RAF Fighter Pilots Wounded/Injured Compared to US Pilots

[MIflyer]

Without having any data at hand, it seems to me that I have read of a great many more cases of RAF fighter pilots being wounded or injured in combat than I have read of US fighter pilots being wounded or injured in combat. By this I mean injuries that occurred in combat in flight and not injuries sustained as a result of the ground rising up to smite the aircraft.

About the only case of a US pilot being wounded in air combat that I can think of is when Robert S. Johnson ran that FW-190 out of ammo and still made it home.

Does this reflect US fighter aircraft being tougher than RAF fighter aircraft? Certainly the P-40, P-38, P-47, F4F. F4U, F6F and even the P-39 seemed to have greater reputation for toughness than the Hurricane or Spitfire. Or does it reflect that US pilots were more likely to be much further from home and thus less able to sustain wounds and still make it back?

 

[GrauGeist]

Here's a few:
Lt. Curdes, who was one of the few Aces to have shot down enemies from three Axis nations (Italian, German and Japanese), suffered injuries to his shoulder and back while in a dogfight against several Bf109s over Salerno.

Lt Alexander was wounded and his P-47 was crippled during a fight over Austria. He was captured five days later.

 

[SaparotRob]

Here's a few:
Lt. Curdes, who was one of the few Aces to have shot down enemies from three Axis nations (Italian, German and Japanese)...

Was this the same pilot who shot his future wife down and got an American flag on his kill tally?

 

[GrauGeist]

Was this the same pilot who shot his future wife down and got an American flag on his kill tally?

Yep, his official tally was (7) Bf109s, (1) M.C202, (1) KI-46 and (1) C-47.