Romanian deserter

[edNorth]

hi;
Belive no VBKz was carried; crew was only one, see below....


430650 [JFM 1943 Jumo 211 J1 / J2 VS II]
- Ju 88 D-1/trop [NP+MK] Luftwaffe
- Romanian Air Force (06.1943)
- "1" 2./Rum.Fernaufkl.St. (Luftflotte 4 East)
[Based Mariopol on the Ukraine Front]: OPS (F) Romanian pilot deserted w. aircraft (100%) <no location given> [was flown to Cyprus/Limassol Airfield] 22.07.1943 (rep as D1 430650 in LWFLV losses 76v29.07.43) - [F Sgt. Nicolai Theodoru surrendered to RAF Cyprus] HK959 RAF - British Airways Repair Unit, Heliopolis Airfield Egypt 27.07.1943 - Transferred to USAAF - USAAF 26th Air Depot Group 01.10.1943 [Flown via Khartoum (the Sudan), Maiduguri (Nigeria), Accra (Gold Coast/Gana), Ascension Island, Natal and Belem (Brazil), Georgstown (Br.Guyana), Borinquieen AAF Field (Puerto Rico) and West Palm Beach (Florida) commencing on 08.10.1943 and arriving at Wright Field AAF, USA 14.10.1943] - 30650 USAAF ´like serial on tail´ 43-0650 - FE-1598 USAAF - Test flown in Arizona by pilots from Technical Data Laboratory of Materiel Command - T2-1598 USAAF - Stored Davis Monthan AAB 1946 - USAF Museum 1950 - ´FE-1598´ USAF in 1961 - YY48 / 1F14 USAF Storage numbers (noted 1968) - In the 1970's it was painted up as "F6+AL" of 3.(F)/122 Luftwaffe - Repainted as "105" (as an Romanian AF Ju 88 A-4 of Grupal 5 Bombardament) after restoration at USAF Museum 1990's - (rep as W.Nr. 0880430650; photo shows part plate was below the nose window but had been removed - but plate is still in Gondola!)