Warbird Information Exchange

Back in the eighties I attended a dig on a P47 lost by the 495th FTG in England. It was one of many P47 losses around Atcham and sites were difficult to distinguish between. I'm wondering if anyone can help. I've got a brass Republc Aviation Corp label with the type, P47D6RE and the (bu?) serial 196 910. Is it possible to trace the airforce serial from this? I can only get as far as there being about 300 of this model from the web. Any help would be much appreciated, this would help to identify a mystery aircraft loss.

42-74615 - 74964 Republic P-47D-6-RE Thunderbolt

Here's a list of P-47D-6-RE accidents while attached to the 495th.

Date / Pilot / A/C / S/N # / Station / Location / SQ. / GP. /

44-06-02 NONE P-47D 42-74659 ATCHAM (342), ENGLAND, UK ATCHAM (342), ENGLAND, UK 551 495

44-06-02 RHOADES, CARMAN P P-47D 42-74728 ATCHAM (342), ENGLAND, UK ATCHAM (342), ENGLAND, UK 551 495

44-07-08 PFAFF, DONALD M P-47D 42-74720 ATCHAM (342), ENGLAND, UK LLANDALLEN, ENGLAND, UK 552 495

44-07-23 HUDSON, ULLIN L P-47D 42-74728 ATCHAM (342), ENGLAND, UK ATCHAM (342), ENGLAND, UK 551 495

44-08-21 GRUBERT, CHARLES R P-47D 42-74659 ATCHAM (342), ENGLAND, UK ATCHAM (342), ENGLAND, UK 551 495

44-08-24 LUND, DUANE E P-47D 42-74674 ATCHAM (342), ENGLAND, UK ATCHAM (342), ENGLAND, UK 551 495

44-08-24 FULTON, PAUL R P-47D 42-74728 ATCHAM (342), ENGLAND, UK LEEK, UK 551 495

44-09-03 ROZGA, ANTHONY A P-47D 42-74674 ATCHAM (342), ENGLAND, UK ATCHAM (342), ENGLAND, UK - 495

44-09-10 KERFOOT, JOHN R P-47D 42-74684 ATCHAM (342), ENGLAND, UK SHREWSBURY, ENGLAND, UK - 495

44-09-23 CASEBIER, DONALD E P-47D 42-74640 ATCHAM (342), ENGLAND, UK TIBBERTON, UK - 495

44-10-15 KUEHL, RICHARD I P-47D 42-74674 ATCHAM (342), ENGLAND, UK LEEBOTWOOD, UK - 495

44-10-19 SIEGEL, ALVIN W P-47D 42-74725 ATCHAM (342), ENGLAND, UK HINSTOCK ROYAL NAVY, UK - 495

Regards,
Mike

Many thanks for that, Mike. This one fits the bill:
44-10-15 KUEHL, RICHARD I P-47D 42-74674 ATCHAM (342), ENGLAND, UK LEEBOTWOOD, UK - 495
The dig was near the village of Leebotwood. Strangely I couldn't find the accident on the usually excellent (and very sobering) Aviation archaeology.com website. It lists the aircraft as being in two previous ground accidents but not this one. Accidentreports.com lists another of the same unit, date and location so presumably a collision. Mystery solved and parts can be properly attributed. Thanks again for your help, Ian

Hi.
Here's a bit bit more you may or may not know about this aircraft.
42-74674 EX 359th F.G 370th F.S code letters CR - R
495th F.T.G. 551st F.T.S code letters VM - S
Mid air collision 15 / 10 /44 with the following P47.

P-47D-5-RE 42-8466 carried the nose art /name "GENA" / "THIS IS IT".
EX 352nd F.G. 486th F.S. code letters PZ - M.
This P47 carried the code letters VM - T with the 495th F.T.G.
The pilot on the day of the mid - air was George Bordon jr .

Both pilots appear to has suvived the collision and Richard I Kuehl went on to serve with the 83rd F.S 78th F.G.
I hope that some of this has been of use to you .
If anyone out there has any 495th P47 parts they no longer need and would like to sell / swap them I am allways looking for parts for my project.
If anyone served / trained with the 495th I would love to hear about your time there.
Best Regards Phil

_________________
495th F.T.G your not forgotten

Thanks very much for the extra info Phil. The site was dug by the Warplane Wreck Investigation Group from Birkenhead, back in the early eighties so most of the wreckage went up there. American loss records were difficult to get in those days so a lot of the digs required the recovery of an ID plate or stencil to identify the individual aircraft. They have some big lumps of 495th FTG P47s at their Fort Perch Rock museum, New Brighton. Another group very active in the Atcham area were the Warplane Aircraft Recovery Group who have a museum on Sleap airfield. A lot of P47 stuff on display there as well. I've only got a couple of pieces of 42-74674, data plate, engine cog and inlet valve but would be interested to here more of your project. All the best, Ian.