Werner Christie & Mustang

[SteveB]

Dear All

Just a little bit to add I think.

One of the key issues in this story is that essentially the two Wings swapped sqdns at the end of September 1944. So the staff of 150Wing were very unhappy about having to stay in the UK when their Tempest sqdns flew off to B60 Grimbergen and 19, 65 and 122Sqdns were very unhappy about returning to UK when the 122 Wing HQ staff remained at Grimbergen. As Allan has implied it was made very clear to the Tempest sqdns that they had a hard act to follow.

150 Wing moved from Matlaske to Andrews Field on 14 October and as Franek has pointed out they operated from there with 133 (Polish) Wing. So initially there were six Mustang sqdns at Andrews Field and by January 1945 there were six Mustang sqdns at Bentwaters.

On 16 January 1945 65Sqdn moved to Peterhead leaving 19 and 122Sqdn in 150 Wing and, after Christie took over from Bill Loud on 10 February, 19Sqdn also moved up to Peterhead on 13/14 February leaving just 122Sqdn comprising 150Wing. 150Wing were due to celebrate their first anniversary on 8 March 1945 but on that day they were disbanded with immediate effect and Christie was transferred to take over the Hunsdon Wing (with 154 and 611Sqdns). I have seen nothing that suggests that Christie led 122Sqdn and the Polish Sqdns. It seems to have been the case that during that period of 3/4 weeks on the escort missions to RAF daylight bombing missions 150Wing (ie 122Sqdn) provided top cover escort to 133 Wing sqdns which flew close escort.

Steve