Part 2
The following pages provide more of the most
informative email messages and related attachments received from Dan
Melinte. Dan resumed contact in 2007
after several months of other commitments.
Attachments to the email messages are listed at the end of the messages
and are linked to the attachments for viewing.
Click on the blue underlined
items to view them.
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NOTE: This message
was overlooked in initial compilation of Melinte messages
From: Dan Melinte
To: Jim Graham
Sent: Monday, March 27, 2006 9:56 AM
Subject: Cretesti Vidra
Hi Jim,
Other stop ( from my expedition) was Cretesti-Vidra. I found an witness (11years old in'44) he saw the american plane pursued by romanian fighters and crashed on the field close to Sabar river (Rastoaca river on old maps) near Cretesti village, The pilot was taken POW by local police.
The story match with Ralph Hisey POW description.
I attached pictures with
Dan.
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Attachments:
DAN-033 - Cretesti Vidra crash place
DAN-034 - Cretesti village
DAN-035 - Cretesti Vidra witness farmer
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NOTE: The following messages received in 2007 restarted
communication with Melinte
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From: Dan Melinte
To: Jim Graham
Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 6:06 AM
Subject: Lt. Smith crash pictures
Hi Jim,
I started to sent you the promised info. First for Lt. Smith.
Last year when interviewed witness from Fundeni village (regarding Vernon Baker fate) they mentioned a second american pilot crash, SWof the village. The pilot was found dead but with no plane wrecks around him. The body (not burnt) was compressed probably due to high speed impact of crash. My personal opinion is that he tried to avoid a fiercy death in his burning P-38 and evacuated the cockpit ( hoping that parachute could save his life). The low altitude and the speed of the plane leave him no chance to survive.
Probably his P-38 crashed in the same area ( west of the village) as mentioned by some villagers.
I was not able
to find any info for the burrial place of the pilot. In Fundeni cemetery only
one pilot (Baker) was burried after the fight. Probably was transported to one
of
Romanian military archiv specify two P-38 (with both pilots dead ) at Fundeni village. My conclusion that Lt Smith is the one crashed SW of the village (the other pilot Vernon Baker was found north of the village).
I attached pictures with the area and a map ( marked with Smith crash place).
Regards,
Dan.
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Attachments:
DAN-201 -
fundeni village crash places
DAN-202 -
Smith crash site -01
DAN-203 - Smith crash site -02
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From: Dan Melinte
To: Jim Graham
Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 7:44 AM
Subject: Cpt. August Bischoff cras place.
Hi Jim,
One of the unclear facts of 10 june mission was August Bischoff fate. His MACR and all after combat reports stated that crashed due to impact with a train ( hit by his P-38 wingtip).
The luck was with me last summer when I visited my aunt at Helesteu-Balteni village (close to Contesti village). I asked one of his neighbours, Mr. Ion Ion if he know something about american plane crashed in the area. "Yes, I know very well because i saw myself the crash of that plane" promptly was the answer to my question.
And he started to tell me the story like was happened yestarday :
" I was
a 10 years old boy playing outside my village when I saw six P-38 coming at low
altitude flying above my home ( Helesteu-Balteni village) and crossing over
Bucuresti -Targoviste national road. The last P-38 was much lower altitude when
hit the electrical wires (boarding left side of the road) making a big noise.
The impact was enough to cause severe damage to the plane and probably wounding
the pilot wich couldn't control his ship anymore and crashed after 1000-1500m
(hiting the trees boarding the railroad) near the station of Contesti village.
The pilot was found dead and burried in local
Mr Ion Ion was glad to show me the exact crash location and a good oportunity for me to take pictures.
I found also from rom. military archiv info that on 10 june '44 one civil train stopped between Gherghani and Contesti railroad stations was attacked by P-38's.
The railroad was/is boarded (on both sides) by trees and I can not see how August could hit that train with his wing (as MACR stated).
I atached the pictures.
Regards,
Dan.
