P-51 D Mustang 4thFG captured by ARR ???, Unknown story of P-51D on rom. airfield

Looking at one picture ( with the help of a magnifier) I discover in the background a P-51 D Mustang( early model). Cheking his markings reveal that it'snt from 15th Air Force but from 8th Air Force, 4th FG.
The picture was taken at the end of august or begin of september '44 on Popesti -Leordeni airfield ( SE of Bucharest).
The aircraft had the left wing tip damaged.
After some research i found more data about this Mustang from 4thFG official site:
P 51-D Mustang WD-O "Thunderbird", Sn 44-13555 assigned on 19 june '44 to pilot Ted Lines (southwest Indian Thunderbird his personal emblem).
The question is with what pilot and when this Mustang was lost over Romania.
The 4th FG had a shuttle raid mission to Rusia and back via Italy on 21-26 june'44.
If anyone could bring more lights about this i will be glad to hear.

This is the picture


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Another picture with the P-51D in the back of Bazu P-51B ( 325FG).


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And the pilot Ted Lines whom was assigned the P-51 D "WD-O" on 19 june '44.


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And a picture with a romanian pilot Lt.Negulescu in the cockpit of P-51D Mustang "WD-O" on Popesti-Leordeni airfield.
The bubble hood typical for D model.


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WOW thats an outsanding photos, what happened to Negulescu after the war and where is that P-51 today ?

Alex

And of course I made a tentative of color profile for the P-51D "WD-O" based on the data i found. The black and white D-day marks on fuselage, white rudder, and south east indian Thunderbird emblem on the engine cowling.
I hope it represent at least 80% the complete marks.




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Unfortunetly, the Negulescu died some years ago( but he live long after the war was over) and took with him in the grave the story of this Mustang.
And the fate of this Mustang nobody know yet. Probably was taken by Red army or scrapped on Popesti-airfield because lack of spares to repair.

This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on April 16, 2006 04:46 pm

I know from my personel experience that is much easier to criticise something already done, than to actually do it. Nevertheless, let me add a couple of comments to your colour profile.

First, based on the pair of photos you displayed, it appears to me that there are two complete white rings around the fuselage, one immediately aft the letter 'D', while the other underneath the letter 'O'. I see no traces of back stripes (Invasion Markings).

Second, there appears to be a black (?) horizontal stripe on the tail, right above the first half of the a/c serial number (Bu. No.).

Finally, for some strange reason, the blue circle around the white star on the fuselage does not appear visible. Moreover, the white star appears to be painted on crudely.
Maybe the Rumanians first overpainted the USAAF markings, then repainted it?

I know what you painted seems to be logical, but historical facts do not always follow the logical path.

Col. Dénes

I agree with you Denes that why I said it's a tentative of a color profile. The black and white stripes( D-day) i put it because the other planes in his squadron had. The markings could be erased more or less by romanians or by the hot summer weather. As for the black ( or red) strip some of the planes from 4thFG had the white rudder outlined with black or red ( ex: Ridge Runner).
I am waiting someone else to paint better the profile for this Mustang

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but this one peaked my interest. My grandfather aws in the 4th (ground crew), so I have several books on it. Started searching through for any info.

I can find no record of WD-O having been lost on the shuttle raid.

The only losses I can find listed are Cpt. Stanford and Lt.s Hofer, Norris, and Shard lost on the 1 July run to Budapest. Reports indicate groupd encountered 75-80 very aggressive 109s enroute and had to fight like hell to get out.

I wonder if maybe this aircraft was lost on a deep penetration mission into Poland or Czeckoslovakia and landed in Romania after it had turned allied?

Yes it's possible. But the distance between Poland and Czechoslovakia are to far away from Popesti Leordeni (near Bucharest). I don't think that a P-51 could fly so long (from England).
Also could be a plane left in Italy (after a shutlle raid) and used by a 15th AF pilot to escort C-47 to Popesti Leordeni airfield to recollect POW's.

I thought of it being one left in Italy, but according to my sources none were left behind- one pilot who had his A/C confiscated while in the hospital went so far as go and 'requisition' it back from the Colonel who had taken it!

The only unaccounted for aircraft were the ones lost operationally on one of the legs of the mission.

I also thought of the distances involved, and I agree that its a bit far for a fighter to fly. Maybe he landed somewhere closer and it was confiscated and ferried to the capital for some reason? (maybe the Russians wanted it...)

I don't know, I will definitely have to bring this up with the guys I know who are 4th FG fanatics. We seem to have an interesting conundrum here.

Only here I found some data about this Mustang " WD-O"

http://4thfg.com/resource/lines.html

Might help if there was any way to know the S/N of the Pony in the picture. One owas transferrred to another pilot, ones fate was unknown.

Still weird.