Nils E. HOLLMAN Jr

Pilot Class Book 43-I, Curtis Field, Brady, Texas.
Courtesy of my Fields of Honor Database colleague Willem who indexed this class book

P-51 Mustang - type B-7-NA - s/n 43-6916 OG*F

Macr : 5508

Mission : Bombing of the Rambouillet & Eure-et-Loir sector

Take-off 6:54 am station 122 HS hunter training courses n ° 54 Yellow "Custard 91" code

Shot by hunter- Focke Wulf 190

 CEMETERY TEMPORARY of Chateauneuf-enThymerais

Story of Cemetery Temporary

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

The morning of June 07, 1944 was the subject of a major air battle for the 355th Fighter Group which lost 5 planes including 4 in Eure-et-Loir.

At 6:54 am, around 20 P-51s from the 357th FS took off from their base in England for a bombing mission in the vicinity of Rambouillet and north-east of Eure-et-Loir.

The pilots McFARLANE, GUERRANT, HOLLMAN and DEBACKER of the "yellow" Flight were separated from the rest of the squadron during the crossing of La Manche because of the numerous clouds. They then descended to 2000 feet above sea level (600 meters) and found the rest of the 357th FS.

Arriving in the Rambouillet region, around 8:20 am, the twenty or so P-51s began their tactical bombardment, the "blue" Flight dropping its bombs first on a train. The French authorities at the time also noted, at around 8:30 am, the bombing of the Aunay-Tréon station (south of Dreux) and its petrol tanks, injuring a person.

But, very quickly, the 357th FG interrupted its mission ... due to the arrival of German fighters in the surroundings ...

Following the landing of the allies on the Normandy coast, the German fighters of the I./JG11 based in Germany (in Rotenburg) receive the order on June 06, 1944 to leave for Rennes after a stage in Bonn / Hangelar to spend the night. They took off again around 6.30am in the direction of Le Mans where the planes had to be refueled before resuming their flight for their final objective in Rennes.

At 8:20 a.m., the 25 Fw-190s of I./JG11 encountered the route of a group of American fighters with around twenty aircraft, those of the 355th FG, 357th FS ... The Germans were able to take advantage of the effect of surprise and almost empty tanks, which alleviated them all the more. A violent air battle ensued just under the clouds at 600-700 meters above sea level.

Despite everything, the fight continued and the P-51 tried to sow their attackers in the clouds. Thus occupied, the American pilots lost sight of themselves and could not see what was happening to their comrades. It was only by landing at their base in England that they could account for their losses.

In addition to FOSTER and HARREL, they could see the disappearance of Lt McFARLANE, HOLLMAN and GUERRANT.

A German report specified that P-51 (Nr 43-6916, Code "OG-F") of Lt HOLLMAN (matr. 0-693209, code name "Custard 91") crashed to the North-West of Chateauneuf- enThymerais and that the pilot was killed instantly. he was buried in the cemetery of the small town where he crashed.

The crash site of Lt McFARLANE's P-51 (Nr 42-7039, Code "OS-S") remains undetermined. However, the latter was taken prisoner.

And finally, the P-51 (Nr 42-106810) of Lt John GUERRANT was found near Acquigny (Eure) with his dead pilot on board.