded, based on part numbers and matching with a real "Mustang", these parts belong to a P-51.
We received the diary of 2nd Lt Browne, where he stated he met on the way to the prison camp a B-24 crew, shot down a day after Browne's event.
This B-24 matches with MACR 7055, investigation is in progress. There are some indications that 1st Lt Charles O. Herman came down with his P-51 not far away.
Cline, when you are at NATO school Oberammergau go to the Town Archive. The lady there has my report.
Regards
Jörg
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