Peter D Evans
January 2, 2011 at 11:37 am

Details/identity of captured P-47 coded CS-P?

Hi all…

The image below is currently available on eBay, along with four others, and judging by the writing on the hanger wall behind, appears to show a crash-landed P-47 in German hands. The caption makes mention of a possible location and date – “Wevelghem 1943” – possibly Wevelghem in Belgium…

eBay links for this and the other images in the same set:

http://cgi.ebay.de/Foto-Flugzeug-US-P-47-Thunderbold-CS-P-Wevelghem-1943-/380304163281
http://cgi.ebay.de/Foto-Flugzeug-US-P-47-Thunderbold-CS-P-Wevelghem-1943-/380304163326
http://cgi.ebay.de/Foto-Flugzeug-US-P-47-Thunderbold-CS-P-Wevelghem-1943-/380304163364
http://cgi.ebay.de/Foto-Flugzeug-US-P-47-Thunderbold-CS-P-Wevelghem-1943-/380304163411

Performing a simple Google search has come up with three entries and they make positive identification no easier:

1. http://pic.wpalette.com///camms/ar/350/pics/3_158.jpg – P-47D-10-RE of 370th FS, 359th FG, USAAF, Serial: CS-P (42-75068) Pilot Lt.Raymond Wetmore. East Wretham, UK, April 1944
2. http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/359thfg.php?action=list_records&sort_order=DESC&order_by=Pilot – 42-75068, P-47D of 370th coded CS-P flown by Wetmore, Maj. Raymond S. Nicknamed “Daddy’s Girl” after daughter Diane. Force landed this a/c Manston 24 Apr 44
3. http://www.accident-report.com/world/europe/uk/uk4405.html – 30-05-44 – Gresham, Perry – P-47D – 42-75068 – Woodchurch – 412FS of 373FG

Can anybody throw any light on this and enable positive identification of the P-47 in the photograph above?

Many thanks in advance

Peter D Evans
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By: brewerjerry - 2nd January 2011 at 20:34

Hi peter,
Glad to be of help,and nice to have the data confirmed as similiar as in the book.
Yeah dates and camo/markings are sometimes confusing.
I must remember in 2011 to visit LEMB more often..
cheers
Jerry

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By: Peter D Evans - 2nd January 2011 at 19:39

You just beat me to it Eric… Google earth had been fired up and both locations found. Seems the seller has got the dates wrong, unless there is an inscription on the back or one/all…

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By: ericmunk - 2nd January 2011 at 19:36

That would make sense. Macou (France) and Wevelgem (Belgium) are about 50 km from each other as the crow flies.

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By: Peter D Evans - 2nd January 2011 at 19:27

Thanks for the lead Jerry, I see that much of what you provided above also appears on page 12 of “359th Fighter Group” by Jack H. Smith [Osprey Elite Series, 2002]. As for the auction caption/location/date, you know as well as me from our previous experiences that many a red-herring has been caused by creative seller captioning 🙂

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Peter D Evans
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By: brewerjerry - 2nd January 2011 at 19:00

Hi Peter,
As both your aircraft have UK crash locations, i suggest for consideration the following aircraft :-

42-74737 P-47D-6-RE 359th 370th CR-P pilot Paul H. Bateman, Then lost as
CS-P, MACR 3733, 11/04/44 force landed near Macou, Pilot Thomas ‘Pepe’ Smith – POW – ran out of fuel after flak damage, Smith evaded capture for five months.

It was a razorback like the p-47 in the e bay photos, and the circumstances of the loss fit in well, apart from the date and caption.
Of interest the unit code was CR until march 44 when it changed to CS.
cheers
Jerry