I have come into possession of a number of photos of SM411 while flying with No. 421 RCAF Squadron during the end of WWII. F/O Ed Mann was flying SM411 AU-E on May 1st when he shared a 1/3 kill with two other pilots in the Squadron. I have managed to find Ed’s family in Nova Scotia a few years ago and was happy to inform his son Brian that his Dad’s plane survived WWII and is currently in Poland carrying the No. 421 Sqd markings of AU-Y.
I have the following information pertaining to an FW190 that was shot down by Ed Mann on May 1st, 1945 from the National Archives in Canada:
No. 421 Operational Record Book
National Archives of Canada
Record Group 24
Microfilm C-12295
May 1st Sortie from 20:00hrs to 21:10hrs
Armed Reconnaissance – Schwerin Area (Germany)
On this operation 33 M.F.T. were destroyed and 10 damaged. One FW190 destoyed shared by F/L K.W. Langmuir, F/O Ed H. Mann (AU-E/SM411), and W/O P.S. Murphy. Roads in area T.3550 to T4050 packed with M.F.T (motorized vehicles & tanks) when attacked, explosion force felt 800 feet up. 1 FW190 headed south at 200 feet, sighted and destroyed at 20:30hrs.
At the moment I am trying to find out who was flying this FW190, what unit it was from, where it crashed (near Schwerin, Germany), and the status of the pilot?
I posted a HELP WANTED ad on the LEMB (Luftwaffe Msg Board) and had the Board Moderateor Peter Evans reply with the following:
“Hi Lee…
I’ve just been through my QM Loss lists but the records I have only go as far as the end of March 1945. Given the disarray of Luftwaffe records for this period, I have a feeling that very little officially survives, unless any of our membership have lists from March to May or can tie a loss to this date by another method. I would say that given the date, this loss could have been one of the very last of the war, so perhaps that will help identification (seeking the serial number of werks no. of the a/c) …
——————–
Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator
…the LEMB motto… “You learn, I learn, we all learn…””
Is there anyone on the FLYPAST board that can help me find any information on this FW190 that was shot down on May 1st, 1945.
Can you help us out?
Lee Walsh
Cdn Aviation Historical Soc. Toronto Canada
By: shepsair - 25th April 2011 at 19:43
Fw190
Hi
I checked ‘Green Hearts – First combat with th Dora 9’ by Axel Urbanke thinking it might have been a Fw190 of JG26. Even though there were a few combats and one at 8pm at night, they had no loses.
JG26 were operating from Schwerin but a few other units flew there as well in the shrinking sector. Schwerin airfield was very acive in April/May 1945 and there were dozens of Fw190 loses.
regards
Mark
By: Kerryann - 25th April 2011 at 01:37
Hi Lee – info about member 421 Squadron
“I am close to finding the family of W.O. (P) Paul “Spud” Murphy in Wales or Canada. Still trying to find info on K.W. Langsmuir of Toronto.”
Hi Lee – I am the daughter of W.O Paul (Spud) Murphy – he flew with 421 – please contact me 🙂 thanks alot, Kerryann Murphy:):)
By: walshlee - 12th February 2009 at 02:29
VIDEO LINK: polish documentary on SM411
here is the link:
http://ww6.tvp.pl/9142,20070927568385.strona
its in Polish but wonderful doc!
By: walshlee - 10th February 2009 at 19:52
here is the combat report from May 1, 1945 421 Sqd
The son of F/O Ed Mann sent this to me last night and details for of the exploits of the three pilots that shot down this FW190 at 20:30hrs on May 1, 1945.
I am close to finding the family of W.O. (P) Paul “Spud” Murphy in Wales or Canada. Still trying to find info on K.W. Langsmuir of Toronto.
Here is the combat report.
Lee
Toronto
(will post pics of SM411 in Holland/France in due course)
By: VoyTech - 10th February 2009 at 10:47
Guys do any of you know how I can find the lat & long (location) present day location on Google maps of where this unit was stationed?
I have the B### airfield somewhere in my records but I would like to find out where the airfield was located in May 1, 1945.
Anyone have any clues on were and how to start searching for this site?
Not sure about “this site” but if you care to look it up on a map in a book, you can try “RAF Squadrons” by C. G. Jefford. Are you looking for B114 Diepholz or B154 Rheinsehlen?
By: walshlee - 9th February 2009 at 22:09
local of Lat and Long for the No. 421 airfield.
Guys do any of you know how I can find the lat & long (location) present day location on Google maps of where this unit was stationed?
I have the B### airfield somewhere in my records but I would like to find out where the airfield was located in May 1, 1945.
Anyone have any clues on were and how to start searching for this site?
By: walshlee - 9th February 2009 at 20:30
repaint of SM411 possible? AU-E “Florence”
I have been speaking with a few historians in Poland about SM411. There intial request to track down the pilot that flew her in WWII. With a great deal of luck I found the family in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
SM411 was flown by F/O Ed Mann from late winter to the end of WWII. She was coded AU-E (For Ed) and was named “Florence” after Ed’s wife who is still with us today. After researching the Op Record Book and reviewing Ed’s logbook he shared a kill of a FW190 during the final days of WWII. The FW190 was shot up and about 200 feet and not sure what happened to the a/c or the pilot.
I have a simply beautiful photo of Ed sitting in the cockpit of SM411 with Florence painted on the side. I can’t post this photo without Brian’s (Ed’s son) permission. I might be submitting this to Flypast in the weeks to come to publish in their magazine.
By: antoni - 9th February 2009 at 20:06
…..is currently in Poland carrying the No. 421 Sqd markings of AU-Y.
In 2001 SM411 was repainted as TB995 ZF*O of 308 (Polish) Squadron.
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February 9, 2009 at 6:27 pm