The pilot who strafed Rommel

[pbfoot]

Today I was fortunate enough to meet Charlie Fox who was the pilot of a SpitIX of 412 squadron
that strafed and wounded Rommel on 17th July 44 also claims to be the last RCAF pilot to fly an operational mission in WW2 as tail end charlie in the last RCAF mission of the war at 90 he was going home to grab his girlfriend and go out dancing quite the character will see him again in a couple of weeks if anyone has a question

[Lucky13]

Good on ye mate and at 90 too!!

[amrit]

Sweet.

When did he find out who his illustrious victim had been? Was it during the war or after?

I hope you don't mind me saying but he was a member of the last RCAF mission in the European War. I only mention it because I currently reading about the Canadian bomber squadrons in Burma.

[pbfoot]

From what I understand a P47 also laid claim but Rommel stated it was a Spit so I would guess it was confirmed after they read or had intelligence on Rommels statement . What RCAF bomber sqn in the Burma I'm aware 435-437 transprt squadrons and 413 was in Ceylon and detected the japanese fleet near Ceylon by AVM Birchell VC he lived about 10 miles away from me

[Erich]

Neil if you are going to see him please ask how many missions flown in his sq. in the ETO. All with Spits and what marks in 44-45. Any aerial kills in the ETO and or pacific ?

E ~

[amrit]

Originally Posted by pbfoot

From what I understand a P47 also laid claim but Rommel stated it was a Spit so I would guess it was confirmed after they read or had intelligence on Rommels statement . What RCAF bomber sqn in the Burma I'm aware 435-437 transprt squadrons and 413 was in Ceylon and detected the japanese fleet near Ceylon by AVM Birchell VC he lived about 10 miles away from me

Sorry, PB, my sloppy typing is really going to get me into trouble one day. I was talking about the RCAF in the Liberator Squadrons in SEAC.

I'm currently reading the first volume of "Burma Liberators: RCAF in SEAC".

Is there an emoticon for slapped wrist?

[pbfoot]

Originally Posted by Erich

Neil if you are going to see him please ask how many missions flown in his sq. in the ETO. All with Spits and what marks in 44-45. Any aerial kills in the ETO and or pacific ?

E ~

Sure will he's quite the character we got him to be the announcer at our airshow

[pbfoot]

Originally Posted by amrit

Sorry, PB, my sloppy typing is really going to get me into trouble one day. I was talking about the RCAF in the Liberator Squadrons in SEAC.

I'm currently reading the first volume of "Burma Liberators: RCAF in SEAC".

Is there an emoticon for slapped wrist?

There are couple of survivors of B24 maybe 360 sqn SEAC my Dad plays cards with and Ju88 radar operator

[amrit]

Just came across this at the IWM site:

Squadron Leader J J Le Roux, Commanding Officer of No 602 Squadron RAF in the cockpit of his Supermarine Spitfire Mark IX, "Betty", at B11/Longues, Normandy.

Le Roux, a South African, joined No. 73 Squadron RAF in France in 1940. He was shot down twelve times, but enjoyed better luck with No. 91 Squadron in 1941 and 1942, shooting down 8 enemy aircraft before joining No. 111 Squadron RAF in North Africa.

He ended his second tour in command of the Squadron. Followng a rest from operations he was given command of No. 602 Squadron in July 1944.

Le Roux is generally credited as the pilot who attacked and badly wounded Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel in his staff car on the road between Livarot and Vimoutiers on 17 July 1944, the day on which he also destroyed two Messerschmitt Bf 109s and damaged two more to bring his victory score to 23.5.

On 29 August 1944, Le Roux took off in bad weather to collect some beer for his Squadron from England, but was lost en route.

[Soundbreaker Welch?]

Rommel near death.

[pbfoot]

I guess we have dilemna
Canada's Air Force - News Room
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i

[amrit]

Yes, we do seem to have one:

602 Squadron RAF

World War II Sites - St-Germain-de-Montgommery (Calvados, France)

And the summary of "Lions Rampant - The Story of 602 Spitfire Squadron" by McRoberts:

During the Battle of Britain 602 Spitfire Squadron was the longest serving squadron in the front line, had the second highest total of 'kills' and it claimed the lowest pilot loss rate of all. To this can be added the awarding of over a dozen DFC's and amongst its ranks the RAF's top scorer in the battle, Archie McKellar, DSO, DFC and Bar. Throughout the rest of the war 602 became the first unit to dive-bomb in Europe and they effectively put Rommel out of the war by shooting up his staff car in Normandy. Its story contains an account of the first German aircraft to fall, the first SPITFIRE night operation and the winning of the first DFC's of the fighter war.

[pbfoot]

"We took off late in the afternoon," recalls Mr. Fox, 84, who lives in London, Ont., and is to be installed as honorary colonel of his old wartime unit, 412 Squadron, at a ceremony this week in Ottawa.
and his story

"As soon as we got airborne at Bernieres-sur-mer, we started heading towards Caen and we split up into three sections of four, and we were to look for 'targets of opportunity' -- anything that was moving. It was the other side of Caen, and I saw this staff car coming along between a line of trees on a main road," says Mr. Fox. "I made no motion until it was just about 9 o'clock, and I did a diving, curving attack down and I probably started firing at about 300 yards. I saw hits on it and I saw it start to curve and go off the road -- and by then I'm on my way."

Mr. Fox says the incident remains "very clear in my mind." And the July 17 entry in his own wartime log book records

"1 staff car damaged" along with the destruction of a mechanical transport vehicle. At the end of the entry, Mr. Fox had written:

However, in the case of the Rommel shooting, (first) it was rommels own report that disallowed the American pilots claim that a P-47 had shot him. His statement, which is in the official German records clearly state that it was Spitfires that had fired on them. there was another squadron of Spits flying near the same area but the very accurate squadron logs also disallowed them as well because they had already landed by the time of the incident. Logs don't lie. And they were already written up and entered well before any sure knowledge of the shooting of Rommel had come out. Quite an easy task to verify, once a thorough researcher like Mr. Lavigne had found the official squadron logs of each squadron that was claiming it. Once he had proven what Squadron had done the shooting, thats when he looked up the pilots involved with the mission that day and that eventually led him to Charley Fox. Mr. Lavigne had already found out that Charley was leading the flight and did the shooting. All verified by official flying records of the second world war.
and besides paintings never lie

[amrit]

It is interesting, isn't it?

I did wonder what the 602 Association had to say about these new developments and have just emailed their museum. Should be interesting, if I get a reply. I'd quite like to read Mr Lavigne's book or complete article on this, if it's available - do you happen to know PB?

This is why I like history - it's always so fluid.

[pbfoot]

if you go to the second link the History News I gave it might help