Summary:
P-47D Thunderbolt from 365th Fighter Squadron on bomber escort duties 7th May 1945 assigned Blue Flight.
Blue Flight failed to rendezvous with bomber group and were last seen off Cherbourg.
Two aircraft ran out of fuel and Lt Arthur Charbonneau and Lt Norvin Averett were forced to bail out.
Both pilots rescued. Lt Averett was injured and eventually medically discharged.
Lt Charbonneau served with 365th and moved to France just after D-Day when squadron switched from fighter escort to ground attack. Lt Charbonneau flew combat missions in Northern France until being reported prisoner of war on the 14th September 1944.
Portland War Diary records loss of Thunderbolt in Weymouth Bay at 12;25 7th May 1944. Pilot reported rescued by HMT Northern Gift.
Crash site rediscovered by Grahame Knott around 2000.
Known extents of crash site scanned into 3D by Simon Brown in 2017:
More to follow on this story.
Make: Republic
Model: P-47D Thunderbolt
Serial No: Possible: 42-76525
Pilot: Either 1) Lt Arthur P Charbonneau or 2) Lt Norvin K Averett
Date of Loss: 7th May 1944
Reason of Loss: Ran out of fuel
Rough Location: 040 degrees Grove Point 4 miles
Longitude:
Latitude: