Hello,
For todays update:
Hi Schenck,
JL367 should be the a/c lost on the following day in the same area. It might be JK 941, Tufnell was at the control of the same a/c a day before on the last patrol from Foggia, it doesn't show on ORB for the next few days. Air Britain has it listed lost on the same day, although under USAAF (sic!).
My copy of AB, JA100 to JZ999 only has
JL367 - 253 Lost 28.5.44; NFD
So I do not know where the AB you quote has it lost the same day or where the USAAF comes in at all here. She is NOT listed as a USAAF a/c in "Spitfire International" either.
Sorry, Schenk, I missunderstood you, - you are speaking about JK941, Yes I see the date is the same, 27.5.44 Lost NFD, and USAAF.
You are saying that it could be this a/c and not JL367 ?
I would not disagree with that. Except that "Spitfire International" has her as
Spitfire F.Vc/Trop (Merlin 50) TOC/RAF 14.2.43; NWA 31.5.43; us 12th AF 1.10.43; crashed Cat. FB/3 27.5.44, SOC.
So it loks like she was with the USAAC when she crashed.
And
Lost 16/6/44 (Dear)
JK279 - Hit by flack and bellylanded 5 miles West of St: Majdan.
I take it that P/O. Melville was the pilot of this a/c when she was lost which leaves us with another a/c to find for Dear ?
All that done,
Good day Brian,
I looked and found that JK728 is recorded as FTR ops 28-10-44 in the spitfire.ukf.net production list.
BUT
In the JA100 to JZ999 it has
JK728 - 111/93/253/94 - To REAF 22.2.45
This suggests that she was with 94 sqdn when lost.
This also "Spitfire international", as follows
JK728 - Spitfire F.Vc/Trop(Merlin 46); TOC/RAF 26.2.43, to REAF 22.2.45; No.2 Sqn 2.45; Possibly to No. 6 Sqn 5.46.
It is possible that JK728 was found, and salved perhaps during or even after the war, then repaired before going on to the REAF, a bit of coflicting data with this one it seems. I ask where the spitfire.ukf.net got the new data re her loss on 28.10.44 from ?
Anyway glad to have helped and that others have now joined in the search.
All for now
Alex