Friendly fire WWII

[Brian]

Many thanks Boomerang - some interesting details.

Cheers
Brian

[Brian]

Hi guys

Just to update one incident about which I enquired - on 22 August 1944 I note that a US light aircraft was allegedly shot down by Allied ground fire near Le Mans. I believed that it might have been a UC-61 attached to 27thFBG. I was wrong. In fact a UC-61A of 27ATG was lost 23 August 1944, but off Prestwick in Scotland. This aircraft (43-14844) crashed into the sea with the loss of the pilot 2/Lt Robert Smillie (0-2044996). I still do not know the identity of the aircraft lost at Le Mans.

Cheers
Brian

[Andy Long]

Group Captain Gerry Edge (then commanding 253 Squadron) once discussed his shooting down on September 26th 1940 with me, and often attributed it to his No2, P/O Samolinski.

He felt that Samolinski had opened fire to the rear and starboard, touched the rudder and riddled Edges' Hurricane, causing him to bale out. Though in this case, I'm not sure it could be attributed as a 'full on' friendly fire incident.

[Brian]

Hi Andy

Many thanks - I did have a note of this. Do you have a 'fuller' account of the incident? If not, I shall see if I can find his combat report for this date.

Cheers
Brian

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Mission 335 Dec 19, 1944 Blechhammer.
B-17 #44-6532 piloted by 1st Lt. Haddon Johnson Jr. My father who is still alive was the bombardier navigator on this flight his name is Richard Hugh Clarke Jr. , 0-751804B. On December 19,1944 this A/C was in the South Oil area at Blechhammer, dropped from formation and lost site. They lost the No. 2 engine and No 4 engine was on fire and lost altitude immediately. The A/C also sustained a direct hit through the right wing fuel tank. They set a south east course hoping to make it to the Russian lines. They skimmed over and around mountains in the Czechoslovakia and nearly crashed head on with a German command plane. They expected an attack from German fighters to pick them off, they didn't expect an attack by two Russian fighters near the Hungarian border. They all believed the attack was pure stupidity as all identifications were given. Kelly the upper turret gunner sent one Russian plane down in smoke and the a parachute. The other plan took off. They crash landed safely in Hungry behind the Russian lines. The crew with the help of the Hungarians, were evacuated back to Italy on Jan 15, 1945.
They were a make up crew:
Crew List
H. Johnson, B Campbell, R. Pilcher, R. Clarke, H.Kelly, E. Storrer, V. Slivka, L Francis, J.Cash

The Hungarian interpreter was a Yugoslav named Payle(Paul) M. Kavacevic, a mining engineer and graduate from the University of Leeds in England. The other interpreter was a Hungarian Jew from Budapest that they called "Joe". Joe was a chemical engineer who escaped from a German labor battalion and was employed in gold mine processing by the Russians. He hadn't heard about his family in Budapest for several years.

This is taken from my father to help anyone. If you would like to contact me please feel free to email me, Rick Clarke at RClarke118@aol.com.

Source:
http://www.armyairforces.com/forum/m_6143/tm.htm

[Chris Goss]

Re Edge, I too spoke to Edge but the incident matches perfectly with a combat and loss from JG 51; Edge was proud that no German ever crept up on him......I leave it to you

[shooshoobaby]

Brian - Two more for your files.
April 19, 45 - Pilot Lt. Kenneth Horner 364th FG , 385th Sq. Shot down by Russian Fighters , Stuttgart GE. MACR # 14150 Pilot RTD

April 25 , 45 - B -17 # 338191 " Shasta " 303d BG 358th Sq. Pilot
Lt. Earnest Bailey. Shot down by B -17 # 338540 457th BG - 9 RTD.
Mike