Info on 55FS & 53FS

[Tony H]

Seeking specific info on the following USAAF units - 55FS & 63FS

I am requesting info on personnel & aircraft losses for both units during their stay at RAF Wittering, UK before they re-joined the rest of their respective groups at nearby RAF KingsCliffe,

The 55FS were stationed at RAF Wittering between 20 Aug 43 & Apr 44 (exact dates NK) operating P-38
The 63FS were stationed at RAF Wittering between Jan - Apr 43 (exact dates NK) operating P-47

I am actually seeking all personnel (& acft) losses including;
combat/non combat/industrial accidents/auto accidents & deaths through natural causes for all ranks of these two units as part of research into a bigger project

Thanks in advance for any assistance given

Kind Regards

Tony H

[Alex Smart]

Hello Tony H,

Have you looked in on these web pages ?


http://forum.armyairforces.com/

and

http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/

and

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/

Alex

[Alex Smart]

Hello Tony H,
I found one of my old lists, so here is what I had. Cannot say from where they took off from though.

20th FG, 55th FS for 1943 (UK).
11-12-43 - 42-67052 - 2Lt.Rowley, A.N. - RTD.
28-12-43 1st Mission - 36 a/c.
30-12-43 - 42-67498 - 1Lt.Hethrington, T.F. - RTD.
31-12-43 - 42-67489 - 2Lt.Crago, J.W. - KNO.
1-1-44 to 30-4-44
5-1-44 - 42-67198- 2Lt. French,R.H. - pow.
5-1-44 - 42-67194 - 2Lt.Altman, A.T. - Kia.
24-1-44 - 42-67661 - 2Lt. Frazier, J.R. - Kia.
10-2-44 - 42-67855 - 2Lt. Frey, R.D. - pow.
10-2-44 - 42-67887 - 2Lt. Lundin, J.W. - Kia.
10-2-44 - 42-67729 - 2Lt. Taylor, J.
24-2-44 - 42-67878 - 2Lt. Quiring. - Kia.
24-2-44 - 42-67860 - 2Lt. Geiger, E. - pow.
3-3-44 - 42-67705 - 2Lt. Goble, D.D. - Kia.
4-3-44 - 42-67864 - 1Lt. Scott, J.C. - Kia.
4-3-44 - 42-68097 - 2Lt. Pfeiffer, E.G. pow.
4-3-44 - 42-67923 - 1Lt. Bisher, H.E. - Evd.
16-3-44 - 42-67907 - 2Lt. Matyasz, R. - Kia.
16-3-44 - details unknown (?) - RTD.
18-3-44 - 42-67907 returned, no details (?) - RTD.
5-4-44 - 42-67753 - 2Lt. Yelton, J.J. - pow.
8-4-44 - 42-67719 - 2Lt. Singleton, A.D. - pow.
10-4-44 - 42-68077 - Maj. Willis, D.K. - EVD.
13-4-44 - no details (?)
18-4-44 - 42-68126 - 2Lt. Henslee, L.K. - Kia.
18-4-44 - no details (?)
18-4-44 - no details (?)
23-4-44 - 42-67885 - 1Lt. Ahern, R.W. - Kia.
23-4-44 - 42-67949 - Maj. McAuley, D.H. - Kia.
23-4-44 - no details (?)
1-5-44 - 42-67763 - 2Lt. Pearson jr, P.E. - Kia.
1-5-44 - 42-104314 - 2Lt. Shultz, W.G. -Kia.
8-5-44 - 42-67901 - 1Lt. Connor jr, J.J. - Kia.
25-5-44 - 42 - 104395 - 2Lt. Boele, P.A. - Kia.

56th FG, 63rd FS.
13-2-43 - 41-6257 - 2Lt. Ludwig, V.P.
8-4-43 - 4 a/c on op.
13-4-43 - Rodeo 202, 1st Mission 4 a/c and 8 a/c.
13-4-43 - Capt. Dyar, R.B.
25-4-43 - 41-6227 - 2Lt. Coenen, J.E.

All for now
Alex

[Tony H]

Hi Alex

Many thanks for the info and the links which I have been using to follow up details. Can you confirm what the abbreviations KNO & RTD mean? My knowledge of US abbreviations is limited / non existent!

Also , due you have an "exact" date of departure of the 55FS from Wittering to Kings Cliffe? I have two reported dates, one "at the end of April" and the other "towards the end of May"

Thanks in advance for your co-operation

Kind Regards

Tony

[Stephen M. Fochuk]

Will this project be for Osprey?

[Tony H]

Hi Stephen

No the project is for work and I have to confess that I have no idea who/what Osprey is . . .

Kind Regards

Tony

[Alex Smart]

Hello Tony H,

KNO = Killed, None Operational.
could mean that he was in a ground accident, or as a result of bombing, or ferry flight etc etc.
RTD = Returned to Unit.

As for "exact" date of departure of the 55FS from Wittering to Kings Cliffe? I have put my references back on the shelf.
But from Wikipedia -
see here at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Kings_Cliffe.
The 55th FS was brought to Wittering as there was not room for it at Kings Cliffe initially.
Transfereing from Kings Cliffe to Horsham St. Faith on 6th April 1943.

And from Wikipedia 20th Fighter Group page -
HMS Queen Elizabeth dropped anchor on 25 August and the men of the 20th disembarked at the Firth of Clyde. From there they were transported to the docks at Greenock, Scotland, and then, by train, to their new home, RAF Kings Cliffe, England.
Fortune smiled on the 55th FS at this time. Due to space restrictions it had to be stationed at RAF Wittering, about five miles from the rest of the group. The facilities at there were much superior to those at King’s Cliffe. The 55th Squadron joined the rest of the group at King’s Cliffe in April 1944.

Alex
PS "Osprey" are publishers.

[GMichalski]

Hi,

i would add little more:

440304 P-38 72-67736 20 79 Lt. Albert Fogg slight injury crash-landed due to battle damage

440316 P-38 42-68019 MC- 20 79 Lt. Robert Wells bailed out severe injury Lost during air test

440318 P-38 42-67883 KI- 20 55 Lt. Alan Singleton Ditched - North Sea

3613 440408 P-38 42-67719 KI- 20 55 2/Lt.A.D.Singleton POW Zeist

440418 P-38 42-104312 KI- 20 55 Lt. John F Dyer bailed out



regards

[Peter Randall]

It’s a very worthy and creditable thing to try and assist researchers, but it doesn’t help when incidents such as those involving Fogg and Wells are concerned, seeing as they were not 55th FS members as originally requested. Or are you saying that they took off from, or the incidents happened at Wittering? If so, I will need to update my database.

Peter

[Alex Smart]

Hello GMichalski,
I already had Singleton 55 FS 18/3/44 in my list above,but thanks for the MACR number.
Thanks for the additional downing for him which I omitted.
Also for adding the Dyer 55 FS for the 18/4/44 that I did not have in my above list.
As Peter has pointed out the other two are not 55th FS.
Thanks for the input though.
Alex