78th Fighter Group
78th Fighter Group
Personal pictures, stories and web "links" submitted by 78th Fighter Group veterans, family and friends.
_2nd Lt. Roy E. Wendell, 84th Fighter Squadron, 2-6-44 to 3-13-44
2nd Lt. Roy Wendell was twenty-three years of age and had over 400 hours of flying experience, half of which in P-47 Thunderbolts. He was assigned to the 84th Squadron, 78th Fighter Group on February 6, 1944. On March 13, 1944 Roy and his Flight Leader took to the air for a training mission over Podington, Bedfordshire. Roy was flying a P-47C, s/n 41-6223, WZ-L, named "Isabel". The two fighters traded offensive and defensive positions and took turns filming the action with their gun cameras. A B-24 from the 92nd BG then wandered into the training area and was immediately swept into the mock engagement with each pilot taking turns attacking and defending the bomber. Wendell's Flight Leader during his turn at defending the bomber went to close his inter cooler and inadvertently caught the "gun switch" with his flight gear. The switch had clicked from "camera only" to "gun and camera". Fully armed and not realizing it, he rapidly positioned himself directly behind Wendell . A quick but surprising burst from his guns found it's mark. The hits could be seen registering on Wendell's aircraft. Wendell apparently made no attempt to bail out as his Thunderbolt rolled over and headed for the ground, it's belly tank tearing away in the process. It crashed in a field near the airdrome headquarters building at Podington.
Roy Wendell's wallet contents. It contained his identity card, medical record, pay allotment form, ration card and picture of a girlfriend(identified as Norma Jean Bishop). (Picture Source: " American Air Museum News, Issue 21, Spring 2000, Volume 1 via Ian McLachlan )
The complete story was recently published in the "American Air Museum News"(Issue 21, Spring 2000, Volume 1). It was written by Ian McLachan. McLachlan was given a wallet some time ago, that turned out to belong to Roy Wendell. The contents are shown above and " typified the official and personal paraphernalia" of a USAAF pilot; a picture of a girlfriend, identity card, medical records, salary allotment forms, ration card and stamps for the Officer's Club "together with a ticket from a recent orchestral performance". The wallet and it's contents were presented to the American Air Museum at Duxford prior to it's opening on August 1, 1997. They are preserved and on display today in honor of Roy Wendell . Roy Wendell is buried at Cambridge. The circumstances leading to his death were determined accidental. His Flight Leader was exonerated and continued his career with the 78th Fighter Group through to the end of the war.
Ian McLachlan is the author of "USAAF Fighter Stories", PSL, ISBN #1 85260 5693. This book contains more information about Roy Wendell and stories of other USAAF fighter pilots in the ETO.
Thanks... to all that have contributed to these pages on behalf of the 78th Fighter Group Family!
This page was last revised on 1 / 9 / 02
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