I started Acepilots.com in 1999. As of late 2012, it’s still going strong. It includes biographies of famous aces & aviators and descriptions of many great airplanes: American, German, British, Japanese, and Russian. I recommend it to anyone interested in those topics.
Over time, the site got too sprawling and unfocused, so I trimmed it back to its core content, and moved some secondary content here, notably some summaries of forum discussions, and a large number of profiles of older planes.
Help please. I am interested in an aircraft that was used in WW2. There was a show on the History Channel about this craft and how it was used to “skip” drop a bomb down a river, going over sub netting to hit the traget’ which was a dam.
(Like skipping a stone on a lake).This is a great story and I would like to find a copy of the film.
Thanks and if you haven,t seen this film, take the time
you haven’t read much, but the skip bombing was done in the Pacfic theater bombing the Japanese shipping. Read about the “JUNGLE AIRFORCE 13th air Force 390th Bomb Group, 42nd Bomb wing. You will learn a lot because there was a lot of different types of bombing.
Remember NOT all fighting was in Europe!
I think you are referring to the Dam buster squadron ,the bomb was designed by Barns Wallis who designed the Wellington bomber .skipping the bomb was the only way the bomb could get close enouph to the dam wall to destroy it .the squadron was 617based at RAF Scampton and the leader was guy Gibson .
THE MOVIE IS: “THE DAM BUSTER”. AN ENGLISH MOVIE ABOUT ENGLISH PILOTS WHO BOMBED THE DAMS IN NORWAY GENERATING ELECTRICITY
TO POWER THE “HEAVY WATER” NAZI PROJECT THAT COULD HAVE BUILT
THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB. IMAGINE HITLER WITH A NUCLEAR BOMB?! THE
1955 MOVIE IS IN B&W AND VERY GOOD. THE BOMBS WERE ROUND LIKE A BARREL AND HAD TO BE “SPUN FORWARD” IN THE PLANES SO THEY WOULD “SKIP” LIKE A FLAT STONE INTO THE DAM TO BURST IT. THE UK LANCASTER BOMBER, POWER BY 4 ROLLS-ROYCE MERLIN V12 ENGINES, WAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE BEST BOMBER, THAT CARRIED BY FAR THE HEAVIEST LOAD, IN THE WAR. IN THE MOVIE: RICHARD TODD, MICHAEL REDGRAVE AND ROBERT SHAW DIRECTED BY MIKE ANDERSON. (*****)
I stumbled across a Fred Glover who was an Ace F-51 fighter pilot in the ETO in WWII. He had 22.8 kills, under his name, but I don’t see any other references to him. Those kills may have been mainly on the ground and they maybe didn’t count them. He was killed in a civilian aircraft accident in the late 60’s. I will see if he is related to me on Ancestry, as my Son who works for Boeing, would also like to know. If you could shed some light on this I would appreciate it. I am approaching 86 trips around the Sun atm and am not in a hurry.
Thanks in advance,
Dennis R Glover
Great film. They were modified Avro Lancaster Mk IIIs of 617 Sqn. The movie was called “The Dambusters,” and should be readily available from Amazon, Netflix, etc.
Stephene.
Thank you for your research of American Aviation greats.
If I may.. new topic aviation.records.
I hope this is not rude..I could not find your e mail for private conversation.
My Uncle, Col. Walter K Burgess,
set a wind drift parachute jump record of 28 miles.
Post WW1-Pre WW2. I have a great picture of him standing in the grass after the jump. with his Colvex.sp suit on.
Wish I could find the particulars. he was in Ripley’s Belive It or Not .. for a few years.
Is there a military source that is accessable?
Marc Burgess Lange,
Felts Field.
Spokane, WA.
class8trucks@aol.com
I recently saw the movie “The Hunters”, which was about jet pilots during the Korean War, and each time they went into combat the leader told the group to “drop tanks”. Do you know to which tanks they were referring?
Thanks.
Extra fuel tanks, mounted on the wings. They were designed to be dropped when empty.
