search info pilot L4

[joel husson]

Hello,

I am looking for information concerning a pilot shot down by the Flak near "Grayan l'Hopital" between September and October 1944.It is about a piper Cub. The pilot jumped and was picked up by the population and disguised as a woman during the evacuation of the population from Pointe de Soulac in Gironde before the big fighting.

thank you


Joel

[Leendert]

Joel,

L-4 Cub points to a spotting plane of a US Army artillery battalion, but region was liberated by French forces (FFI) only, I gathered.
Apparently no other Allied involvement other from air support.

Regards,
Leendert

[joel husson]

Hello,

part of the story, rather brief, is related in the book "Marais Sanglants" editions: Les pas perdus

The book is sold with a map of all the strong points, works and landing zones on Grayan-L'Hopital et Soulac. I don't have more info

thank you

Joël

[RSwank]

As Leendert mentioned, there does not seem to have been a US Army presence in the area.

However, I ran across a description of an incident that occurred around September 24, 1944. I don’t know if this incident has any connection at all to the missing L-4, but it does put a U.S. Army officer on the scene.

On this link: https://archive.org/stream/ConquerTh...hArmy_djvu.txt

search for Pointe-de-Grave.

The story involved an intelligence officer, Lt Col Arthur E Sutherland from the 9th Army (which had just captured Brest in Brittany). (I have seen some references that imply Sutherland was in the OSS.) Sutherland was sent on a “hazardous journey” to try and negotiate the surrender of 15,000 German forces located at and near Pointe-de-Grave. The negotiations took place near St Vivien. There is no mention of how Sutherland got to the region from Brittany or how many men were in his party) but I think it might be possible his mission was flown into the area using one or more Liaison L-4s (or L-5s). Possible one of them crashed.

Rolland

[Leendert]

In case Lt Col Sutherland was dropped off by airplane, then an L-5 of 125th Liaison Squadron most likely? This unit was attached to NUSA.
On the other hand, a MACR would have been filed, for 125th LS fell under USAAF.

Regards,
Leendert