Tag: Death

Paul Ehlen killed in crash of his Curtiss P-40E Warhawk in Montana

The Curtiss P-40E AK753 at Oshkosh (Photo © Damien Defever)

It is with great sadness that we learn of the death of Paul Ehlen. He crashed yesterday afternoon in Curtiss P-40E Warhawk ‘AK753’, registered as N4420K and belonging to the Wings of the North Air Museum,  near Hamilton, Montana. Little information is available about this tragic event but the police announced that Paul Ehlen, the …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2023/06/28/paul-ehlen-killed-in-crash-of-his-curtiss-p-40e-warhawk-in-montana/

Brigadier Charles McGee, one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen, passes away at 102

Charles Edward McGee, born on December 7, 1919, passed away in his sleep on Sunday the 16th of January 2022, aged 102. A member of the famous Tuskegee Airmen, he was deployed in  February 1944 with the 302nd Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group, which was then based in Italy. Flying the P-39 Airacobra, …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2022/01/18/brigadier-charles-mcgee-one-of-the-last-surviving-tuskegee-airmen-passes-away-at-102/

One killed in Flying Bull T-28 crash in the Czech Republic

We have just learned of the tragic crash of North American T-28B Trojan BuNo 138179 registered OE-ESA of the Austrian Flying Bull collection. The aircraft crashed in Jickovice  in the Czech Republic as it was returning from the Leźno airshow in Poland.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2021/06/20/one-killed-in-flying-bull-t-28-crash-in-the-czech-republic/

Brigadier General Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager †

Brigadier General "Chuck" Yeager (Photo US Air Force)

World-famous test pilot Charles “Chuck” Yeager died on Monday the 7th of December at a hospital in Los Angeles. He was 97 years old. A World War II P-51 Mustang ace  and test pilot, Yeager made international headlines when he became the first man to break the sound barrier on 14 October 1947, flying a …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2020/12/08/brigadier-general-charles-e-chuck-yeager-%e2%80%a0/

René Billotet, last survivor of No 342 (Free French) Squadron, has passed away

Sergent-chef René Billotet, born on 18 April 1925 in Dôle (France) and last survivor of the Royal Air Force’s No 342 (Free French) Squadron passed away at his home aged 95. Better known in France as the Groupe de Bombardement Lorraine, the squadron played an essential and unusual role during the D-Day landings. On the …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2020/11/21/rene-billotet-last-survivor-of-no-342-free-french-squadron-has-passed-away/

Joseph “Jeff” Moureau, the last Belgian pilot to fight on D-Day, has passed away

Joseph “Jeff” Moureau, the last Belgian pilot to have fought with a Belgian squadron in the Royal Air Force,  has passed away at age 99, according to the Belgian air component. “With sadness, the Belgian air component says farewell to the last Belgian Spitfire fighter pilot in World War II”, the Belgian Air Component wrote …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2020/10/29/joseph-jeff-moureau-the-last-belgian-pilot-to-fight-on-d-day-has-passed-away/

Fatal DHC-1 Chipmunk crash in Germany

A DHC-1 Chipmunk at Panshanger Aerodrome on 22nd May 2011. NB: this is not the accident aircraft. (Photo Geoff Collins (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0))

A DHC-1 Chipmunk crashed on September 17th near Paulinenaue in Germany. The pilot, aged 68, was killed in the crash and his passenger was gravely wounded. The aircraft, built in 1952 and registered D-ELLY, had taken off from Bienenfarm airfield moments before. The causes of the accident are unknown at this time. Our thoughts and …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2020/09/20/fatal-dhc-1-chipmunk-crash-in-germany/

Pierre Robin has passed away

A Robin DR-400. (Photo redskin83 (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0))

Pierre Robin, who designed the famous Robin DR-400 with Jean Delemontez, passed away on 5 August 2020. Robin aircraft are ubiquitous on French airfields and also a common sight abroad. Robin Aircraft’s most famous design was the DR-400, of which 2,700 were built. Born in 1927, Pierre Robin was buried on 7 August in Talant, …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2020/08/09/pierre-robin-has-passed-away/

Stampe & Vertongen SV-4 crashes in France, one deceased and one wounded

A Stampe & Vertongen  Stampe SV-4 crashed near the Angers-Marcé airport on Saturday the 4th of July, killing its pilot. The second crew member was hospitalized and is in critical condition. Both crew members and the aircraft were part of Stampe Aéro Passion, an association based at the Angers-Marcé airport. The causes of the accident …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2020/07/05/stampe-vertongen-sv-4-crashes-in-france-one-deceased-and-one-wounded/

Terry Clark, one of the two last Battle of Britain airmen, has passed away

William Terence Montague Clark, DFM, AE, better known as Terry Clark, passed away on 7 May 2020 at the age of 101, just a few hours before the 75th anniversary of VE-Day. Born on April 11, 1919 , Terry Clark flew as navigator and radar operator in the Royal Air Force from 1938 to 1945. …

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Jerzy Główczewski, last surviving Polish fighter pilot of World War II, has passed away

Jerzy Główczewski, who is reported to have been the last surviving Polish fighter pilot of World War II, passed away in New York on 13 April 2020 aged 97. Główczewski was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1922 and fled the country after the 1939 German and Soviet invasions. After pilot training, he was assigned to …

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Two killed in Ryan PT-22 crash in France

The Ryan PT-22 Recruit 41-1964 (N53018) in Cerny in 2014 (Photo Johnny Comstedt (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0))

Two people were killed in the crash of their Ryan PT-22 Recruit (registered N53018) near Beaulieu in the Puy-de-Dôme department in France on Sunday the 23rd of February. The causes of the accident are not yet known but witnesses indicate hearing unusual sounds coming the accident aircraft just before the crash, suggesting engine problems could …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2020/02/24/two-killed-in-ryan-pt-22-crash-in-france/

Frank Losonsky, last surviving member of the Flying Tigers †

Frank Losonsky, the last known survivor of the American Volunteer Group, better known as the “Flying Tigers”, passed away on 6 February 2020, aged 99. Having served two years in the US Army Air Corps, Losonsky became a crew chief with the 3rd Squadron of the Flying Tigers in 1941.  After the group was disbanded …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2020/02/09/frank-losonsky-last-surviving-member-of-the-flying-tigers-%e2%80%a0/

W/C Paul Farnes, last surviving Battle of Britain ace, has passed away

Wing Commander Paul Caswell Powe Farnes, the last surviving ace of the Battle of Britain, passed away on 28 January 2020 aged 101. His death takes place only a few weeks after that of Maurice Mounsdon, and there are now only two surviving Royal Air Force pilots of the Battle of Britain: F/L William Clark …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2020/01/31/w-c-paul-farnes-last-surviving-battle-of-britain-ace-has-passed-away/