Grandfather's Pilot Log - North Africa 1942-43

[Thog10]

My grandfather flew Spitfire Mark V's with the 52nd Fighter Group in North Africa in 1942-43. In 1944 he commanded the 21st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron as it trained in the States. Attached are a few photos from his pilot log. I need to find a scanner and digitize this whole book, but here are a few pictures taken with a camera. I found this a year or so ago. Since he died some years before I was born, this book contains about all I know of his career.

 

 

Training in the states.

 

 

The 52nd Fighter Group started flying Spitfire Mark V's in July of 42. He deployed with them to North Africa in November of 1942.

 

 

Escorting and Scrambles

 

 

Recon - "1 ME-109" - I don't know what he meant by that.

 

 

Back in the states flying a whole assortment of aircraft.

 

 

Is that a P-40?

 

 

A "semi-historical" painting of his Spitfire done postwar by a close friend.

 

 

The logbook lists PT-17, AT-6A, P-39D, P-39F, P-39J, Spitfire, P-39N2, P-40N, B-25C, P-51B, P-51C, P-63A, BT-13B, F-6D, TB-25D, C-47B, F-10, TP-51D, and the Link.

[+JediMaster]

That photo looks more like a P-51B/C with the oil cooler under the fuselage behind his legs there. The canopy looks strange, though.

[+Fubar512]

That photo looks more like a P-51B/C with the oil cooler under the fuselage behind his legs there. The canopy looks strange, though.

 

Probably because it's an A-model.....

[+ST0RM]

What an awesome treasure. So much to find out and study.

 

Here's a web page that you may find interesting:

52d FG

 

-S

 

P.S. The 1-ME-109 entry on the Recon mission, may be that his flight spotted one.

Edited September 3, 2009 by ST0RM

[+JediMaster]

His logbooks don't mention a P-51A or an A-36, so it didn't occur to me he'd be in one.

[Engelsted]

Thog10, what was your Grandfather's name?

 

John Engelsted