Christmas M1 Garand Picture of the Season

[oldfoneguy]

Theories about Miller's disappearance include:

Miller made it to Paris and was attacked by a German group
Miller died in a brothel in Paris

I've heard all the other theories but never these 2.

Paris was liberated in August of 44 and Miller disappeared in December so the Germans theory is unlikely.

If we're to believe his biography movie he was a devoted husband and never would have been in a cathouse.

[Bob Womack]

It was about fifteen years ago that a British pilot came forward and admitted that he'd shot down a plane he couldn't identify. His location and time matched the course and timing of Miller's plane.

A similar thing happened with Wing Commander Douglas Bader. Bader was flying a "rhubarb" mission over France and was shot down. His empennage was severed and he struggled for a long while to get out of the plane because his false leg was pinned under the control panel. He finally got free and parachuted to captivity. He was entertained by Adolph Galland and his group, the Abbeville Boys" (Jagdgeschwader 26). Bader asked to meet the pilot who had shot him down. The German pilots compared notes and couldn't find anyone who had shot anyone down in the area on the day Bader was shot down so they put forward a Sgt. Pilot. It took a few years but a British pilot, Flight Lieutenant "Buck" Casson read Bader's biography and discovered the timing of Bader's being shot down. He compared his log and notes and discovered that he had seen a faint plane in the clouds that date and time, had opened fire and got it. He followed the plane to the ground, noting that it had lost its empennage and the pilot struggled to get out. Egg on the face over that one.

Bob

[eb in oregon]

First time I'd heard that. I'd never heard how he went down, thought they were just lost like Amelia Earhart...

I've read lots of theories but have yet to see any facts or evidence of any.

[RAM1ALASKA]

70 years later, mystery of Glenn Millers disappearance may be solved | Colorado Public Radio

[eb in oregon]

I've never quite understood "fuel line icing." Aviation gas does't freeze (unless there is water in it) so it has to be water on the carburetor that freezes and prohibits it's function.

[browningautorifle]

"fuel line icing."

Another supposition. No wreckage, no proof. Suppositions.

[CINDERS]

I thought Bader was lost in a collision with a ME 109 he turned in to gun the leader (He could sustain more G loads without blacking out due to no legs) turning so tight he got in between the leader & his No 2 who collided with Bader's Spitfire chopping off the tail plane just aft of the cockpit.
That's the story I have, I'll check his book tomorrow.

One story from the book he was flying at height over the channel and was startled by the sudden noise of popping he thought he had been bounced so did evasive manoeuvres to get out of the supposid enemy fire.
It then dawned on him what it actually was, Bader feared being shot down into the drink then being dragged under by his tin legs so he filled them with ping pong balls, it was those balls that were popping due to the pressure differential at high altitude...............

[Bob Womack]

One story from the book he was flying at height over the channel and was startled by the sudden noise of popping he thought he had been bounced so did evasive manoeuvres to get out of the supposid enemy fire. It then dawned on him what it actually was, Bader feared being shot down into the drink then being dragged under by his tin legs so he filled them with ping pong balls, it was those balls that were popping due to the pressure differential at high altitude...............

That was Colin ‘Hoppy’ Hodgkinson, another double amputee in the RAF.

Cheers,

Bob

[Sapper740]

I thoroughly enjoyed the thread drift on this one. LOL! The story I heard was that Glenn Miller's aircraft was flying low over the English Channel and enveloped in the spray and/or shrapnel from a bomb(s) dumped by a returning Allied bomber.

[CINDERS]

My error, I do have Hoppy Hodgkinsons book "Best Foot Forward" it is a great read just like Bader's one of strength & determination over adversity however I must have got confused between the 2 Bob being allot of years since reading them both.

But I'm pretty sure the reason for Bader's incident is on the money either way he was very lucky to have been able to get free of his doomed Spitfire.