Rank of Pierre H. Clostermann in RAF

[CJE]

One more "urban legend".
As shown in 122 Wing records, Clostermann never lead the Wing in combat. He only was a F/Lt and much less experienced than many Squadron Leaders that flew with this Wing (such as Warren Schrader).
56 Sqn was commanded by Cotes-Preddy from Sept. 44 to Feb. 45. Bruce Cole has never been in charge of 56.
As far as I know, there was no gap between Brooker and Mackie.
The story of 122 Wing was told in Aéro-Journal n° 20 (Aug-Sept. 2001) and was never contested by Clostermann, who - I can tell you - read it carefully!

[Allan125]

As far as I can ascertain the piece below is the only mention of Pierre Clostermann in the official 122 Wing history (both editions) - which were both printed by J. H. Schultz a/s Universitets-Bootrykkeri, Kobenhavn - inside the front cover of the larger document it states "A short account of the operational career of 122 Wing was published at Flensburg in September 1945. The booklet aroused so much interest among all ranks of the Wing, for whom it was intended, that this second, more detailed, edition has been prepared. Schleswig, November 1945"

I hold both editions as they were issued to my father in 1945, he had moved to 122 Wing when 125 Wing disbanded in July 1945.

"On 15th April nine aircraft of 486 met nine F.W. 190s and destroyed eight of them without loss. One the following day a further five aircraft were destroyed and 104 vehicles were accounted for in 84 sorties, but the Wing suffered a severe blow when Wing Commander Brooker, D.S.O., D.F.C., failed to return after an air combat. Peter Brooker has been since January the mainspring and inspiration of the ceaseless onslaught on ground targets of all kinds. The new Wing Leader was W/Cdr E. D. Mackie, D.S.O., D.F.C., C.O. of 80 Squadron, who finished the war with twenty-five enemy aircraft to his credit. Another leading member of the Wing at this time was F/L Pierre Clostermann, who had twenty-two victories with the R.A.F. in addition to at least six with the French Air Force."

Perhaps placing the names of Brooker, Mackie and Clostermann in the same part of these documents has given rise to this confusion about command - however the document clearly states that he was a Flight Lieutenant, and nothing about any form of Wing Command or Leadership of the Wing in action.

I still believe that no time gap existed between the loss of Brooker and the appointment of Mackie as they flew from the same airfield.

Do any of our French colleagues know if the history of 125 Wing has ever been published in Aéro-Journal?

Allan

[CJE]

No, the story of 125 Wing has not been told in Aéro-Journal.
I have all microfilms of 122's squadrons ORBs and at no time Clostermann led anything bigger than a flight.

[Allan125]

for CJE

many thanks - a great pity nothing has been published

Allan