The story
While flying with the elite 433rd Fighter Squadron, 475th Fighter Group, US 5th Air Force, the famous American civilian aviator Charles Lindbergh, who was only there to demonstrate effective ways of increasing the range of the P-38 fighter, accounted for a Japanese Ki-51 aircraft near Ceram Island (now spelled Seram), Dutch East Indies. The Japanese aircraft was piloted by Captain Saburo Shimada, the commanding officer of the 73rd Independent Squadron. The 433rd Fighter Squadron commander, Colonel Charles Macdonald, would later receive quite a rocket from Fifth Air Force HQ when they heard that such a distinguished civilian had been allowed to participate in a combat mission.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.