34 Squadron Liberator loss 5/6.3.1945

[Theo Boiten]

Dear all,

Who can help me with the serial number and crash location of a 34 Squadron Liberator that was shot down on 5-6 March 1945 during an operation to bomb the railway station of Graz.

Cheers and thanks, Theo

[Frank Olynyk]

Theo,
Clarification please. 34th BS was assigned to 17th BG, which flew B-26 Marauders. Last 17th BG loss I have is Feb 25, 1945.

How about B-24J 42-51967. lost at 1303 hours, March 4, 1945, at Graz, 15th AF, 484th BG, 826th BS. Crew of 10, 8 killed.

Enjoy!

Frank.

[kaki3152]

I think he's looking for 34 SAAF Squadron loss

[Frank Olynyk]

Ah, well 34 SAAF Sqn is a bit harder. The loss is noted in Martin & Orpen: Eagles Victorious, page 395, supposedly to a night fighter, with the crew listed, but no aircraft serial. Granfield: Bombers Over Sand and Snow: 205 Group RAF in WW2 page 313 also notes the loss, but nothing else.

If I remember correctly, AIR 54 at the PRO is a nice microfilm copy of SAAF squadron ORBs, better than the microfilm copy of the paper copies in AIR 27 and AIR 51 (not sure about that reference). But AIR 54 is on microfilm, and I don't know if they have attempted to digitize it.

Enjoy!

Frank.

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

The 34 Sqn SAAF aircraft lost on 5/6 March, 1945, was Liberator VI KH150 "R"

Col.

[kaki3152]

According to this Website:http://saafww2photographs.yolasite.c...wannenburg.php


Tommy: WO II A R Thomas Air Gunner. Killed when Liberator KH 150 R of Sq 34 was shot down by anti-aircraft fire over Yugoslavia on 6/3/1945, after bombing the Marshalling Yards at Graz, Austria. All crew died. Tommy is buried at the War Cemetery in Udine, Italy

[Frank Olynyk]

Eagles Victorious states ``Night-fighters were active, and on 5/6 March one of 34 Sqn's Liberators was lost.'' and gives the crew as Lt J B Masson, Lt C E Park, 2/Lt C D Foord, F/O F S A Thomas, WOI A R Thomas and WOIIs M A Ueckermann and R V Wilkson, all SAAF and lost, and Sgt A Stables RAF also missing.

Bombers Over Sand and Snow states ``Two Liberators failed to return. One of these was seen coned and shot down by flak over Trieste, and crashed in Yugoslavia. The other is thought to have been the victim of a night fighter over the target.''

If KH150/R crashed in Yugoslavia, we need another loss over Graz if there were in fact two losses.

Enjoy!

Frank.

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

The other Liberator lost on 5/6 March, 1945, was No.70 Sqn RAF, Mark VI KK354 - shot down by flak over Trieste .

Incidentally, F/O F S A Thomas, was RAFVR, not SAAF.

Col.

[Theo Boiten]

Dear all,

Many thanks for all your much appreciated input -I believe that KH150 was the last Abschuss of Maj. Paul Zorner (Gruppenkommandeur of II./NJG100) in WWII.

Cheers, Theo

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Originally Posted by Frank Olynyk

If I remember correctly, AIR 54 at the PRO is a nice microfilm copy of SAAF squadron ORBs, better than the microfilm copy of the paper copies in AIR 27 and AIR 51 (not sure about that reference). But AIR 54 is on microfilm, and I don't know if they have attempted to digitize it.

All AIR 54 files have been digitalized and are available for free on the British Archives website. Or at least were last time I needed one of these files two months ago.