WW2 "piggy-back" pick-ups?

They gave cover in Spits to a Magister that picked up a downed man I believe

According to Patrick Bishop’s Fighter Boys it was a Miles Master, escorted by Deere and Johnny Allen, which rescued F/L “Prof” Leathart (see cap 8 (p183 of the Harper Collins hardback edition)).

Thanks for that one, Woody. I have Spitfire – A Test Pilot’s Story but I must have missed that!

See cap 22 (p261/2 of Crecy’s revised and reprinted softback).

Woody

There is a story at the end of “FW190 Aces of the Eastern Front” that when they were flying to British held territory to escape the Russians, they managed to fit – I think I remember this right I’ll check tonight – five in a FW190

Paul

Kid Hofer also used to take his German Shepherd dog (Duke) flying as well – to the point where the Kid used to put his seat low and formate on an unsuspecting Spit or similar. To all appearances, the P51 would be flown by a dog…

Damn! That’ll be me cleaning spat-out coffee off my keyboard then… 😀

An Italian Fiat Cr42 pilot resued a shot-down pilot from his squadron during the Ethiopian Campaign. The photo is from the Air Pictorial publication – April 1984.

With the FW190, I gather there was enough room for a member of the groundcrew to travel in the fuselage and that’s what squadrons did when transferring to new airfields.

Yes, I have have read that as well, the Fw 190 could (and did) accomodate GCs in the tail.

Not much a of a ride, though, unless you were a REAL enthuisast.

With the FW190, I gather there was enough room for a member of the groundcrew to travel in the fuselage and that’s what squadrons did when transferring to new airfields.

I think that was the case. I’d have to have a read…

With the FW190, I gather there was enough room for a member of the groundcrew to travel in the fuselage and that’s what squadrons did when transferring to new airfields.

I’m sure there’s a similar story in Tumult in the Clouds by James Goodson – Not sure of the pilots, but it may have been Kid Hofer or Vic France picking up their flight commander in a P51.

Kid Hofer also used to take his German Shepherd dog (Duke) flying as well – to the point where the Kid used to put his seat low and formate on an unsuspecting Spit or similar. To all appearances, the P51 would be flown by a dog…
One of the greats – shot down in one of the last major fighter confrontations of the war, possibly by Hartmann (who shared similar trates to Hofer).

JC

I might have dreamt this, but wasn’t there a similar incident involving Al Deere or Bob Stanford-Tuck at Dunkirk?

They gave cover in Spits to a Magister that picked up a downed man I believe

Two Polish pilot stories:

On 21 November 1940 P/O Ryszard Dyrgalla of 1 PRU took off from Heston in Spitfire I PR type C P9426 with a mechanic, AC1 H. Rhodes, on tail. As the pilot realised what happened, he attempted to land immediately, stalled and crashed. Both were taken to hospital. I think there is a photo of the Spitfire after the accident in “Spitfire at War: 2” by Dr Alfred Price.

On 22 June 1944 S/Ldr Horbaczewski (OC no. 315 Sqn) picked up W/O Tamowicz who was shot down in no-man’s land in Normandy and brought him back to base in his Mustang FB382 PK-G. There are well known photos of Horbaczewski with another pilot in the cockpit of the Mustang staged afterwards. As Tamowicz was hospitalised, he was substituted in the photos by another pilot, Tadeusz Slon.

I might have dreamt this, but wasn’t there a similar incident involving Al Deere or Bob Stanford-Tuck at Dunkirk?

Well, if you’re all good, I might post some of my new story…. 😉

He threw out, I think, his parachute (or life jacket, I’m not sure)

Daz, yes, that was his parachute and harness he threw out.

Whoa!! That photo – what’s the story there Mark? Is it real?

The shot with the airman draped over the tail unit was used to illustrate a small piece called ‘Unwilling passengers’.

Two Spitfire cases were mentioned. That of the famous ride by Margaret Horton on AB910 and the other on 28 Feb 1941 when an airman was carried aloft from 10 MU.

As there was no linkage from the text to the photo, it would seem pretty clear in this 1975 publication, that the photo was a masterpiece of the ‘air-brushers’ art. The caption just said – ‘Ride ‘im cowboy!’. I have to say I have always thought the airman looked a bit vertically challenged.

Mark

Here’s John Cunnick, a pilot with the 38th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group, sharing a flight with a Red Cross girl.

Also a photo of 343rd FS Pilots squeezing into a P-51D cockpit.

The 55th FG had an incident where Lt. Howes tried to pick up Lt. Liles near Prague, after Liles had been shot down. Unfortunately a small arms round hit the fuel pipe feed whilst they were accelerating across the field and the plane cartwheeled to the left, eventually flattening out. Both pilots became POWs. The full story on the 55th FG website… www.55th.org

Russ

Seeing Mark’s photo reminded me of a part in Duncan Smith’s book Spitfire Into Battle.

Suddenly, the phone rang and two TAC R Spitfires were ordered off; we were told they would be briefed in the air by the controller. Idly, I watched them start up, then found an upturned box of bully beef handy and sat down to enjoy a cigarette. As the leading aircraft approached down the runway I noticed a peculiar bulge on the tail. It flashed past and the bulge turned into the shocked face of an airman peering down at me, his arms entwined across the sternpost of the Spitfire and with his legs gripping the leading edge of the tail-plane. Already the wheels were up and the nose of the aircraft pointed heavenwards. The South African pilot, having taxied onto the runway, had opened his throttle and taken off at once. He quite forgot about the wretched man sitting on his tail.

My pilots now came out to watch the fun, offering useless advice and taking best as to whether the airman would fall or whether we would witness a nice messy landing. Strange to relate, neither happened. The SAAF pilot flew his aircraft very skilfully in for a landing. He had seen the man on his tail reflected in the rear-view mirror above his head as soon as he found the trim of his aircraft was haywire; being forewarned he was in a position to use caution tempered with skill. The Spitfire made a perfect three-point landing while I raced over the rough grass in an attempt to intercept him. By the time I got to the startled airman, now standing foolishly on the runway, the Spitfire had taken off again.

“How do you feel?” I inquired.
“I don’t know,” he answered dazedly, “I think I want to be sick.”
His face had gone a peculiar greeny-yellow and his eyes stared into space. The next moment he pitched forward onto his arms and face in a dead faint. Half an hour later he was as good as new again, having had a pint of tea and rum rammed down his throat.

So come on, Mark, what’s the story behind that pic?? 😉

that cant be true!!! 😮
Italian pilots escaping to the north after the armistice stuffed 3 specialists inside the fuselage of Macchi 205, this is a record!

Alex

I read somewhere of Focke-Wulf 190s flying people in their fuselages, too. Must have been something of a squeeze!

Whoa!! That photo – what’s the story there Mark? Is it real?

Not quite the same thing, but an old man I chatted with in the local Returned Serviceman’s Association one ANZAC Day told me he’d been a mechanic on a Vincent/Vildebeest squadron during, or before the war. He said they’d often go on flights with the aircraft to satellite airfields for excercises, etc. He said they’d take all the tools in the cabin, and as many people as would fit, but often there wouldn’t be room for everyone so some mechanics would sit on the wings and hold on for grim life to the struts. He said it was a really auxillarating way to fly. Sadly I have never tracked him down again since I began my Air Force research project, and I suspect he’s no longer with us. A pity as I’d love to talk with him about the Vincent/Vilde days again.

bejeesus, is that photograph real, was that staged?

that cant be true!!! 😮
Italian pilots escaping to the north after the armistice stuffed 3 specialists inside the fuselage of Macchi 205, this is a record!

Alex