SAAF Foggia, Italy 1944 - Aircraft of World War II

soalebm · 02-23-2008, 02:41 PM

I'm currently trying to figure out as much as possible about the air bases around Foggia, Italy during WWII. I'm in contact with the 2nd, 301st, 463rd, and 99th bomb group websites but I want to know more about the South African AF in 1944 and the German units that operated ther before the allies atacked in 1943. If anyone has any info about the SAAF units or any information about allied or axis planes, men, etc flying from Foggia around august-november 1944 let me know.
the smallest bit helps!
thanks,
Brandon

Henk · 02-23-2008, 05:31 PM

Try the war museum website here in South Africa.

Try contacting them with your question and they will hopefully get back to you.

South African Air Force Museum

WELCOME TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MILITARY HISTORY

Hope it will help, I will try and have a look in my WW2 books to see if I can find something.

Wildcat · 02-23-2008, 10:15 PM

G'day Brandon, from an Aussie point of view 451 (spitfires) and 458 (Wellington) sqdn's RAAF were based at Foggia during that time frame.

soalebm · 02-27-2008, 01:15 PM

Thanks a lot gentleman I will try the SAAF museum and I I have not begun researching the RAAF yet but you provided me with a good place to start!
cheers,
Brandon

pwesleynd93 · 07-07-2008, 12:32 AM

My dad was a pilot with the 463rd and he's alive and well in Rochester, NY. I'm home for a visit and we were talking about Foggia just last night because it came up in a book I'm reading. Tell me what you want to know and I'll ask him.

Micdrow · 07-07-2008, 08:28 PM

Try this web site The South African Air Force

jhor9 · 08-05-2008, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soalebm

I'm currently trying to figure out as much as possible about the air bases around Foggia, Italy during WWII. I'm in contact with the 2nd, 301st, 463rd, and 99th bomb group websites but I want to know more about the South African AF in 1944 and the German units that operated ther before the allies atacked in 1943. If anyone has any info about the SAAF units or any information about allied or axis planes, men, etc flying from Foggia around august-november 1944 let me know.
the smallest bit helps!
thanks,
Brandon

I was in the 99th at Foggia #2-Tortorella, moving up from Tunis during Dec43 I completed my tour of 50 missions/sorties in mid Feb44. I don't know how else I can help
Jules Horowitz
pilot 348th Sqdn

Njaco · 08-06-2008, 12:53 AM

Try this site. has a lot of great stuff about that time peroid and area.

Home Page

caroline_b · 01-03-2009, 02:09 PM

Hi there

My Dad was in SAAF 12 Squadron flying Lockheed-Martin B26 Marauders (bombers) - in Italy for most of 1944. I'm not sure what sort of info you want but have his logbooks. A lot of the flying was done from temporary airfields - pressed steel plate runways which were put down by the engineers & then picked up and moved when the front moved.

I think 39 Squadron was also in Italy at the time, and I think the wing ended up under the command of Major Jack Robb (who was OC 39 Squadron if I've got this right, & was shot down in a Marauder - survived).

The SAAF definitely had Spitfire squadrons in Italy as well but I don't know much about which ones - probably 43 Squadron.

There's a Marauder bomber site at http://www.b26.com which has quite a lot of info.

Hope that helps,

Caroline

Burning Blue

mhuxt · 01-04-2009, 05:13 AM

IIRC 60 SAAF flew Mosquitos on recce sorties from Foggia, though I'm going completely from memory here...

hilli · 01-20-2009, 10:48 PM

Hi

My father was an Observer (navigator/bomb aimer) on Martin Baltimores in 15 Squadron SAAF during 1944 at foggia.

flakhappy · 01-22-2009, 06:59 PM

I was a radio operator in a B-17 crew in the 97th BG based at Amendola duringthe last half of 1944, near Foggia. The 2nd BG and a sqdn. of the RAF's 5 Group was also based at Amendola.

seesul · 01-22-2009, 07:58 PM

Welcome onboard flakhappy!
A friend of mine mentioned in my signature was shot down over my country on Aug. 29, 1944. Visited me here in 2005 and 2007. He was a member of 2ndBG, 20th Sqdn.
Could you tell us more about your tour?
Attached few pics of Amendola air base from today (Google Earth).

flakhappy · 01-22-2009, 08:42 PM

greetings, Seesul. Thanks for the images. I and my wife visited the present Italian base at Amendola in 1990. Much more civilized, but even so, much the same as in 44. As you probably know, we were heavily engaged in attacking Hitlelr's oil, first at Ploesti, and then the synthetic plants in Silesia, which became a passion for us because they were so important to choke off. My crew lost two men KIA, one POW (Bucharest) and I was with another crew, made up of "bastards" from other crews, that crash-landed in then Yugoslavia. We walked out, with the help of a band of Tito's followers who were paid in food and ammo. for every crew they helped. Lovely time. We had a good bomb group, (the first in the 8th AF, back in Aug., 42). Bombed two targets in Czechoslovakia, as I recall: the Skoda Works at Pilsen and a huge railroad marshalling yard.

seesul · 01-22-2009, 09:32 PM

Marshaling yards where? Pardubice? Ostrava? When has your tour began and ended up? Good to have you here!!!