I just discovered your site. its really terrific.
I have been working on get in touch with the families of my fathers b17 crew. It has been a moving, enlightening experience so far. One thing that occurred to me, however: As brave as our fathers were flying american heavies, imagine being the pilot of an obviously obsolete H111 over Britain against Spitfires. These guys had to have incredible nerve to do that , but I have never heard their story. Is there any compilation of the experiences of german pilots? I’ve read the accounts of Stuka and fighter pilots, but not bomber pilots.
Regards, Tony
I don’t know of any books about He111 pilots. Sorry.
Hello, I have been looking at your sight doing research on some old photos that I have mainly an 8″ x 6″ of an SE 5 Squadron. You can see about 15 planes and 40 pilots. I plan on selling the photos they are from a pilot named named Austin W. Young I think from New York his father was a famous hat maker. He was at Hooten Park Cheshire Major F.M. Ballard on the paperwork. I would like to share the photo with you if you would like. Best regards, Matt Rubarts
Sir, I have an old Westwood house trailer which, when we acquired it, was told that the manufacturer was a war plane manufacturer during
WWII and when the war ended, he had tons of material and had no
client…so, he went into the travel trailer business. The trailer is a 1948
beauty with bird’s eye maple lining for walls, cabinetry and closets…
it really does look like an I Love Lucy episode! Can you tell me if this
is just tin can lore, or is it a fact? Of course, we enjoy telling the story,
but I hope you can confirm this camp fire tale… Thank you for any
information you may have.
–Connie
I don’t know about the westwood, but the Spartan Aircraft company entered the mobile home business in the postwar period, and made some beautiful all aluminum trailers up until the mid fifties or early sixties,so the concept is feasible, at least. I am unaware of any aircraft companies named westwood, though.
jp
I came across your discussion of “aces” in which you question (among other things) the validity of Russian claims in the Korean War. I quote specifically:
” “6 January 1952 – two victories: the F-84E of Donald Grey (KIA) and the F-86E of Lester Page (MIA).” Sutyagin was credited with 2 F-86’s this day, no F-84’s. Grey was lost to AAA. (Source K). 9 F-86’s were credited to Soviet pilots this day, 8 including Sutyagin’s in the morning engagement where Page was lost.”
I knew Donal Grey. He lived up the street from me (in Pottstown PA). He was considerably older than I. Because of the age difference, we did not socialize. At the time he was called up, I was 16. He knew that I loved planes and flew models. The night before his departure, he saw me on the street. He told me about his departure for Korea and he offered his model planes to me (retained from his earlier years), which I accepted. I went to his house to pick them up. I vividly recall his trunk in the corner with his pilot helmet on top and flight jacket. That was the last time that I saw him.
We never got a clear story on how he died. We had heard that on returning from a mission, he had crashed into a mountain. It was stated that apparently he had been injured by AA and that he had apparently passed out or died, and then crashed. Your account (and a check of source K) confirmed that.
Donald was quite a guy. I have often thought about him. In the early days of Google, I had searched for him but found nothing, so I gave up. On the recent anniversary of the war, I tried again – with success! Thanks for your help in finally resolving his for me. A sad loss of a fine guy, one among many. Putting pilots in F84s bordered on criminal – but that was a measure of the sad state of our military, only 5 years after being the mightiest nation on Earth.
Joe Prospero
Operation Linebacker II began on December 18, 1972 through December 30, 1972. It did not begin as you stated just after Christmas.
While reading your biography of Cecil Harris, it was stated in the text that he was not promoted to commander. However, in the photograph, he is wearing the braided bridge cover of a commander. Did WWII era O-4 wear such a cover?
I have some historical facts about my father’s Marine flying squadron of WWII in the Pacific. Would like to share them with you and / or post them on your site. How do I go about that??
Harry
Write it up and send it to me. Here’s a bio/squadron history that I did:
http://acepilots.com/pto/35th-fighter.html
Something like that would be fine. Photos are good, but not necessary.
