(c) Jan

, 2021

Zdiarský

P-51D-5 Mustang s/n 44-13597 HO-F

„STARDUST“, Lt. William E. „Flaps“ Fowler,

Bodney, England, early September 1944

After getting that first kill of the day, Lt. Col. Meyer felt a little

Shortly afterwards, Meyer spotted his final victim of this fight:

abandoned. He spotted another group of German fighters, made ‘A lone Me 109 was emerging from a cloud in the vicinity of the

up of around fifteen Bf 109s and Fw 190s, a little higher than him- large enemy gaggle. And as I was not yet under attack, I attacked

self in altitude and further to the northwest. He climbed about the E/A. Only my right wing guns were now firing so I opened at

2,000 feet above the level of his foes and attacked a mixed pair 200 yards and no deflection closing to point blank range and 10°

of aircraft, one of each type: ‘They had belly tanks and appeared deflection. I saw strikes all over the E/A and pieces flew off the

to be forming up. I approached them from out of the sun and tail and fuselage. He caught fire at his left wing root. I broke off

attacked the #2 of a pair of E/A that were farthest from the mass. the attack and headed for the deck and home.’

I fired at 15° deflection from 300 yards to point blank range.

The combat that lasted only a few minutes brought Lt. Col.

The E/A burst into flames, I broke into the sun, cleared my tail

Meyer

the rare triumph of four kills. The drama, though, was not

and attacked the element leader, at 300 yards I got few strikes

on his right wing tip and he broke. As he broke I got strikes in the at its end. After his last kill, pretty much out of ammunition and

his fuel reserves leaving much to be desired, he turned for home

vicinity of the cockpit and wing roots. The E/A rolled over and

and dropped down to a lower altitude where he would be safer.

spiraled down, crashing into the ground.’

At that point, he spotted two Bf 109s below him that glued them-

Lt. William ‘Flaps’ Fowler ended his combat tour on September 8th, 1944 with 3.5 enemy aircraft destroyed over

69 combat missions (Photo: 352nd Fighter Group Association, Peter Randall).