SAAF Activities, Missing SAAF Liberator

Hi,
During WWII , in the night of 29 June 1944 2 SAAF“Liberator”-s from 31 Sgn fall down in Bulgaria (Pilots: Lt.Haggie-EW 164 “Y” and Mj. Mouton- EV 970 “P”). Nine crewmembers from both planes were KIA (buried in Sofia cemetery), rest - POWs in Shumen (www.shumen-camp.info) .
The crash place of the second plane is not clear. We have found an American machine gun Browning .50 M2 in a new place, far from the suspected crash-site. Is it possible to obtain some information about the weaponry on board (discribed as in American MACRs)? We could identify the plane from which is this MG…Or probably it is the third “Liberator”, still MIA…(See "Trough Darkness to Light")
I am sorry, but if this topic is not new for this forum, please refer to the exested one...

Stan

At what exact location did you find the MG.....? at what
page McDonald mentioned a 3rd Lib missing ? what was
the flight number of the 3rd SAAF Lib missing ?

This post has been edited by yugit on September 08, 2011 12:34 pm

Hi,
The crash site is 111 km south straight from Guirgui, local people say it was in the night 28/29 June 1944,and only 2 airmen ( or the remains of 2 were found and buried at the crash site...) In Bulgarian military archives is written :"English plane" fall down...
In the book all 3 SAAF Liberators are on page 356, first 2 fall down around Russe.
(9 airmen were first buried in Russe).
The mistery is why we found an American MG Browning .50 ( mounted only on Liberators) 100 km south from Russe?
The number of the suspected is KG 839 "L". If you have information, that this plane fall down in Romania, which one fall in Bulgaria? Or probably this is one of the first 2 Liberators?
The same night one Whympy ( MF 194"F") fall down in Bulgaria near Svishtov, 4 KIA, 1 POW in Shumen. No more casualties in Bulgaria described in the book for that night..

This post has been edited by Strazh on September 08, 2011 12:59 pm

Stan

On June 28 night the following planes missing of :

FS Fallon RAAF ( Sofia)............crashed Svistov

Flt.Lt. De Bloeme ( RCAF)

Maj.Mouton (SAAF) (1 POW Bucharest ) 4 POW Sofia

Lt.Haggie (SAAF) 7 KIA Sofia

Capt Van der Spuy (SAAF) ......unknown grave

Do you reffer to Van der Spuy ? if so that's KG 839 L....as of
today the remains of Van der Spuy crew are missing

Pse reffer to a book called : Eagle Victorious " SAAF Balkan
Ops in WWII

Al

This post has been edited by yugit on September 08, 2011 01:24 pm

Hi,
Thanks for the info.
Is it possible to find the American S/N of Liberators- EW 970"F" EW 164"Y", and KG 839"L"?

Stan

Thats something very hard to find and I doubt such info
is available

Thank you, yugit,
Just received an info via SAAF forum from "Kremlin"with the American S/N of the 3 SAAF Liberators.
We shouldt correct the info about EW 164 - must be EW 104...

Stan

OK, I hope thats the answer you sought....Have you been lately in contact with Mark Lascotte ?


Al

This post has been edited by yugit on September 11, 2011 04:47 pm

Al,
I am in contacts with Mark regularly,
write me on my p.e-mail, please...
Best,
Stan

Hy there is a chance strazh to put here some picture with the browning machingun you found ? This is the only part of the plane you found ? Good for you guys that do something to find those relics, we here in romania only talk alot about the subject but real action in order to find relics not so much from various reasons. Even then more time pas much more dificult is to find eye witness of wat happend.