The account of the 263 Fighter Group having access to a B-26 garnered from a Normandy airfield brought back many memories and questions. (Vol. 8 #3 pg. 42.)
On Sept. 14, 44, 1 was flying co-pilot for Lt. Jimmy Kenyon from Stansted Station 169 to Brest Harbor, FR. and gun positions for the 344 BG. Because of low cloud cover we were on our fourth run over the target at 2,400 feet when a 20 mm shell hit our oil lines, freezing the left engine. We feathered the prop and made all adjustments necessary. Taking a 70 heading, we were trying for an air strip at Morlaix, FR., 50 K east. Unsure of who controlled the strip, we never-the-less felt any smooth spot was better than other choices ... A hot landing was made on a short strip. We were much relieved when a couple of GIs came driving up in a jeep and we found it to be a Red Cross evacuation base. We did a little sight seeing down to Landerneau, 21 K from Brest, thus the picture. After three days a B-26 from our base came to return us to England. For three days we were M.I.A. In the following weeks we were told that a P.W. R-2800 engine from a damaged P-47 was substituted but for some reason the plane was not returned to the 344 BG. Plane 7 I-K 43- 34407. There seemed to be no repair facilities for twin engine aircraft yet in France.
About five years ago, a 344 BG gunner/engineer informed me that this P-47 to B-26 engine transfer had in fact occurred about two weeks earlier than my 42nd mission incident.
MHS Director, Trevor Allen of England, holds many B-26 records and he provided me the serial number and that this proved to be only the second and last combat mission for this plane. All of this data can be confirmed at the Historic Records Agency, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL. This plane does not show on missing aircraft, however, the HRA files do confirm that the plane was condemned on 9/17/44, just three days after our mission on 9/14/44.