WWII Pilot Recruiting

[sdennison]

OK historians...did the Army have and use captured German aircraft for recruiting purposes during WWII?

Story goes, Milwaukee, summer of 42, air show with ME-109, Spitfire, and P-40 used to entice high school grads to enlist.

Fact or Fiction?

Thanks, O' Great Keepers of the Knowledge!

[Jack Cook]

After WWII the final bomd drive used the Vctiry Squadron. Made up up of Navy F6Fs/F4Us/F7Fs/SB2Cs/TBMs/Zeros/Kates ect. They hit the tour towns like a ton of bricks. Buzzing. dogfighting ect with orders to buzz everything in sight. The leader was CDR Will Eder and the top scoring ace was Guts Thomas in a F7F. That would have been something to see!
Neddless to say the tour made a boatload of $$$$$.

[tom d. friedman]

heck yes many times!!! but you'll have to get the guys with the best photo archives, namely i believe wix members bdk & jack cook if i recall. put out an apb for their replies. calling all wixers....

[CWBuff]

I dunno if there were any flying 109s in the USA during the summer of '42 but there was at least one static airframe that made the rounds as part of war bond drives, although I'm not sure of the exact time period.

This is 'White 4', Werknummer 1190, seen being unloaded by Curtiss workmen at Buffalo, NY after arrival from Canada.


Smithsonian photo


This particular 109 was flown by Unteroffizier Horst Perez of 4./JG 26 when he was shot down at East Deane near Eastbourne on 30th September, 1940. It is identified by many sources as a Bf 109E-4 and by some as a E-4/N. If this is so, then it would have to have been an updated airframe because 1190 was manufactured as an E-3.

'White 4' is currently on display at the IWM in Duxford in a diorama of sorts, depicting the aircraft after it came to grief in 1940.


Fade to Black...

[mrhenniger]

'White 4' is currently on display at the IWM in Duxford in a diorama of sorts, depicting the aircraft after it came to grief in 1940.

Here it is...
http://community.webshots.com/photo/287 ... 5056poMpnQ

Mike