19th March 1945 is noted in the Duxford Fighter Group’s History as being a day that would never be forgotten. On that day one of the most intense and successful air battles of WW2 was fought by Duxford’s 78th Fighter Group. Consequently detailed records and combat reports are preserved. 2nd Lt. W. E. Bourque was flying with Duxford’s 82nd fighter squadron.



The aerial battle of March 19 was the toughest and at the same time most successful the group has ever fought. It lasted for an hour, with waves of German fighters joining the battle until the group, numbering 46 Mustangs, was engaging a force almost three times its size. The fighting was so confused that when the three squadrons landed at Duxford they reported they had encountered the same group of Nazis, estimated at about 50. Later they compared notes and found the total number of enemy planes involved was around 125.



In the Osnabruck area at 1230 hours the 82nd Fighter Squadron engaged four Me 109’s. This was the beginning of the battle which engaged the entire group. There were roughly 45 Me 109’s in four gaggles at altitudes from 14,000 feet to 7,000 feet, and in addition at the beginning of the flight there were about 25 FW 190’s above a thin layer of cirrus which was at 14,000 feet. These came down and joined the battle some fifteen minutes after it started.





Combat Report 1230 hrs. 19th March 1945 2nd Lt W.E. Bourque 82nd FS (0559)

On March 19, 1945 I was flying Surtax White 2 on a fighter sweep to Berlin. Five minutes before we arrived in the Osnabruck area, White 3 & 4 aborted. Yellow 2 became White2 and I took over White 3. A few minutes later Surtax leader called out Bandits and we immediately started a fight. I stuck with Surtax leader until he got is first Me-109 then, with his permission, I broke off and started looking around. I spotted four Me-109s about 3,000 ft. above and at 11:00 to me. I started climbing from 8,000 ft. to intercept them. They sighted me and three broke away from me while the other dove down and made a head-on pass. As soon as we passed, I made a tight 180 degree turn and took out after him. In about a minute, I was in range and closing fast. I gave him a burst from extreme range but observed no hits. I then held off until I was quite close. He started to bank and I started to shoot. I observed strikes in the fuselage, left wing and in the empen[n]age. I blew his right tail completely off and he immediately went into a spin. The pilot bailed out. I claim one Me-109 destroyed.

2nd Lt. W.E. Bourque 0-2059215 82nd FS