L-5 42-99379 listed as MIA - Dec 1944 - 69 Tact Recce Gp

[Leendert]

The Cumulative Loss Listing of Aircraft (in Europe) for December 1944 (A5686) contains a (for me) little mystery.

L-5 42-99379 is listed under the heading 'MIA' with date 5 Dec 1944.
Unit is given as '69 Tact Recon Gp'. This Group also had L-5s indeed, but wasn't in Europe (France) until late Feb 1945...
If list is correct, then L-5 part of an advance detachment?

No info on Joe Baugher's site (crouze.com), nor matching MACR as far as I could find.

Members with access to 69 TRG war diaries welcome to see if an incident is mentioned early Dec 1944.

Thanks.

Leendert

[Buckeye30]

Hi Lee. The 69TRG was formerly the "Provisional Recon. Group" until March 45 so the L-5 could be from one of their squadrons ( 34PRS, 111 TRS, 162TRS); I believe most L-5s were in the 111th.
The Prov. RG was formed Oct. 1944 to support the US Seventh Army moving north. In March there was some shuffling of the Recon. squadrons within Groups. L-5 Liason Sqns. were included in 6th. Army Group (Seventh Army).


Regards
Nick

[Leendert]

Thanks for info, may explain this matter. Will look further for any leads.
If 'MIA' indeed, then more in NE France area.

Leendert.

[Buckeye30]

Mike's web-site here may be useful in future for identifying Liason/Field Artillery types by fuselage codes (not complete though); includes the Pacific also.


Nick


https://mikesresearch.com/2022/05/29...n-planes-wwii/

[FrankieS]

hi, dear all,


just for comparison Daniel on his website https://francecrashes39-45.net/presentation.php has the following France losses of L5s:


N° Date Département Type Matricule Unité Lieu du crash
7699 24.06.1944 Calvados Stinson L-5 42-99002 ZS*? 67thTactical Reconnaissance GroupTRG/153rdLiaison SquadronLS/9thAF Terrain de Vouilly
6576 09.07.1944 Calvados Stinson L-5 42-99102 ZS*? 67thTactical Reconnaissance GroupTRG/153rdLiaison SquadronLS/9thAF Terrain de Vouilly
8455 25.08.1944 Bouches-du-Rhône Stinson L-5 42-99201 Army Air Forces Mediterranean Theater of OperationsAAFMTO/72nd Liaison Sq Près d'Aix-en-Provence
4358 25.08.1944 Vaucluse Stinson L-5 42-99816 72ndLS/12thAF Vers Apt
6406 28.08.1944 Absence de Dept Stinson L-5 42-99071 9S*F 14thLS/9thAF 7 km SO Houdin (?)
8456 28.08.1944 Mayenne Stinson L-5 42-98651 10thPhotographic Reconnaisance GroupPRG/15thTactical Reconnaissance SquadronTRS/9thAF La Baconnière
8468 29.08.1944 Sarthe Stinson L-5 42-98653 10thPhotographic Reconnaisance GroupPRG/9thAF 3,5 km O du Mans
6007 22.09.1944 Côte d-Or Stinson L-5 42-98781 324thFG/316thFS/12thAF Auxonne
9442 20.12.1944 Absence de Dept Stinson L-5 42-98990 8R*? 153rd Liaison Sq/1st US Army Près de Trigurville (?)
7883 21.01.1945 Meuse Stinson L-5 42-99078 6C*? 14thLS/9thAF 1 km O St-Aubin-sur-Aire
7882 22.01.1945 Marne Stinson L-5 42-99106 47thLiaison SquadronLS/9thAF 1 km SE de Loisy-en-Brie - 18 km S Epernay
8837 24.01.1945 Vosges Stinson L-5 42-99171 72ndLiaison SquadronLS/9thAF 1/2 mile N de Girmont
7406 17.02.1945 Aisne Stinson L-5 42-99375 153rd Liaison Sq/9thAF Dans les environ de Sissonne
9309 07.03.1945 Eure et Loir Stinson L-5 42-98673 HQ - 50th Troop Carrier Wing Dans les environs du terrain A-40
9277 10.03.1945 Nord Stinson L-5 44-16721 45thAir Depot GroupADG/9thAF La Bouverie - Cne d'Arleux
9275 15.03.1945 Aube Stinson L-5 44-16933 173rd Air Liaison Sq/9thAF Près de Méry-sur-Seine
7900 29.03.1945 Somme Stinson L-5 44-17301 1stTPG/326thFerryS/9thAF 10 km SO Amiens
8370 07.04.1945 Calvados Stinson L-5 44-17111 173rd Air Liaison Sq/9thAF Terrain de Deauville
8371 07.04.1945 Mayenne Stinson L-5 44-16899 158 Air Liaison Sq/9thAF Cne de Commer - 24 km NE de Laval
7782 13.04.1945 Var Stinson L-5 44-17126 158thLS/9thAF Près de Rémin
7783 01.05.1945 Ardennes Stinson L-5 42-99305 2B* 125thLS/9thAF 200 m SO de Signy-le-Petit

[Leendert]

No 42-99379 in above list, so perhaps apparent MIA outside France. AAIR names more instances of L-5 losses and accidents in France and beyond.
Will look further for cause of loss of #379. A helpful forum member sent me the Aircraft Card of this L-5 and it also has MIA on 5 Dec 1944.

Leendert