[BC]

Found the item I wrote in "Wrecksearch" magazine Autumn 1993:

"Belgian Mustang: Rudi Simons and a small group of Belgian enthusiasts have pooled their resources to excavate the wreck of a USAAF P-51 Mustang, and already the group have plans to investigate other local crash-sites.
The Mustang, an aircraft of the 504th Fighter Squadron, 339th Fighter Group from Fowlmere, Cambridgeshire, was engaged on bomber escort duties on 10 March 1945. Pilot 1st Lt Jerome J Sainlar, of Louisville, Kentucky, was instructed to investigate a group of B-17 Fortresses some distance from the others, possibly from the 490th Bomb Group at Eye, Suffolk. As he side-slipped towards them, his P-51 suddenly came under fire from the bomber gunners. It was often said by USAAF fighter pilots that 'anything that does not have four engines and flies near bombers is an enemy fighter to gunners'. It was a cruel ditty, but one which had a ring of truth in this case. Hit by at least 10 .5 calibre rounds, including two through the cockpit canopy, the engine of Lt Sainlar's fighter burst into flames and the pilot was obliged to bale out. He landed safely and returned to the 339th to finish his tour on 18 July 1945. Sainlar's only other claim to fame in combat with the 339th Fighter Group was an Me 262 damaged during the mission of 9 February 1945.

During the recovery, near St Trond, the group recovered: the Packard Merlin engine, damaged, but without corrosion; two propeller blades; four oxygen bottles; the propeller hub; armour plating from the cockpit; both main undercarriage oleos; tailwheel tyre; remains of fuel tanks; radio mast; miscellaneous airframe wreckage and much .5 calibre ammunition. David Wade and Jeff Carless of the East Anglian Aircraft Research Group have already assisted Rudi and his colleagues by forwarding photocopies of some pages from the P-51 Mustang Service Manual and the 339th Fighter Group History account of the event. The JCB excavation reached a depth of 6 meters, and no cockpit wreckage was found. Since buried wreckage was still visible, it was concluded that some parts were deeper and a return visit is planned. More details on this, and hopefully other Belgian investigations, including an FW 190 in the St Trond area, will hopefully follow. Watch this space !"

There was no follow-up on the P-51 site, so I am unable to say whether any further digging took place. I suspect Rudi Simons is on-line by now, so I'd be interested to know if any of our Belgian friends could mention this to him ?

Alexander - we have more in common than you think: See my post on the 467BG B-24

Regards,

BC