article mentioning West African Spitfire Pilot

[DavidIsby]

I am looking for references about one of the few West African Spitfire pilots. This guy, showing commendable zeal but lousy signals discipline, used to announce himself when he crossed the enemy coast for the benefit of the German Y-Service equivalent: "Achtung! Der Schwarz Prinz Verkommt"!

I read an article which referred to this individual back in September 2001. I read it in the US Department of Defense library in the Pentagon. I did not make a copy or write down a proper citation because there was a queue at the photo copier and I had to get back to my office. Besides, I would come back to the library the next week and make a copy then.

Well, the next week, before I could get back to the library, some very evil people flew an airplane into the building. It was a long time before the library was again operational. By that time, I had forgotten this article.

Can anyone help a disorganized alleged researcher?

thanks,
David Isby

[glider1]

I take it your talking about a USAAF pilot flying a Spitfire. The RAF had a number of pilots from a number of African, Indian and other nationalities so it wouldn't have been unusual.

[DavidIsby]

No. RAF.

There were a number of West African aircrew, but mostly in Bomber Command (they were not accepted for training by the RAF until June 1940 and by the time they completed training the main needs were for the expanding bomber offensive).

One of the Spitfire pilots' surname was Von Asante (sometimes rendered as Van Asante), whose family lived in Java.

If I recall, it was an academic type journal rather than an aircraft or enthusiast publication that I read about this guy. But, surely, in this group, SOMEONE knows about the guy who used to tell the Germans "Achtung! Der Schwarz Prinz Verkommt!"

[glider1]

I remember reading about two African pilots in one squadron. This is very politically incorrect but very true. It stuck in my mind as the new Squadron Leader asked them why they had the nicknames five to and ten to. They smiled and ten to told him that as five to was darker, he was called five to as five to midnight was darker than ten to midnight.
Heaven only knows which book this was in.
My other story was of a USAAF navigator who was spending time with an RAF bomber squadron. He was from the South, racist and very unpopular. The Squadron Leader put him in a crew where the pilot was from Africa.
As you probably know in an RAF crew the pilot is in charge no matter what his rank. So this American not only had to do what an African pilot told him to do, he had to take orders from a sergeant as well.

[udf_00]

Akin Shenbanjo was WOP/AG on Halifax "ACHTUNG! THE BLACK PRINCE".

Try Gurggling "ACHTUNG! THE BLACK PRINCE" web & pics

[Larry]

David,

If this is the Wireless OP you are looking to trace as in the previos post, a photo of him and the rest of the crew appears on Page 55 of Halifax Special; by Bruce Robertson, from Ian Allan (Publishers) ISBN 0 7110 1920 7.

It stands to reason that if he was the Wireless Op he could have announced his arrival over enemy territory.

The above mentioned Hailfax crew from 76 Sqn flew in LW648 which was given the individual code 'A'