371st FG - August 24, 1944 - France

[Henofred]

Hello,

I am looking for more info about the mission and the loss of a P-47 from 371st FG. This fighter, serial 42-76555, pilot Sumner J. Calish (KIA), was lost in the area of Vierzon-Ville, France on August 24th, 1944. Regards from France.

Frederic

[alain charpentier]

Hello Fred !
do you speak about the P47 which crashed at Villefranche sur Cher,near the station?
I went to research some witness some years ago,found quite nothing,the engine stayed a long time along the railway line .
Apparently the P47 was shot down by flak.
The local town hall has nothing.
Put an enquiry in the Berry Republicain or the Nouvelle République of Loir et Cher .
Amicalement,

Alain with all the sun of Polynesia .

[Henofred]

Bonjour Alain,

It is not the one of Villefranche. I speak about a fighter shot-down by flak during a strafing of Vierzon marshalling yards. MACR is precise about the location of crash. You live in Polynesia now? So, greetings from “grey” Alsace region!

All the best,
Fred

[alain charpentier]

Hi Fred !

Yes I am in Polynesia, I never heard of a P47 crash over Vierzon...
are you sure of the location??
with all the sun from Moorea !

Alain.

[Henofred]

Alain - The target is well identified (…with a map attached to MACR).
So, below two excerpts of this report:

“While leading Yearling Squadron I observed second element of Red flight strafing the marshalling yards of Vierzon-Ville. Red four, Lt. Calish, raked several railroad cars with machine gun fire. I saw the plane hit the ground and explode.”

“I was leading Yellow flight, flying slightly to rear and right of Red flight prior the attack. I watched Red three and Red four go in on their strafing run. I looked away to clear the air and when I looked back one ship was pulling up and the other ship apparently had crashed. Due to the great amount of smoke and fire it is my opinion that the pilot, Lt. Calish, could not have survived the crash.”

By the way, I also found when and which German plane had crashed at Poulaines – Saint-Vincent (Indre). The one who is in the book " Des Rails Vitaux " by Bernard Staels. Give me your Email address, I can send details if you are interested.

A question: About the crash of Villefranche, you have a copy of the newspapers articles from Berry Republicain or Nouvelle Republique? Merci d’avance.

A bientôt,
Fred

PS: With all the sun from Moorea – … you “Lucky devil” Alain!!!

[alain charpentier]

Ia Orana Fred !

you can contact me at:

alain-charpentierATlive.fr

From the american report, it states that the P47 crashed just near the railway line, my father worked in 1944 in the depot of Vierzon, he was also
a keen aviation enthusiast.
He never spoke of this crash, he was living not far the marshalling yard at St martin, the end of the garden arrived on the track,and his father worked in the station, they never said that an aircraft had crashed there in august 44.
They spoke of P38, Mosquitoes, P47 strafing trains, and of course of the 1 july 44, I have some original police reports of what happened during the summer 44, and nothing about this crash.
So ...still a mystery !
For Poulaine, I shall be pleased to know more about it, I went and dig at the crash site, found pieces of a JU88.
The new owner of the site found more it seems.
So I wait your details .
From a sunny morning at Moorea ...

Alain.

[olliball]

Hello Fred,

It is really possible that the pilot thought he was in Vierzon but was in Villefranche. The 2 towns are rather close from each other and localization errors were really common during WWII (for exemple, in his statement of Lt Eugene Fleming shot down in Thesee, his wingman Lt Brydges thought they spotted the train near Mennetou sur Cher but they were over Monthou sur Cher. The names of the town are close and their are approx. 40 kms from each other).
Not all the pilots of a flight had a map. He even wrote 'Vierzon-Ville' that could show that he was a little bit confused about the town.
It is possible that you could fine some information about this crash in the archives of Loir-et-Cher department.

All the best,
Olivier