429FS/474FG P-38 crash, 17 Sep 44

[Eagle0025]

I am seeking information on the subject P-38 crash. The pilot, 2Lt. Richard Stein, was returning to airfield A-72 near Peronne, France from a mission in support of Operation Market Garden. While the squadron circled the field to land, Lt. Stein found that his landing gear would not function. The tower advised him to fly down to Le Bourget field, north of Paris, and if necessary, make a belly landing there. Apparently, he did not land at Le Bourget. It was later learned that a P-38 had attempted to land at Villacoublay (airfield A-42) on 17 Sep with only two wheels down. The tower could not make radio contact with the pilot so they shot up red flares for warning. The controller said that the plane circled a few times and set course to the north. Shortly afterwards, Villacoublay received word that a plane, believed to be a P-38, had crashed nearby. Sadly, the P-38 crash had been located and that Lt. Stein was killed in the crash.

Sketchy information I have says that Stein crashed "North of Beaumont, France". The closest "Beaumont" I could find was Beaumont-sur-Oise which is not too far north of Paris and also on the flight path back to Peronne. It is believed that Stein may have been running low on fuel and may have attempted an emergency landing at the airfield near Beaumont-sur-Oise. Stein's P-38 is believed to have been P-38J-20-LO, serial no. 44-23519.

No MACR was ever written and I have yet to locate an accident report. Any help/details on this crash or exact location of the crash site would be most appreciated.

Cheers, Gary Koch (474th FG Association Historian)

[shooshoobaby]

Gary -
You can try requesting the Individual Deceased Personnel File - IPDF.
If no Family Member available - Request it by including a Freedom of
Information Act Form Stating your Reason.
Also , if you request it , state your willing to pay the Non - Relative
Fee on the FOIA Form.
Mike

[Leendert]

Gary,

A hard to read USAAF loss list indeed has 44-23519 with 474th FG on 17 Sept 44 as salvaged NBD (non-battle damage).
But another 474th FG P-38 is mentioned as well for that day. What I could read, it says 44-23647, also SAL NDB.
Perhaps you have more info about this possible other accident?

No MACR for Lt Stein, because it happened in Allied territory and pilot was immediately accounted for....
Only other reference I could find is that he was credited with a kill on 12 Sept 44.

Regards,

Leendert

[Eagle0025]

Mike,
I have thought of requesting an IDPF from the Army folks at Alexandria, but that does take some time. I wanted to check online first to see if anyone out there knew anything prior to requesting it. Sometimes I get lucky!

Leendert,
44-23647 was a 428th FS P-38J-25-LO. It was flown by 1Lt. George G. Guyon on 16 Sep 44 and was accidently brought down that day by 90mm friendly AAA near Chaufontaine, Belgium (6 miles SE of Liege). Lt. Guyon bailed out OK.

I also have two of my very good French friends and WWII researchers who live near Paris looking for the crash site as well.

Cheers, Gary