B-25 shot down 8/4/43???

[Brian]

Hi guys

On a website called Apache.Clips (I believe) appears to be an interview with a crewmember (Monroe P. Schwartz) of a B-25 shot down (on possibly 8/4/43) by an RAF nightfighter. I haven't got sound switched on my PC!! Can anyone confirm the date of the incident and provide gist (transcript) of the interview?

Any help appreciated.
Cheers
Brian

[RossGmann]

Hello Brian,

Hope the following may be of interest;

Briefly: Schwartz was with the 82nd Bomb Group Squadron and in August 1942 (note 1942) they were flying a mission from somewhere in Egypt to a little town in the Mediterranean about 100 miles or less from Cairo which was a Nazi supply place. They left about midnight and arrived at the scene with the help of English Pathfinders. These were old fashion bi-planes who would come out a night and drop a series of large flares all the way to the target. They found the target and bombed it three times. When they were going home the sky was full of miles and miles of flack. They couldn’t fly through that so they turned off into the desert. Their plane blew up and a cannon shell went through the cockpit he bailed out and landed safely and was arrested by Australians who thought he was German; they took him to an airport and the next day he was told he had been shot down by a English Aircraft.

Kind regards
Ross

[Brian]

Many thanks Ross

I have now identified the culprit - a Beaufighter of 46 Squadron on the night of 23/24 August 1942.

Thanks for taking time to help clarify this incident.


PS: Any idea of serial number and identities and fate of crew? I can't seem to find details.


Best

Brian