Hi Guppy,
Many thanks again. I know of drgndog, will seek him out in one of his internet haunts.
I'm aware of the meaning of yellow-bellied, and the whole story is at least fourth hand, nav to pilot, to pilot's family/friends, to Norman Malayney, to the wider world. Malayney has done a massive amount of research on the 25th BG Mosquitos.
For the record, here's what he posted elsewhere:
"On the 21st, Lt. Jerry M. Roberts and Ralph E. Fisher (NS509) left Watton on a WR to Germany. They received a prior briefing to cover the Danish peninsula and northern Germany. The flight droned on performing weather observation duties, when suddenly and without warning, fiery red tracers encircled the Mosquito.
"Mustang" shouted Fisher, by which time Roberts had already cranked the control wheel, placing the Mossy in a left diving turn.
"Yellow-belly Mustang", Fisher again screamed to the pilot.
Roberts glance back attempting to locate the Mustang's position. As he tightened the turn, red tracers moved across from his left side, striking the port wing and engine. He then felt penetrating rounds hammer against the armor plate behind his seat as the Mustang's deflection shot bore home. Both left engine and wing burst into flames almost simultaneously as fire and smoke obscured the canopy. He flung the aircraft in the opposite direction for better visibility then feathered the port engine and shouted for Fisher to bailout.
Ralph sat slumped at the navigator's position. Roberts reached over and pulled his limp body to an erect position. Apparently the rounds struck the armor plate behind Roberts at an angle and fragments richocheted off. They tore loose Fisher's oxygen mask revealing a blood drenched face. He failed to respond to verbal or physical stimulation.
Upon releasing the control column, the Mosquito proceeded into a lazy left-hand spin resulting in flames and smoke again washing over the cockpit canopy making escape through the top hatch hazardous. But Fisher's body blocked clear access to the bottom hatch. Again Roberts pulled Fisher back but this time observed blood spurt from a neck wound--he was still alive but unconscious. Roberts quickly pulled up a scarf around Ralph's neck and covered the wound to prevent further blood loss. He then tore the plotting board from Fisher's lap. The Mosquito continued losing altitude as the swirling ground appeared ever nearer.
The spin aided movement towards the floor. Somehow Roberts retrieved a chest pack and snapped it on Fisher's harness, then managed to remove the inner floor cover and stomped on the bottom door until it flew off. It proved an arduous task struggling to lower Fisher's legs out the open hatch, then his hips, but the chest pack impeded further movement. Quickly Roberts yanked the pack's D-ring, placed his foot on Ralph's shoulder and forcefully shoved him through the hatchway. Positioning himself in the opening, Roberts struggled to squeeze through and safely exited the aircraft.
Almost instantly there was a jolting shock as the canopy deployed followed almost immediately by a second jarring encounter when the initial parachute swing slammed him to the ground. Then everything dimmed to a black-out. After slowly regaining consciousness, he was unable to move. With great difficulty he slowly managed to release the parachute harness, then lay there short of breath in physical agony.
The descent and crash was witness by local farmers who provided a make-shift litter and carried Roberts to a group of houses for help. They found Fisher still alive, but he soon died before receiving proper medical attention.
A Luftwaffe report states German fighters shot down the Mosquito at 1545 hours over Emkendorf, 10 km south of Lutjenburg, Germany. Roberts became a POW at 1600 hours and later transferred to Dulag-Luft, Oberursel near Frankfurt. He later returned to Watton after Germany surendered."
"Jerry Roberts died in 1994. His family gave me reference to one of his associates who provided me with the information he could recall from one of his discussions with Roberts. He said that Roberts was attacked by a "yellow-belly P-51".
According to the above information, I may have received incorrect information. It is quite possible the friend was mistaken in recalling the exact identity of the attacking aircraft. Since many 25th BG Mossies were attacked by Mustangs, I did not think his recollection on the identity of the attacking aircraft to be unusual or incorrect."
The reason I'm after some idea of the time of day is that if the Mustangs were underway in the morning, they will most likely have had nothing to do with the Mosquito's loss. As I say, neither I nor any of the German researchers I've been in touch with have any information about which German fighters it might have been - at this point Mustangs seem currently seem more likely.
Anyway, many thanks also for the literature references. I'm trying to help a German researcher sort out various things, will pass those references along to him.
