Mr. Sykes wreck was salvaged with the intent of someday restoring it to flying condition. That is the reason it was recovered. I'm sure you are aware that P-51's are not easy to come by, wrecked or otherwise.
I initially came here to find out if Mr. Sykes was still alive to find out if he had any pictures or could help with the colors. I have since learned that he has passed away, but learned the name of his aircraft.
I'm afraid I can't help with any more local history, although the owner does have a MACR. Mr. Sykes did shot down a 109 (or maybe his wingman got the one that got Mr. Sykes) before he crashed.
Red,
there are still a lot of question marks about the loss of W.J. Sykes:
About his a/c: you wrote that his a/c was salvaged, which is very uncommon. The normal procedure with allied wrecks until late february 1945 (US-troops arrived here between 26. and 27. march 1945) was: they were fragmented and sent to special scrap yards to recycle the basic materials for the German industry.
Further you wrote that W.J Sykes made a belly landing; AFAIK the remains of his a/c were found in the woods with signs of massive destruction.
Maybe the content of this e-mail about this subject is interesting for you:
"...according to Steve Gotts' Little Friends - 361st Fighter Group, Sykes bailed out near Oberwies.
William Adams' Fighter Losses of the Mighty Eighth also states the plane crashed near Nassau, and cites MACR 11173."
As my buddy told me, Sykes' widow mentioned a bailout of her husband, too. But I'm going to ask the local eyewitnesses again, maybe I'll find some further informations in this way.
Further, I've ordered the regarding MACR and the Mission Report of this day. But both documents are often not very precise (not to say very imprecise)
regarding the losses without attached German documents. Differences of 50 to 300 miles are common! So every further information about any salvation of mentioned a/c is very welcome.
