ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 115829
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| Date: | Thursday 20 January 1944 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Republic P-47C Thunderbolt |
| Owner/operator: | 552nd FTSqn /495th FTGp USAAF |
| Registration: | 41-6203 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | RAF Templeton, Pembrokeshire, Wales -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RAF Atcham |
| RAF Templeton |
Mission: Training.
Details:
The 495th Fighter Training Group, which operated in England from December 1943, trained P-47 Thunderbolt pilots. These pilots, who had received the basic training in the USA would be assigned to a training group to practise ETO operational procedures and gunnery from the UK before being assigned to the Eighth or Ninth Air Forces.
41-6203 Assigned to 63FS, 56FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 1GTTF, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 552FTS, 495FTG, 8AF USAAF based at RAF Atcham.
She was built by the Republic plant at Farmingdale New York and delivered to the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) at La Guardia Airport in Queens. After being ferried over to Great Britain (Not clear when and by which ship). Before coming to 63rd Fighter Squadron (FS) of the 56th Fighter Group (FG) of the 8th Air Force (AF) USAAF who were based at RAF Boxted in Colchester. Here she became the regular aircraft of Lt Jack D Brown and was given the nose art ‘The Flying Ute’ and ‘Windy’ Port side and Starboard side of the engine nacelle respectively.
She went to No.1 GTTF at Sutton Bridge for a short spell before coming to 552nd FTS) of the 495th FTG in the 8th AF USAAF. She flew with a number of different pilots, whilst retaining the original nose art of Lt Brown.
On the 20th of January 1944. (Some sources state the date as the 19th.) She was being flown by Lt Robert O Deibel when he suffered a landing accident at RAF Templeton, which was categorised as 4 (repairable).
Then on the 26th of May 1944. She was involved in a mid-air collision near Newport, Gwent. Slightly more damage (Cat 3) but happily both pilots and their aircraft landed safely. On this occasion she was being flown by Lt Daniel E Lowers.
After repair, ‘The Flying Ure’ crashed again on the 8th of July 1944 after another mid-air collision near Llangollen, this time suffering Cat’ 5 damage. Her pilot on this occasion was Lt Raymond Foulkrod.
Crew:
See ‘Additional Information’.
Buried:
N.A.
Wreckage:
Unknown.
Additional Information:
The pilots who flew ‘The Flying Ure’.
Lt Jack D Brown.
Jack was born in Salt Lake City on the 5th of July 1921. Before the war he drove as a semiskilled chauffeur, bus, taxi, trucks, and tractors. He enlisted on the 8th of November 1941 then after training he went to the 63rd FS within the 56th FG. He received his promotion to Captain on the 12th of March 1944 then he was transferred to HQ Sqn’, 56FG on the 22nd.
He survived the war.
Lt. Warren E "Russell" Lobdell
Assigned to 552FTS, 495FTG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 366FS, 358FG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) escort mission in P-47D 42-8415, Reported that he was low on fuel. Element leader, Erik Littlejohn, and he broke off to make the return flight to England. En route, with little fuel and at low altitude, they were bounced by four Me109s. Littlejohn broke left, Russell broke right, and that was the last he was seen. Crashed Maheru, France Killed in Action (KIA) 27-Jun-44.
Pilots who crashed ‘The Flying Ure’.
Lt Robert O Deibel.
Crashed again on the 4th of February 1944 in P-47 41-6412 at Moreton Valance in Gloucester. Returned to duties. He was posted to 551st FS of the 495th FG in the 8th AF USAAF. (No further details.)
2Lt Daniel Edwin Lowers.
He was born on the 3rd of March 1922 in Indiana and enlisted on the 25th of January 1943. After his accident in ‘The Flying Ure’, he was posted to serve with 552nd FS of the 495th FG in the 8AF USAAF. He survived the war and sadly passed away on the 24th of August 2017.
Lt Raymond Foulkrod Jr.
He enlisted on the 5th of November 1942, and he appears to have sustained injury during the mid-air collision on the 8th of July 1944 which prevented him in continuing his training before being honourably discharged on the 5th of December 1945. He sadly passed away on the 10th of October 2007 in Northville Missouri and is buried at the Great Lakes National Cemetery USA.
Sources:
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/db.asp
www.americanairmuseum.com
https;//air-britain.com
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 06-Jan-2024 09:29 | Davies 62 | Updated [Date, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 16-Mar-2024 09:20 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Location, Nature, Destination airport, Narrative, Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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