Lt Homer Sprinkle and Sgt Julius Friend - DNB crash 18 Oct 1943

[Leendert]

According the 18 Oct 1943 Morning Report of the 37th FS/14th FG based in Tunisia, Lt. Homer Sprinkle and Sgt. Julius Friend got killed in an airplane crash ('Routine Training Flight'). See bottom of https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4544...objectPage=653

Accident not on AAIR or other such sites. 37th FS had P-38s at that time.
Since apparently two men in accident, is there any info (in Squadron Diary?) that points to the circumstances and/or details of airplane?

(Lt Sprinkle was in the 8 Oct 1943 shoot down of a good number of Stukas when FS was detached to Libya for a few days, but NOT subject of this thread).

Any info about 18 Oct 1843 accident welcome, thanks.

Leendert

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Just in case, both men are buried in USA (see findagrave for war details) and according to the newspapers announcing his death, Sgt Julius Friend died of wounds.

As a Sgt, Friend was probably not a pilot so was probably flying as a passenger in the aircraft flown by Lt Sprinkle. Aircraft was probably a liaison plane, or even a captured Italian or German plane, rather than a P-38. That may explain the absence of accident report.

[Leendert]

Belated thanks due to the recent hiccups of this forum, but glad in working order again! Crash may indeed have involved a non-inventory a/c. On the other hand, a 'routine training flight' in such an airplane?
Answer perhaps in squadron diary.

Leendert

[Buckeye30]

The 14FG had at least 2-- 2-seat P-38s (possibly more among the 3 squadrons and HQ) marked "PB" for Piggy-Back on the booms instead of numbers. Sprinkle no doubt recorded the flight as "training".
Nick