I have a few very rare 16mm reels of film, filmed by the captain (1939 ?) of HMS Nelson going through the Panama Canal – pre war as it passes by a lot of German U Boats ………
Just saw a photo on your site of a plane that I own. It is a restored Curtis a14d that my father bought in 1934 from the factory. Log has a lot of famous pilots I have loaned to the virginia aviation. Museum it is worth going to see.
I have just bought a bell of H.M. MTB 700 Can you give me some information regarding this mtb? Thanks in advance.
With regard to your article about Major Edward “Mick” Mannock in Ace Pilots.com you may be interested to know that there is a commemorative plaque to him in Canterbury Cathedral. When I was an air cadet in the early 1950’s the local branch of the Royal Air Force Association always had an annual church parade to remember this man. I do not know why he is remembered in Canterbury.
Regards
Dr. Budd Wentz flew a B-17 and the name of his plane was “BEST BETTE”. We have many of his papers and photos, but could not find any photos of the plane showing the nose art. Bette, his wife is my wife’s aunt. Would there be any way to obtain such a photo??
Dr. Wentz’s story was featured on the History Channel a few years ago when his plane was rammed by a German fighter plane, a plan engineered by Goering that was put into action on April 7, 1945 out of sheer desperation to try to delay the inevitable bombings over Germany. Several B-17s were damaged that day but Budd and all his crew survived the hit and that incident later became a book written by the young German pilot who purposely rammed Budd’s plane., later picked up by the History Channel featuring Budd and also Claus Hahn, the pilot.
apologise for being late on this, I refer to the email from Tony Yorba last year about He 111s in the Battle of Britain. It was much more Me
262s who took the brunt of the RAF fighters. The262was in the wrong place at the wrong time and the Luftwaffe (Goring in particular) had to instruct the Me 109 pilots to stay with & protect the262s against enemy fighters, which in turn stopped the 109 from doing the job it was sent to do.In the end Hurricanes were directed to deal with the Me
262s, and the Spits tangled with the 109s. The loss rate for the262s and crews was not sustainable, and after the Battle climaxed in September, were switched to night bombing of English cities.There were no Me262s in the Battle of Britain. That twin-engined jet fighter didn’t enter service until 1944.
Ian, you are correct. I edited the previous comment, for what I think is the previous commenter’s mistake.
The Me-262 was First flight in April 18 1941 with piston engine
July 18 1942 with jet engines.It entered the Luftwaffle in 1944. It was only used for The Luftwaffle and the Czechoslovak Air Force and it retired in 1945 in germany and 1951 in czechoslovak
The original poster referred to the challenges faced by the pilots of the He111 converted bombers. I interpret all of the strikeout ME262 references (clearly mistakes and recognized by O.P. as such) as He111 references. Then the allocation of the ME109’s as escorts to the bombers makes sense, as does the assignment of Hurricanes to shoot them down as Spits take on the ME109’s.
My father-in-law flew Hellcats in WWII over the Pacific. He never would talk about it, or even admit to participating in the war. The only reason we know he actually saw fighting was that after he came home he suffered from what was called the “Pacific Crud,” a nasty rash that stayed with him for years. What I and his 6 children would like to know is how to find what carrier he was on and when and where he flew. We have been all over sites and there seems to be no record of him. We visited the USS Yorktown in Charleston, and spoke with Navy personnel there and they couldn’t help. Could you help with some ideas for research?
Thank you very much,
Linda Kohn
My grandfather fought in the Pacific in 1944 in October during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. He mostly fought in Okinawa onboard the USS Hornet CV-12. He was credit for sinking the Yamato on April 7th 1945. and he destroyed many kamikaze pilots. He retired in 1971. Hes a veteran of 3 wars including WW2,Korea,and Vietnam.
