Bf 109 in East Coast War Bond Drive, 1944

[Richard Muller]

My dad (age 13 at the time) atttended a War Bond Drive in Caldwell, New Jersey on February 6, 1944. One of the attractions was a very battered Bf 109. Kids could remove a piece or 2 of the airframe in exchange for a War Bond purchase.

I have no photos of the 109...just a small piece of aluminum with RLM 65 paint on it and some RLM Grau 02 colored tubing.

Can anyone help with a possible identity on this aircraft? Many thanks...
--Rich Muller

[stephen f. polyak]

Hi Rich,

No idea if this relates, but I thought I'd share. About 10 or more years ago, I purchased this page out of a wartime Westinghouse Electric Elevator Company (WEECO), Jersey City N.J., magazine, along with a piece of aluminum skin clearly painted RLM 79, sand yellow, with a portion of what appears to be a personal marking in black. The interior of the piece is painted RLM 66; I assume it came from the cockpit region. Also the German word "ist" is lightly scratched into the piece on the outside.

The magazine's dated March 1944, and it tells of a display of two Me 109s at the WEECO facility to stimulate the sale of War Bonds (their 4th Drive). Note the three photos. The aircraft were said to have come from Sicily, "shot down" (anti-aircraft fire?) the previous fall. Bits of the aircraft were given to those who purchased bonds. Thus the associated relic.

Caldwell and Jersey City are about 20 miles apart. What do you think - any connection there? :-)

Steve

[Richard Muller]

Steve:

Many thanks! This may very well be the same aircraft. My uncle (a few years older than my dad, and now deceased) told me that he remembered a fuselage and one wing (something the photos tend to support), hauled in on a truck.

I will be seeing my Dad next month and will show him the photos.

Thanks again for the info. --Rich