(Robert M. Littlefield)
2/Lt. Donald J. Best
(Robert M. Littlefield)
2/Lt. Donald J. Best
38th FS - February 1945 - 16 April 1945 (Killed in Action)
| Assigned Aircraft |
P-51D 44-72409 "Little Lulu" |
| Mission History |
11 missions |
| Mission List |
Not Known |
| Air Scores |
0-0-0 |
| Ground Scores |
5-1 |
| Score Detail |
09 April 1945
(3)He-280 destroyed (ground) Munich-Brunnthal
Landing Ground 10 April 1945 (2)He-111 destroyed (ground) Wesendorf 10 April 1945 Me-109 damaged (ground) Wesendorf |
| Notes | MACR No. 13941 Capt. John W. Kavanaugh reported: "I was leading Hellcat Purple Flight on 16 April and Lt. Best was flying the number 2 position. Some where near the Rhine River my number 3 and 4 man had to return home. A little north of Munich, Hellcat White number 3 and 4 had to go home also, so Lt. Best and I filled in their positions. About 1600 hours our squadron spotted a number of twin engine E/A parked on the edge of an autobahn right on the edge of Brunnthal Airdrome. The squadron set up a pattern on these planes and made a number of passes on them. We were getting some flak but it was very light. During the above action I heard Lt. Best say that he had been hit and was going to have to bail out. I pulled up and looked around but could not locate him. Our group leader told Best to head for friendly territory and to stay with the plane as long as he could. Lt. Best said he would. That was the last that was heard of him." Capt.
Donald M. Cummings said that he heard Best two different times say that he
was going to bail out. Lt. Best was flying his plane, "Little Lulu".
He is buried at Lorraine American Military Cemetery and Memorial, St.
Avold, Moselle, France. He was from Indiana. |
| Memories | |