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Attachments:
DAN-204 -
Small railroad station of Contesti village
DAN-205 - P-38
pilot grave area was near this trees
DAN-206 - In
front (50m) on right side (the missing trees ) was P-38 crash
DAN-206x -
Electrical wires on ( Bucuresti-Targoviste) main road
DAN-207 -
Crash place (Bischoff ?)
DAN-208 - Church from Contesti-south village
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From: Dan Melinte
To: Jim Graham
Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 7:20 PM
Subject: Re: Cpt. August Bischoff cras place.
Hi Jim,
All the pictures mentioned by you are attached to below message (regarding August Biscoff fate).
Indeed on the MAPQUEST is Contesti village ( near crash place) but is missing the railroad.
I moved the red star close to crash place (on MAPQUEST) and I attached an old map with the railroad and pinpoint the crash place more accurate.
Cheers,
Dan.
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Attachments:
DAN-209 Contesti -Boteni map
DAN-210 August crash place
JIM-210x Contesti-Gaesti Map-Bischoff
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From: Dan Melinte
To: Jim Graham
Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2007 7:20 AM
Subject: Lt. James Joye and Lt Harry Noone -Puntea de Greci crash locations
Hi Jim,
Another expedition for (june'10, mission) crash locations was at Puntea de Greci village (south Gaesti). Here I was lucky to find the son of land owners where a P-38 crashed and told me the story he knew about the crash.
The P-38 was in flame when hit the ground north of Puntea de Greci village. The head of the pilot was somehow cut (probably due to high impact crash) and found 30-50 m far away from the plane. The burnt body of the pilot was taken out very difficult from burning cokpit by local people. A coffin was made and the pilot burried in cemetery Puntea de Greci. In the place of the crash today is a vegetables garden.
I attached
pictures with crash location. Also a page from Omaha Herald Tribune with
Lt.James Joye missing advertise ( found by a friend of mine Pat Shenk, living
in
Another P-38 (mentioned by villagers) force landed in the south of the village and the pilot was taken POW by local police ( no doubt Lt Harry Noone).
Regards,
Dan.
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Attachments:
DAN-211 - Crash place
DAN-212 - garden owner pinpoint crash place
DAN-213 - crash place garden
DAN-214 - crash place - tomato patch
DAN-215 - Puntea de Greci road sign
JIM-215x - Contesti-Gaesti Map-Bischoff, Joye, Noone
DAN-216 - James Joye-Omaha Herald tribune
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From: Dan Melinte
To: Jim
Graham
Sent: Friday, January 05, 2007 2:14 AM
Subject: Lt.George Johnson, Mocanu forest
(crash area) pictures
Hi Jim,
I could not pinpoint the crash location of Lt George Johnson (in Mocanu forest) because is a flooded area. Anyway I made some pictures (from distance) with Mocanu forest and the surrounding area including Oinac village. I attached the pictures to my e-mail.
Regards,
Dan.
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Attachments:
DAN-217 - Mocanu forest
DAN-218 - Mocanu forest close up
DAN-219 - Oinac village
DAN-220 -
Oinac -
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From: Dan Melinte
To: Jim Graham
Sent: Friday, January 05, 2007 2:31 AM
Subject: Lt McClellan William and Lt.
Rudolph Janci info
Hi Jim,
In romanian archiv there is no info about Lt McClellan
William and Lt. Rudolph Janci but I found some
interesting data on a site about looses over
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/schenck/yu_losses/losses.htm
P-38 27th FS/1st FG ,
Lt McClellan William D - RTD
P-38 71st FS/1st
FG, Lt
Janci, Rudolph crash landed at
Cheers,
Dan.
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From: Dan Melinte
To: Jim Graham
Sent: Friday, January 05, 2007 2:37 AM
Subject: James Joye update - foto with
Puntea de Greci cemetery
Hi Jim,
I forgott to add the picture with Puntea de Greci church and cemetry where James Joye was burried after the crash.
Cheers,
Dan.
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Attachments:
DAN-221 - Puntea de Greci - church and cemetery
