Date

Location

Force

Aircraft

From-To

Crew

15-01-1943

Portela Airport - Lisbon

USAAF    350FG                                                                

Bell P-39L Aircobra       42-4495

Land's End (GB) → Port Lyautey (Marocco)

Lt.      Ralph William Sebring      USA

This was the first aircraft to land in the Lisbon airport that day and he arrived at 14.06 hours. The pilot explained that he had engine troube.

The pilot was interned in Elvas for some time nd after he was release he wnet to became part of 48 squadron, 14 Fighting Group, being shot down near Rome in January, 13, 1944. He became a POW for the rest of the war.

The aircraft will be part of the P-39 and P-400 fighters bought by Portugal for 20.000 dollars to integrate the OK Squadron from the Portuguese Aeronáutica Militar.

Resources:
* “Aviões da Cruz de Cristo” – Mário Canongia Lopes
* "Spitfires e Hurricanes em  Portugal - Mário Canongia Lopes.
* ARQUIVO ANA - Aeroportos de Portugal
* Site: "http://raf-112-squadron.org/index3.html"
* NARA - National Archives and Record Administration - Washington
* Robert Brown