Thanks for your interest in WW2, I’m looking for help on a couple of matters, the first is info on my fathers uncle, his name is Clarence Corby Bixler he flew with the B-17 group the Hell’s Angles 303 GP. the 427 SQ. we loss him on Nov. 26 1943 on the Bremen mission. There plane was named Mr. Five By Five,I think they where hit by flak on the return. There story is in a book about the mission and it tells about there plane going down, but the plane and the crew where all lost but one, I think it was the navigator he was found three months later on a beach.The problem is Mike (that’s his nick name Smilin Mike) Mike was a Copilot and he was just filling in, this was his first mission, but he had been in Molesworth since April of 1943. I had an uncle back in the 1990’s that looked for info at reunions but had no luck. The only think one fella told my was mike would be pulled out of the barracks and briefed at night. The sad part is I have all of his fantastic letters but he leaves no clues. I also was told he worked with the British RAF developing radar and did training flights. The letters bring me to the other matter, His brother, Robert Bixler, this man lived a very secret life from what I can tell. The letters from Mike told my grandmother never ask Bob what he does for the military, then he explains he’s involved in top secret aircraft, that’s it, now you now as much as I do. Except a picture falls out of the letters, it’s a picture of a B-29 Flying Fortress in 1943, got me thinking the B-29 wasn’t made public to later I do believe? This lead to me meeting a gentlemen that take a wing section a round and has bomber crews sign it that still living. I just happen to get my hands on a bomb sight and the crate it came in and some artifacts at the same time this gentleman was going to be in town. I took the the artifacts down and met up with him and told him my story, he told me he thought Robert was a member of a group called the 505’s, he told me they where in charge of mounting the atomic bomb on the B-29. I told him I couldn’t find anything on him, he told me the government will tell me nothing about him, but he’s found people that would confirm the program. I know Bob was in Germany in 1952 working with Johnny Cash the county music star on braking Russian codes and doing radar development, he was in Burma and France at wars end. I have his letters to, if you like reading about fishing.Bob said nothing about his role in the service.The other family member I’m looking for info on is L Curtis ,he worked on the Manhattan project he’s out New York and worked I do believe under Albert Einstein. I don’t know his full name l something Curtis, he’s my mothers cousin. I would be very grateful if anybody out there knows anything to let me know. Thanks for listing. on a side note if you like history my history pretty intresting feel free to look up Simpkins,Hatfield and McCoy, we where in the middle of that mess. Look up Christian Bixler the third he’s a direct descendant of mine. He was a friend of William Penn founded of Pennsylvania personal brought my family here from Switzerland to help settle Pennsylvania, Christian went on to fight in the revolutionary war survived it and bought a building from William Penns’ son and started up a jewelry business and called it Bixler’s Jewelers. It’s the oldest jewelry business in America opened in late 1700’s. Thanks Tony
Anthony Simpkins, I think i can tell you some more details about Clarence Corby Bixler who was indeed the 2nd pilot on the B-17 42-29955 “Mr. Five by Five”. Please contact me on rene_bosma21@hotmail.com
Kind regards, René
While in Sicily during 1959-1961 at Sigonella I flew radioman on a “Gooney Bird” or C-47..WW2 workhorse plane…..flew it all over the Med and North Africa….
Your bio on Kit Carson should have a mention of his wartime autobiography “Pursue and Destroy” (Sentry Books, 1978), which contains good technical information on the P-51. I worked with Kit in Advanced Design at Lockheed in Burbank. He was a quiet and affable guy, and I only found out about his war-time exploits through a third-party at Lockheed.
I just read the names of the WWII Navy aces, and I did not see my uncle’s name–Lloyd Glenn “Barney Barnard”. He flew a Hellcat and was in the Great Turkey Shoot over the Marianna’s. Please check into this for me. Thank you, M.A. McCrary
Mr. Sherman,
Regarding the photo from the PTO of the eight-gun airplane with the “Tokyo Traveler” nose art, that’s not an A-26 Invader, but an eight-gun B-25J Mitchell. The armor plating under the cockpit, and the unique nose gear door, are giveaways. The Mitchell bomber was used throughout the Pacific during WWII, in several versions, with the eight-gun strafer the ultimate version used at the end of the war. Thought you might like to know in order to correct the caption.