02-23-2008, 02:41 PM	#1
soalebm Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 13	SAAF Foggia, Italy 1944 I'm currently trying to figure out as much as possible about the air bases around Foggia, Italy during WWII. I'm in contact with the 2nd, 301st, 463rd, and 99th bomb group websites but I want to know more about the South African AF in 1944 and the German units that operated ther before the allies atacked in 1943. If anyone has any info about the SAAF units or any information about allied or axis planes, men, etc flying from Foggia around august-november 1944 let me know. the smallest bit helps! thanks, Brandon

02-23-2008, 10:15 PM	#3
Wildcat Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Queensland Posts: 4,543	G'day Brandon, from an Aussie point of view 451 (spitfires) and 458 (Wellington) sqdn's RAAF were based at Foggia during that time frame. __________________

07-07-2008, 08:28 PM	#6
Micdrow “Archive” Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 4,852	Try this web site The South African Air Force __________________ "Valor does not mean Hero."

08-06-2008, 12:53 AM	#8
Njaco The Pop-Tart Whisperer Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: South Jersey, United States Posts: 10,228	Try this site. has a lot of great stuff about that time peroid and area. Home Page __________________ "If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it's English, thank a soldier!" http://www.njcacoa.org/

01-03-2009, 02:09 PM	#9
caroline_b Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1	SAAF 12 Squadron Hi there My Dad was in SAAF 12 Squadron flying Lockheed-Martin B26 Marauders (bombers) - in Italy for most of 1944. I'm not sure what sort of info you want but have his logbooks. A lot of the flying was done from temporary airfields - pressed steel plate runways which were put down by the engineers & then picked up and moved when the front moved. I think 39 Squadron was also in Italy at the time, and I think the wing ended up under the command of Major Jack Robb (who was OC 39 Squadron if I've got this right, & was shot down in a Marauder - survived). The SAAF definitely had Spitfire squadrons in Italy as well but I don't know much about which ones - probably 43 Squadron. There's a Marauder bomber site at http://www.b26.com which has quite a lot of info. Hope that helps, Caroline Burning Blue

02-23-2008, 05:31 PM	#2
Henk Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: George - South Africa Posts: 2,779	Try the war museum website here in South Africa. Try contacting them with your question and they will hopefully get back to you. South African Air Force Museum WELCOME TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MILITARY HISTORY Hope it will help, I will try and have a look in my WW2 books to see if I can find something. __________________ The ultimate revolution in aircraft designs during WW2

02-27-2008, 01:15 PM	#4
soalebm Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 13	Thanks a lot gentleman I will try the SAAF museum and I I have not begun researching the RAAF yet but you provided me with a good place to start! cheers, Brandon

07-07-2008, 12:32 AM	#5
pwesleynd93 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 1	My dad was a pilot with the 463rd and he's alive and well in Rochester, NY. I'm home for a visit and we were talking about Foggia just last night because it came up in a book I'm reading. Tell me what you want to know and I'll ask him.

01-04-2009, 05:13 AM	#10
mhuxt Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 195	IIRC 60 SAAF flew Mosquitos on recce sorties from Foggia, though I'm going completely from memory here...

01-20-2009, 10:48 PM	#11
hilli Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1	Hi My father was an Observer (navigator/bomb aimer) on Martin Baltimores in 15 Squadron SAAF during 1944 at foggia.

01-22-2009, 06:59 PM	#12
flakhappy Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 42	I was a radio operator in a B-17 crew in the 97th BG based at Amendola duringthe last half of 1944, near Foggia. The 2nd BG and a sqdn. of the RAF's 5 Group was also based at Amendola.

01-22-2009, 08:42 PM	#14
flakhappy Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 42	greetings, Seesul. Thanks for the images. I and my wife visited the present Italian base at Amendola in 1990. Much more civilized, but even so, much the same as in 44. As you probably know, we were heavily engaged in attacking Hitlelr's oil, first at Ploesti, and then the synthetic plants in Silesia, which became a passion for us because they were so important to choke off. My crew lost two men KIA, one POW (Bucharest) and I was with another crew, made up of "bastards" from other crews, that crash-landed in then Yugoslavia. We walked out, with the help of a band of Tito's followers who were paid in food and ammo. for every crew they helped. Lovely time. We had a good bomb group, (the first in the 8th AF, back in Aug., 42). Bombed two targets in Czechoslovakia, as I recall: the Skoda Works at Pilsen and a huge railroad marshalling yard.

01-22-2009, 09:32 PM	#15
seesul Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Zlin, Czech Republic Posts: 2,489	Marshaling yards where? Pardubice? Ostrava? When has your tour began and ended up? Good to have you here!!! __________________ Roman Susil Zlin, Czech Republic ...a friend of Joe Owsianik,So. Plainfield, NJ, a former left waist gunner from B-17G ''Tail End Charlie" from 2ndBG,20th Sqdn who was forced to bail out on Aug. 29th, 1944 over my country.

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