Defecting Allied Pilots

I heard that there was a Czechoslovak pilot by the name of Augustin Preucil that went over to the Germans. He was in the pre-war Czech Air Force. After the German Occupation he tried to go to Poland. he was captured by the Gestapo and aggreed to spy for them. He "escaped" to Poland again with the help of the Gestapo.He became a member of the Czech Air Force in exile in Poland , France and then Great Britain. He became a member of 310 Squadron. As a member of the 55 OTU he defected with his Hurricane in 1941. The Polish pupil with him thought he crashed in the sea. He flew to Belgium. The Gestapo in Prauge got information from him on the Czech pilots in Great Britain. He was later executed as a traitor in 1947
Were there any other Allied pilots that defected to the other side?

 

Actually I believe there was an American pilot. I have read his story a long , long time ago. I remember his story was widely used by the Propaganda Staffel. So I figure that I could find something about on google. I will check if I find something about his story .

 

Are you referring to Second Lieutenant Martin James Monti ?

 

yes! That's the name. Thank you for reminding me. Apparently you have already read about him. Just in case you haven't, here is a link. It might also interest others.
Martin James Monti - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

So far I have heard of Monti. And I know that some Slovaks and Rumainians switched sides to the Soviets and the Italians to the Allies. Any other Allied pilots or aircrew go over to the Germans or Soviets? Also Did any Axis Planes or aircrew fly to nuetral countries to be interned? IIRC there was a MiG-3 that was flown by a Ukrainian defector to Melitopol airport in December 1941. It was eventually repossessed by the Soviets (by then Rumanian allies) in September, 1944. Not exactly defecting but there is also the story of Vladimir Krisko. He first served in the Czechoslovakian Air Force. Then flew in the Slovak Air Force serving on the Eastern Front against the Soviets.He then flew against the USAAF in Slovakia. In Aug 44 he joined the Anti-German Slovak National Uprising and flew against the Germans. After the collapse of the uprising he stayed in Slovakia and served with the partisans till the Soviets arrived. Post-war he served again in the Czechoslovakian Air Force. He was later removed because he had fought against the Soviets. At least two Rumanian pilots defected to the Germans after Rumania switched sides in 1944. On March 25, 1945, Aurelian Barbici and Virgil Angelescu flew their Bf 109s to the Luftwaffe base at Trentschin, encouraged by an appeal to defect from a German propaganda radio broadcast. Barbici retuned to Rumania after the war, claiming that he had been shot down and taken prisoner.

 

Thanks for the link . I think I should have titled this thread just Defecting Pilots LOL.

 

I have the details of a Ju88 Nightfighter somewhere in my files. It defected to Switserland. I will have to look it up, unless Erich finds it before I do.

 

Picture of Monti and his P-38 in Italian cammo here:
MUNDO HISTORIA - Martin Monti, el desertor americano en la guerra - Segunda Guerra Mundial personajes - foros.miarroba.com

 

Speaking of the JU-88 LOL. In one of the museums here in the US is a JU 88 from which a Romanian pilot, after a IIRC a huge "Disagreement" with a German commander of an airfield in Ukraine wound up in Cyprus. He originally wanted to go in Egypt but he wasn't allowed to take any maps with him in a "test flight". British fighters, seeing that he was alone and not German didn't shoot him down and escorted him to their airfield.

 

I know EXACTLY which Ju-88 you're speaking of! It's sits at Wright-Patterson Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. I remember seeing it many years ago (mid 1980s) in it's original Romanian colors.

 

Thanks! I couldn't remember where it was LOL.

 

I haven't found the one in Switserland yet but I came accross this one:

Ju 88-G6 code B4+SA having orders to evacuate wounded from Kurland defected to Sweden instead on May 8th 1945.

 

Another defecting Ju 88 pilot was Oberleutnant Herbert Schmid from 10./NJG 3 stationed at Aalborg West in Denmark. The date was the 9th of May 1943. The aircraft, a Ju 88R-1 number D5+EV, is now in the RAF Museum in Hendon.

His radar operator, Oberfeldwebel Paul Rosenberger, was in on the defection plan. His FE, Fw Georg Kantwill, was not, but did not have any choice in the matter. A preplanned defection, the aircraft landed at Dyce escorted by several Spitfires who protected it against attack by other squadrons who had not informed.

http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/types/germany/junkers/ju_88/junkers-1x.jpg
Ju 88R-1 D5+EV of IV/NJG 3 after restoration at RAF St Athan.

 

Here is the Rumanian Ju 88 on display at the National Museum of the USAF in Dayton, Ohio, as seen a few years ago.

 

I know that there were many US aircraft that were interned in Switzerland and Sweden. What about any other aircraft from other countries? Allied or Axis.

 

I found something more in one of Griehl's books about the JU88 interend in Switserland.

It was aJU-88 G-6 (so the date must have been from mid 44 until the end of the war) . It took off from Lübeck but flew directly to Zürich.

 

There were also aircraft interned in Spain and perhaps Portugal. Not sure of the numbers.

 

Yes, but those interned mostly landed in neutral countries because they had no choice (forcelanded , crashed etc.. out of fuel ) not because they defected.

 

True. But some were thought to have done so intentionally to get out of the war. You hear of all the US aircraft but none really of any others. So did any other countries aircraft and crews do the same thing? Axis or Allied.

 

I have examples of French pilots who defected to Gibraltar to evade capture in June 1940. Others defected the Vichy airforce later and joined the Free French in North Africa. If you are interested I can find names and details for you.