Need info on specific USAF Raid in Romania

Hello everyone,

After a 2-months break (I was vacationing in Romania), it's good to browse this forum again and see how well it developed.

Now, on to my question. This is for any aviation historian or fan, such as Denes, for instance.

I'm looking for info on a specific USAF bombing raid in Romania performed in the summer of 1944 (May to August). All I know is that during this mission, 2 US planes (bombers, most likely), were shot down in aerial combat about 50-60 km south-west of Bucharest, in the county of Vlasca/Teleorman, near a village called Scurtu Mare (close to Silistea, Talpa, etc).
I also know that one crew member was brought into the village with severe burns and was healed. The rest of the crew died on impact.
Finally, about 5-6 years ago, that former pilot returned to Romania, visited the village where he was treated, and asked to see some of the people he had met there while he was recuperating from his burns.

Anyway, ultimately I would like to find out the name of that pilot, but any info you may provide could be useful. For instance, judging from the itinerary of the bombers, you may know whether their target was Ploiesti or Bucuresti, etc... Based on the target, maybe you (we) could narrow down the date of the event, at least down to the month: I don't know how many USAF bomb raids were performed during these 3 or 4 months, May-August 1944.
You get the point...I'm just trying to find any additional deductions that could help me pinpoint the exact date of the raid, based on which maybe we can find the name of this gentleman pilot.

I thank you in advance for any help you may be able to provide.

Here I list few links, other than WorldWar2.ro:

http://www.ploiesti.net/Gallerys/POW/

http://paul.rutgers.edu/~mcgrew/wwii/usaf/...tml/Apr.44.html

http://www.461st.org/Missions/April1944.htm

http://www.mnir.ro/temp/rowar/rowar2_uk.htm

old people that live near bucharest told me that the bombing was performed every day and every night...

I checked my ARR victories database for the following locality/area names:
Vlasca, Scurtu Mare, Zilistea, Talpa.

I found only one entry:
04-Apr-44, B-24 Liberator force landed at Epuresti-Vlasca, at 14.30.
That day, many more B-24s were shot down around Bucharest and Ploiesti, and between (including localities as: Vârtoapele, Gara Smârdioasa, Smârdioasa village, Titu-Gaesti), so it could very well be 'your' case, but it's not certain. You can pick up your search from here.

Florin - thanks for the links, I'll check them out.

Denes - many thanks to you also for checking your database. I'll look into the date you found. I'm not quite sure if this was a forced landing because my dad, who saw the plane right after it crashed, remembers seeing a deployed parachute not too far from the fuselage (meaning that the survivor probably parachuted out of the plane).

In any case, many thanks to all of you. I'll post a follow-up message if I find any more details.

If this helps whit anything... At Vartoapele on 4 aprili '44 Chera Dumitru (IAR 80 nr.213) succeded in taking down a Liberator in his first mission. The crew survived.

The survivors from that B-24 were OK. They were taken to Rosiorii de Vede, where the 1st Fighter Group was based, immediately after that and were not cared for by the peasants.

QUOTE

If this helps whit anything... At Vartoapele on 4 aprili '44 Chera Dumitru (IAR 80 nr.213) succeded in taking down a Liberator in his first mission. The crew survived.

Vârtoapele was not on Mabadesc's list of localities.

Hi Mabadescu,

I think I found the day and the B-24's crashed in Vlasca county wich are you looking for

On 28 june 1944, three B-24 from 485thBG were shot down by german Bf-109's.

MACR 6411 B-24 Sn 42-78122 485 BG, Pilot Sloan
crased near Epuresti, Vlasca county

Lt. Robert R. Pumplin, Lt. Harry W. Pritahard, Lt. Sloan F. Robert, Lt. Wallace W. Herzfeldt, Serg. Nathan Jacobacci, Serg. William F. Higle, Serg. Joseph De Master all seven were KIA and burried on that day in Epuresti cemetery.

MACR 6410 B-24 "Nudist Kay" 42-78147 485 BG
crashed near Talpa Bascoveni.

James Ryan Scott ( jryanscott@aol.com), radio operator gunner,
was blown out of airplane. 3 POW, 7 of crew killed among them
Serg. Clayton Peterson burried on that day at Talpa Bascoveni Cemetery .


MACR 6820&8339 B-24 Sn 42-52701 485BG
crashed in Bulgaria.


I think the best fit for your serching is B-24 Sn 42-78122 (Pilot Sloan)
One of the two surviving should be your looking airman.

Ball Turret gunner Sgt Robert G.Sinclair (17127758) from Rulo,Nebraska.
Upper Turret gunner Sgt Glenn C. Shaw (3835945) from Shreveport, La.

Both saved by parachute, one of them landed near the wreck .

See combat report below.




This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on December 30, 2008 12:04 am

Wow,

Cantacuzino, thanks very much for your help. My dad and his brother were from the Vlasca area (Scurtu Mare village), and they remember their mom (my grandmother) going with a big pot of yogurt to an improvised infirmery and "treating" the american (1 or 2, I have to ask my dad) with yogurt - he was fairly badly burned.

Now I'll have to ask my dad and uncle for more details. They were kids at the time, but they remember the details.

Thanks again for your help.

One more thing - in the same area, my dad and uncle remember that a Romanian fighter (or maybe a couple of fighters) built a hiding place for his plane in the canopy of the forest, and that he would raid bombers and then return the plane to the canopy of the forest.

Probably the last airman who landed near the wreck was the one with burns ( the plane was allready in flame before crashing).

Possible that near Scurtu Mare was one of the place where Gr1Vt dispersed (or hiding) his IAR 80-81 in summer '44.
I heard that germans had one in Scrovistea forest.
But I don't have details.

Cantacuzino,

I spoke with my dad.

It was this plane. It crashed between Valea Postei (also known as Talpa Postei) and Talpa Bascoveni. My dad went to see the wreck the next day. He also saw a deployed parachute nearby the wreck.

Getting back to the day of the crash, two American crewmen were taken to the infirmary at Scurtu Mare (about 3 km from Valea Postei, about 4-5 km from Talpa Bascoveni). Talpa Bascoveni did not have a doctor.

My dad saw 2 men - one with large red burn marks on his chest, one without burns.
My grandmother - who brought the yogurt and "treated" the burn - passed away many years ago, so unfortunately I cannot get more info.

So the 2 airmen must have been James Ryan Scott and Sgt. Clayton Peterson.

Thanks again, Cantacuzino.

I will serch more details for Nudist Kay.


This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on December 30, 2008 07:41 pm

Scurtu Mare - Talpa Postei - Talpa Bascoveni are in a straight line. About 2km between each.

The crash was about 1 km south south/east of Talpa Postei, between Talpa Postei and Talpa Bascoveni. Hope this helps.

Sgt.Clayton Peterson was found dead and burried in Talpa Bascoveni cemetery.
But mayby you can get in contact with James Ryan Scott

I found his name on old message board mayby his e-mail adress still working

I was an original member of 485th B.G. 829th Sqdn. Was blown out of airplane "Nudist Kay" 147. Over Romania 28June 44. Seven of crew killed'
In prison camp Bucharest, Romania. Radio operator gunner.
James Ryan Scott <jryanscott@aol.com>
Columbia, , S.C. USA - Wednesday, April 28, 1999 at 13:43:08 (CDT)