Hello mr. Sherman,
I’m Franco from Italy. First off a great Thanks!! for your work about WW2 Aviation facts, and especially that very interesting summary/ statistics of the WW2 Navy planes’ victories. It’s much time I was looking for anything similar.
Just I’m not able in finding the link you posted there (seems to have definitely removed) so some small details are not very clear to me – thank you if you can shed some light on them.
Your work has benefited from Tables 5 and 24, as you say, please what really does mean ‘estimated’? Perhaps have you some data (not all) obtained from others expressed at the time as mere percentage of victories, if compared to air-to-air losses? or something like that?
Time ago I tried to have a good idea of the air combat in the P.T.O. both for Navy and AAF fighter planes, and the most interesting topics were pilots’ reports themselves; as an example, I read USMC Ken Walsh’s report of his early days at Guadalcanal with VMF-124 and his very first kill on April 1st, 1943.
He doesn’t say his victory also was the very first kill as for the Corsair airplane, neither I did find anything about that. In your table no kills do appear for February and March 1943, so I figured out it COULD be odd that Corsairs didn’t have any kills from February 14th (the first combat) to March 31st , a 45-day period.
Please can you make it clearer to me? Thanks very much!!
Franco.
Mr. Sherman
I am a 10th grade student currently enrolled in a Modern World History Class.
We are currently doing a World War 1 project in class, and I am asking permission to use some paragraphs from your article “Legendary Aviators and Aircraft of World War One” from acepilots.com. The way you wrote that article is the exact way I would of wrote it on my essay that is part of the project and I am afraid that my teacher will mark my essay for plagiarism. I will cite your website in my bibliography. Please let me know by monday december 21st because the project is due tuesday december 22nd. Thanks for understanding. Katy Tennent
Hello Stephen, I read your article on Hughes, Very interesting. If you are interested I have the original contracts signed by Hughes 3/31/1954 for the purchase of RKO including “bill of sale” the loan from Irving trust for $36,000,000.00 stipulating its use for 23.7 million for The purchase of RKO and balance to pay previous loans. The 1955 agreement signed by Hughes to buy the rights to the films jet pilot and the conqueror. 1957 signed loan for his new company film investments with many letters from RKO pointing out Hughes never delivered jet pilot as per the 1955 contract. 1952 signed loan for the purchase of 4 constellation aircraft for TWA and that’s just to name a few. Many cosigned by Noah Dietrich and Nadine Henley and are ucompanied by letters and reports to from and about Hughes and his financial status. If your interested in anything or just interested in taking a look feel free to let me know.
Artie
Not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but there is a rather great museum in Fredericksburg, TX Called “The National Museum of the Pacific War”. Admiral Chester Nimitz was born in Fredericksburg and the museum is there to honor those who fought under his command in the Pacific region….may be worth a look. if you haven’t already done so…thanks for your postings…
I agree, the museum in question was well worth the visit. I went during a tour at Fort Hood in 2014 and keep the ticket in my wallet as a reminder of how great it was. If you love this sort of museum, like me, plan on 4 hours.
Stephen, I was reading your list of WW II Aces and noted one missing, that I knew personally and sat with for three days during the 2007 Gathering of Mustangs and Legends. His name is Capt. John A. Kirla, with the 362nd Fighter Squadron, 357 Fighter Group. He shot down 11.5 planes and his P-51 #414625 and was named “Spook”. He was awarded both the Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross. He passed away in October 2011.
A few medals I missed in my last email regarding John Kirla.
Air Metal with 12 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the European African Middle Eastern Campaign Metal with 6 Battle Stars.
Ebay doesn t allow the sales of the medals you mentioned unless outside of the US.
