474th FG 42-104399 1 April 1945

[Flupke]

I am looking for the name of the pilot and his fate who was flying the P-38J-15-LO # 42-104399 474th FG MACR 13668 this A/C was loss the 1/4/1945

Regard
Phil

[Eagle0025]

Hello Phil,

The pilot in this incident was 2Lt. Robert L. Coleman (serial no. O-769612) of the 429th FS. On April 1, 1945, the 429th took off at 0836 hours from Euskirchen (Y-59) on an armed recce in the area of Warburg, Nordheim, and Mordhausen. There was bad weather in the recce area so the Squadron flew east. They located and attacked the airfield at Gottingen with 10-plus Luftwaffe aircraft of various types on the field. Bombing and strafing results were excellent. A 30-car passenger train was also strafed and damaged in the area.

Just before making the attack on the airfield, Lt. Coleman's P-38J-15-LO was hit by flak. He was seen to split-S from 3,000 feet just east of the marshalling yards at Gottingen (map grid coordinates C-525280). Two flashes were seen when the P-38 struck the ground. He was not seen to bail out. No parachute was seen. Coleman was later declared KIA.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, Gary

[Flupke]

Hello Gary
Many thanks for this information! Just another little question concerning the same day
Can you confirm that the Lt Craig from the 428th FS was flying P-38 #42-25497 when he made a single engine landing after to be hit by the light in the right one who was on fire, he was wounded on his leg , he was on the red flight on mission #366 ?
Regards
Phil

[Eagle0025]

Hi Phil,

Unforunately I cannot confirm the individual P-38 that Lt. Craig flew on 1 Apr 45. As for the serial no., I believe you meant "44-25497", not "42-25497". There was no serial number 25497 that began with "42".

I can confirm that Lt. Robert L. Craig was flying as Geyser Red Four on that mission. The 428th FS history states "The mission was memorable principally for Lt. Craig who joined the "Purple Heart Club" after one of the narrowest escapes anyone in the Squadron had experienced. While Yellow Flight, led by Lt. Capron, was bombing a marshalling yard near Leinefeld, intense light flak caught Lt. Craig's right engine. A flak fragment ripped through the cockpit, coming so close to the pilot that it burst his right shoelace and grazed the top of his foot. Lt. Craig made it home all right, landing single-engine, having succeeded not only in quieting his shaking nerves but also in blowing out the flames that enveloped the engine when it was hit."

Hope this helps. I will keep an eye out for info linking Craig to the P-38 he flew that day.

Cheers, Gary

[Flupke]

Hallo Gary

You are absolutely right, sorry for this mistake but that solve my little problem
P-38L-5-LO 44-25497 is the airplane of the 429th FS loss the 31/3/45 2nd Lt Graham Milton R. (POW)O-710822 MACR 13665 , I don’t know were he went down nor the circumstances

Many thanks again, I have a lot of other question concerning the 474th FG , I think that you will have a little bit work with me ;-)

Best regards
Phil

[Eagle0025]

Hello Phil,Yes, you are correct about 2Lt. Graham going down on 31 Mar 45 in P-38L-5-LO, serial no. 44-25497. It was a 429th FS ship coded 7Y-W.The mission that day was an armed recce in the area bounded by Marburg, Horn, Seesen, Northeim, Weitzenhausen, Kassel, and Marburg. Somewhere in the area of Schmallenberg, Graham's P-38 was hit by flak and he had to bail out. He was seen by fellow pilots to ditch his parachute and rund east into the woods after he hit the ground. His crash and bailout area was estimated to be 4 miles northwest of Schmallenberg.Graham was captured by German troops, but was not in their company for long. Advancing U.S. troops overran the prison camp where he was held and liberated it. Graham returned to the 474th around 15 Apr 45. Paul Hissey, a squadron mate of Graham's, had a funny story about this mission. He mentioned how they thought old Milt had been captured so the other pilots went through his personal belongings and took what they wanted and drank his personal liquor supply. Paul said Graham was really ticked off when he returned to the unit two weeks later and found most of his things missing. Paul told me that is likely why Milt never attended any of the group's reunions after the war! Graham was also one of three former 474th FG pilots to stay in the Air Force after the war and rise to the rank of General.Ask whatever questions you may have on the 474th. I'm only too happy to help you out Cheers, Gary