Roland 'Bud' L. Wolfe, USAAF pilot with 4 victories ?

[paulmcmillan]

Martin


I now know why you asked about Wolf. His Spitfire P8074 has been dug out of the bog crashed

[Martin Gleeson]

Hallo Paul,

Thanks for your reply. Last Wednesday my attention was drawn to an article that appeared in a daily newspaper in Northern Ireland earlier this month. The writer stated this dig was planned for the end of June as part of a new television series. (Has the dig happened ?) This was a total surprise to me, not least that they had apparently received permission to carry out the dig.

There were several statements in the piece that really made me sit up and take notice. One was the suggestion that the unnamed pilot - 'Bud' Wolfe obviously - had four 'kills' in his USAAF service. I had no evidence from my previous research to back that up so I posted my query a few days ago. The information from you and our other colleagues was both new to me and much appreciated.

The file on this crash in the Military Archives in Dublin has little on the 1941 salvage operation. It appears the Spitfire dived vertically into a boggy area on a mountain side. Very little was recovered at the time except for two badly damaged machine guns and many rounds of ammunition. The impact hole was flooding so the army personnel filled it in.

I don't know the people involved in this dig. However I feel they may be disappointed by the results - the famed preservative properties of Irish bogs notwithstanding ! I could yet be proved wrong but in the meantime remain an interested spectator.

Regards,

Martin.

[paulmcmillan]

Thanks to Flypast Forum..

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/...-an-Irish-jail

[Martin Gleeson]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the link. I really dread those articles about the crashes and forced landings here in Ireland during the war. I gave up a long time ago trying to correct inaccuracies after they were published, because the mainstream media want a 'sexy story', not the more mundane truth. It just wrecks my head to use a contemporary phrase. Before anyone objects I don't feel I have to respond to every single inaccuracy published, otherwise I would get nothing done.

Having said all that one of the reasons I am so keen on this research is to try to correct these myths and set the record straight for posterity. And some day I or others will do this. I the meantime I am working away and helping my colleagues, just as they are constantly helping me.

Rant over.

Regards and thanks again,

Martin.

[dp_burke]

The keep track of the dig,
some of the comments are priceless.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13924720

[dp_burke]

Our Army lads have got one of the guns firing again!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15652440

The comments on this article are priceless (priceless nonsense largely)

[Tony Kearns]

Perhaps it would be a nice gesture if at least one of the guns was donated to the Irish Air Corps Museum and Heritage Centre at Baldonnel, after all it is part of our heritage as much as Northern Ireland
Tony K

[dp_burke]

Jonny McNee has published the story of his research in a book, The Story of the Donegal Spitfire.* It is on amazon and can also be obtained directly from him, I have his email address.* It is self published.

It is a wonderful addition to the battery of knowledge that exists on the war time crashes and landings in Ireland.

Dennis