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Military
On 15-Sep-43 in P-47D 42-8420, 353FG/352BS CPT Robert C. Durling was forced to abandond the aircraft over Truro, UK when the aircraft ran our of fuel and crashed in a potato field of Week Orchard Farm, two miles west of Bude, Cronwall, WK. He was returning from a bomber escrort mission of B-17s attaqck at Romilly-sur-Seine and Paris, France. He broke his ankle when he landed.
Group
The 353rd Fighter Group was assigned to the Eighth Air Force on 7 June 1943. The group flew P-47 Thunderbolts, and from October 1944, P-51 Mustangs, as escorts for bombing missions across occupied Europe and to strafe targets on the ground. Tactical...
Squadron
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-27D-5-RE was assigned to the 353FG/352FS at Metfield. The aircraft, piloted by CPT Robert C. Durlin, was despatched on bomber escort for B-17s attacking at Romilly-sur-Seine and Paris, France. The fighters were operating at their maximum range and...
15 September 1943
201 P-47s from: 4FG; 56FG; 78FG; 352FG; and 353FG are despatched to provide escort for the B-17 formations attcking targets at Romilly-sur-Seine and Paris, France. The fighters claim 0-0-1 of attacking German fighters. 2 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR)...
Military site : airfield
Built during 1942-43 as an Eighth Air Force bomber base, Metfield had three concrete runways, 39 pan plus 15 loop hardstandings, and two dispersed T2 hangars. It was first occupied by the 353rd Fighter Group, equipped with P-47s, from August 1943 to...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Baled Out | Bude, Cornwall, UK | 15 September 1943 |
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Baled out of aircraft whenit ran out of fuel upon return from a bomber escort mission/ |
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| Promoted | ||
| Transferred | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 23 June 2015 19:14:03 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to role, biography, events, place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 23-Jun-2015. Added connections to Place, Aircraft and Mission within existing website data; Bale Out event and Summary Biography based on "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces", Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:23:02 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list |
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