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Tony D's P51

Posted by Mick on Mon Feb 25, 2002 02:58:51 PM

Hi TonyD.

Found some info on your P51 data-plate from 44-13835, nice bit of history it has as well.

Served with 385th FS, 364th FG as 5E*H, personal aircraft of Lt Willard G. Erfkamp from June-December 44, no known nose-art name.
Erfkamp scored 2.5 kills plus 1 damaged in the air, also 1 destroyed and 1 damaged on ground, unknown if they were all in 13835 though :-

July 6th 44 at Chalons, 1 Fw190 Damaged in the air.
August 9th 44 at Gaukonigshafen airfield, 1 Me210 destroyed and 1 Me210 damaged on ground.
October 7th 44 at Bruxelles, .5 kill against Me163 Komet in the air, shared with Capt E.A.Taylor.
December 23rd 44 at Luxembourg, 2 Bf109 destroyed in the air.

13835 was re-coded as 5E*Q soon after, no pilots name known.

No loss is recorded of 13835 while in service with the 364th FG so possibly it had landed at Gatwick after combat damage, and left for repair by No4 Mobile Repair Unit.
It may have been re-assigned to another unit, or about to be, at the time of it's sad demise on 8.2.45 ?

I have already tried to trace 13835 in service with other units but it doesn't show up at all, although there are many unknown P51 serials with all the units so it is possible it served with another unit before it's demise, but doubtful.

Any further details would have to come from the Sqn Ops Books etc, unless someone else knows something. Perhaps you could ask on MustangsMustangs, Martin Kyburtz might know some more ?

Hope this helps Tony, and as soon as you finish your Hurricane you can rebuild 13835 to fly, bound to be more original in it than some Mustangs, see it at Duxford in 2020 eh !? ;-)

Still trying to find Roy Marples's Spitfire as well, not given up yet !

TaTa
Mick

ps; how much do you want for the data-plate Tony ?;-)

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