P38 October 2,1942 1 FG

[Luc Vervoort]

Hi !

Uffz Hans-Joachim Stoller of 2./JG26 shot down a P38 on 2/10/1942 16h25. This plane is reported to have crashed 3 km w of Coquelles (France). The pilot of the P38 1Lt.William H Young of 1 FG 71 FS was killed.
Who has the full serial of the plane ?

Many thanks and best regards

Luc

[Alex Smart]

Hello Luc,

Not 41-7617, from 71st this was lost on the 8/19/1942.
Another unknown was lost from the 27th FS on this date.
Young, as you say on the 2/10/1942.
Then on the 11/10/1942 , 41-7618 was salved it being a 94Sqn a/c.
Earlier ones I have found is
41-7604 94FS also on the 19th Aug 42.

I expect yopu have this already, but in case you had not.

Alex

[edNorth]

Hi Alex;

If the 27th FS lost one P-38 on 19 August 1942 - it flew to Britain on 22 August - then still in Iceland: no known loss is recorded on that date - but one unconfirmed witness stated to this author many years ago that one P-38 was in combat and ´shot down´ by German plane around middle of August, this falling into sea west of Reykjavik City.
Souces state American fighters did search for unindentified plane on this date but without success...

best regards
ed

[Alex Smart]

Hi,

I will get round to replying but have the info put away again for now, will have to search it out again. Take a day or two.

Alex

[Alex Smart]

Hi,

19th August 1942

1st Fighter Group
94th Fighter Squadron
41-7604, pilot 1Lt. Charles W. Oakley
T/O Kirton-in-Lindsey at 0930 hrs on a high altitude training flight, flying to Goxhill where Lt Oakley rendezvoused with HQ Squadron and together with the 94th and 71st Squadrons began to climb to altitude. At 10,000ft the formation ran into some heavy cumulus clouds and the flights became separated. On climbing to 25,000ft the Group Commander called to the 94th Leader to detach a section and intercept a target which had been sighted above. Lt Oakley peeled off to rejoin the formation, did a sort of half roll and started straight down, crashing between Knayton and Upsall, north of Thirsk, Yorkshire. KNO.

71stFighter Squadron
41-7617, pilot 2Lt. Robert R. McCord
T/O Goxhill on a Group formation flight, experiencing problems with the right engine propellor control and landing gear. Returned to Goxhill and landed with landing gear partly retracted. No injuries. RTD.

27th Fighter Squadron
pilot Lt. Webster
Landed at 1050 hrs two miles west of Alfriston, Sussex. Later in the day a/c was refueled and at 1604 hrs took off and landed at nearby Friston airfield. RTD.

Ref: "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces ETO Area-June 1942 to December 1943".

So correction , only one a/c lost 41-7604, other two looks like returned to service. perhaps lost at some later date.

Alex

[Alex Smart]

hello Luc,

If you did not notice in the 1st Fighter Groupswebsite.

Lt. Young was from Andrews City Texas. Perhaps a search in that direction may bring something new to light.

Alex

[Luc Vervoort]

Hi Alex,
Many thanks for your message/

I'm already in contact with the crew of this website.
I have ordered a few aircraft record cards from NASM, perhaps by elimination we can trace back which was the plane in question.

Best regards

Luc