preddy memorial, The

Air Classics, Nov 1999

Former POWs Ed Carson and Walter Wright spoke of their chilling experiences as prisoners during WWII, and veterans Bob Benbow and Doug "Curly" Dickerson encouraged veterans to share their wartime experiences with the world. Dickerson led by example by sharmg copies of his own behindenemy-lines experiences compiled in his book Doing My Duty.

Author Sandra Merrill, whose book Donald's Story, tells about her uncle Capt. Don Emerson, a 4th FG ace, who, like George Preddy, was killed on Christmas Day 1944 in his Mustang, attended the event with her husband Ted. Col. Bruce Guard spoke briefly on his National Guard Unit, and later at the airport the crowd was treated to a close-up look inside one of the Guard's Apache helicopters flown in for static display for the event.

Aviation artist Troy White was happy to participate in the PMF's symposium as well. Troy, who has featured Preddy as the main subject in several art projects over the years, was invited to bring some of his paintings along for display. Just in time for the event, he completed Alles Schlott, the result of an intense research project laumched by Troy White to discern the identifies of the two German Messerchimitt Me 109s who were Preddy's final two victories. His description of the enemy's activities follows:

"Fw. Fritz Koal and Fw. Karl-Heinz Schroder of IL/JG 27 cruise across the cold December sky in 1944. Koal in Yellow 14 is flying a Bf 109G-10 (WNr.490180). Schroder in Yellow 9 is flying a Bf 109G-14 (WNr.785756). On Christmas Day 1944 both men took off from their base at Hopsten, Germany, just after 11:00 with the rest of II./ JG 27. Under the leadership of Gruppenkommandeur Hptm Herbert Kutscha, II Gruppe headed for St. Vith to support ground troops involved with the Ardennes Offensive (Battle of the Bulge). At about noon the Gruppe became involved in a large air battle over the Ahr Valley. The battle took place between the towns of Adenau and Bad Neuenahr near the famous Nurburgring Formula 1 racecourse. Before it was over, eight Bf 109s from II./JG 27 would litter the lands e below. Hptm. Kutscha shot down two P51s but was slightly wounded bailing out of his Bf 109G-10 (WNr. 490664, Green 4). Another P-51 and a P-47 were claimed by Obfw. Alfred Masureck and Uffz. Herbert Hoffman, respectively.

Meanwhile Koal and Schroder were forced to bale out when they were shot down over Adenau. Schroder was only slightly wounded and remained on operations with 6 Staffel. Koal was seriously wounded and did not return to his unit until March 1945. Both Koal and Schroder were the last two victories scored by American ace Maj. George Preddy who in turn was shot down and killed by American antiaircraft fire just a few moments later."

Troy also brought along his American Patrol painting for display. Commissioned for the dust jacket of the 1999 hard-cover reprint of George Preddy: Top Mustang Ace, this painting portrays an ensuing victory over an Me 109 by George Preddy during a 29 July 1944 escort mission over Merseberg, Germany, for the 487th FS of the 352nd FG.