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Almost certainly an Australian mchine gunner on the ground, who fired at the Baron's low-flying plane. This seemed apparent from the angle of the wound, with the bullet traveling upward through the body from the entrance wound in his side. But the man credited with the victory at the time, and still the official victor, was Canadian pilot Captain Arthur "Roy" Brown. Brown was a flight leader and the Baron was behind and shooting up one of his inexperienced pilots, when Brown made a desperate dive and got off a single short burst as he skidded by and below the Baron. But the Baron flew on for another two minutes after Brown got off his quick burst, something unlikely to have been possible given the nature of the wound, and how quickly the Baron expired after crashing. No one wanted to believe a lowly, mud-caked, foot-slogging, ground-pounding enlisted man could bring the Baron low - except, of course, the guy who actually did the shooting. This was most likely Australian Sergeant Cedric Popkin, or Gunner W. J. "Snowy" Evans, or Gunner Robert Buie, both also Australians.
No one is really sure. It was decided that it was either: -Snowy Evans (Australian) -Roy Brown (Canadian) -Sgt. Popkin (?) The History Channel recently did an analysis of that question and concluded that it was the result of ground to air fire, not air to air combat., It is quite possible that he was shot down by an unknown rifleman from the ground.

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8y ago

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