P-51D CG-P 44-14358 "Portland Rose"

34 missions

2.5-0-0 (plus 1 air with 51st FG)

0-0

03 January 1945 - Prisoner of War
MACR No. 11525
2/Lt. Robert Jones reported: "Capt. Coonan was leading a flight (section) of eight Mustangs approximately 10 to 20 miles south of Ulm, Germany.  Several German trainer planes were spotted flying formation a few thousand feet below us.  Captain Coonan led the attack and shot down one enemy plane.  Several seconds later he said he had been hit. At low altitude he passed over a small town and belly landed on a snow covered field adjacent to this town. I took several camera shots of the airplane which seemed to be in good condition, and while doing this I did not observe the pilot's presence in or around the plane. The remaining seven planes then proceeded towards home."

German J 2735, reported the capture of Capt. Coonan at 1300 on January 3, 1945, at Gutensell, near Laupheim. The aircraft was reported 12 to 15 percent damaged. The report further stated that Capt. Coonan was shot down by "friendly aircraft, Mustang!" The letters on the aircraft were CG-P. The report, which was addressed to Evaluation Center West, Oberursel, also contained the names of 16 pilots, (the entire 38th Ftr. Sqdn.), with their corresponding plane identification letters and pilot's name that had flown on that mission! This was one of the many reasons Hanns Scharff, the interrogator at Oberursel, could name familiar members of the prisoner's squadron to him.

While in prison camp, at Stalag Luft I, Coonan was quoted as saying that if he caught that son of-a-bitch (in his flight) who shot him down he'd kill him! 
Lt. Dudley Amoss recalls: "While at Stalag Luft I, I ran into Jack Coonan. He told me that his wingman had shot him down. I had to level with him and tell him that it was me who shot him down! I explained that I saw what appeared to be a lone Me109 flying low on the deck, heading into Germany. It was a long, long, shot. I gave him a lot of lead and fired. He crash landed. Much to my horror, as I passed over him, I recognized the plane as a P-51. Jack didn't get angry. He just grimaced and shook his head."
Reproduced with kind permission of Mr. Robert M. Littlefield from the author's book Double Nickel - Double Trouble.

Maj. Coonan's 'Heinie Honking & Loco Busting' certificate

Maj. Coonan in an Oregon newspaper press clipping
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