LUBBOCK,TX– In 1944, then 22-year-old Charlie Screws was flying over Nazi controlled France when his plane was shot down. 71 years later, a piece of his downed P-47 Thunderbolt showed up on his doorstep as it made it’s way to the air museum outside Lubbock.
“It’s part of aviation history,” Museum Director Malcolm Laing tells KLBK-TV. “Tying things back together.”
Laing along with historian Michael Fuller, were able to track the serial number on the plane tail and managed to put the piece and pilot back in touch last week.
“He (Fuller) said ‘Well I found this P-47 tail and the pilot was in Texas and alive a couple years ago.’ I said ‘Oh? who was it?’ and he answered ‘A guy by the name of Charlie Screws.’ I said ‘I know Charlie. Known him for 30 years!'”
Laing had met Screws through the museum and mutual pilot friends years before and said he was floored by the connection.
“I called Charlie up immediately,” He said. “I told him we had this tail-fin on on it’s way and he answered ‘You better hurry up. I’m 93!'”
The plane had been lost in a field in France after Screws was forced to make a crash-landing in Nazi territory.
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