HI
just read the article on HMS Dragon and its summer cruise in 1937. I am trying to find out where the ship was after it sailed in August 1935 to the American and West Indies Station from the UK and about February 1936 when I have evidence of its movements again. I am particuarly interested in the ships location in November 1935 when my Cousin – once removed Wilfred , was in very hot water…
Nov 1st Wilfred remained on leave 26 hours 55 minutes overdue from 07:00 1st November to 09:55 am 2nd November
Nov 20th Wilfred remained on leave 190 hours overdue (8 days) from 07:00 20th Nov to 05:00 am 28th November a repeated and aggravated offence arriving just 5 minutes before the ship sailed.
Any information would be helpful.
Sorry, I have nothing on this.
hello –
how do I contact you directly? I have some questions and some information on an f4U pilot in VMF212 thats not listed. He was USMC and in the South Pacific.
Thank you
Hi !! Like your work !!
I have a few pictures from my Dad, a F6F pilot who flew with Lt. Eugene A. Valencia and others.
Let me know if you are interested.
Steve Reiner
Hi. I read your “Cagliari, Sardinia Travels of US Navy Sailors in WW2” and I found it very very interesting. May I know where you found these testimonials? Do you have other stories about the arrival of the Americans in Cagliari and of the first period of the town reorganization and support for social and physical reconstruction?
These Americans were actors and witness of a delicate phase of the war, as the passage (let’s call it …) from the Germans to the Anglo-Americans as allies and the transition from the fascism to the democracy. Thanks and sorry for my “Mediterranean English”…
Stephen –
Excellent research. Thank you for sharing.
If you ever add beyond World War II, please start with Royce Williams (Elmer Royce Williams). Royce had 4 kills in a 7-against-1 MIG-versus-Grumman jet fighter air battle during the Korean Conflict/War. Those seven MIGs – piloted by Russians – were superior at air combat than Royce’s Grumman fighter. Those same Grumman fighters were also flown over Korea by astronauts John Glenn & Neil Armstrong and baseball legend Ted Williams.
Royce had connections going back to WW II’s ace Joe Foss (both originating in eastern South Dakota).
Hello Sir
I was reading your writings on Pete Fernandez. If I understand correctly you had been in touch with some of his family members some years ago. I would like to know if you have any information about them. If you can share that I would appreciate it very much.
Many thanks, Mike
Sorry, I do not have that information any more.
You stated you had heard from one of the daughters of Pete Fernandez . She was going to send you items but never did. I have the info you need and best to call please send a phone number I can reach you at
I own a copy of the May 1940 issue of Liberty Magazine, the cover page of which features a wonderful color painting of Raymond Collishaw in full fly fishing regalia. I believe this is a quite rare item, and I am looking for a “resting place” for this item, that is worthy of Mr. Collishaw’s accomplishments. Looking for suggestions.
I would more be happy to share a picture of the magazine, to start a discussion.
Thank you.
I have a question on the F2G “Super Corsair”. It appears that the A/C uses the standard tail wheel assembly, minus the tail hook. My question is, the main gear assembly. Is it the standard F4 design or were they changed because of the heavier weight of the big P&W engine installed?
I just read your plane description of the BF109F3, where you show that it was armed with 2 15mm MG151 and a 20mm FF cannon. I can find no such armament listed in any BF109F history showing that type of combination. I have been building and studying the BF109 sense I was a kid. The first model of the BF109 to change the cowling armament from 7.9mm mg. to 13mm mg was the BF109G5, where the gun blocks created bulges in the cowling. The BF109F3 had 2 7.9mm mg17 guns in the cowling along with a 20mm FF cannon firing thru. the prop hub. If you can show me where it is documented, I would like to see it.
Please help me, My father was a documented Squadron Leader and Ace, his name is incorrectly spelled, causing Wikipedia conflicts and a dedicated wiki page about his Career. It’s Albert E. Hacking JR. Not Albert C Hacking, I edited Wikipedia correcting this, but felt WWII aces needed fixing, if you require any other information, I’m happy to help. I’ve got pictures from VMF-221 where he flew the 1st F4U-F and F4U- FN Corsair, as well as being a test pilot for Charles Lindbergh in his early days. My father died on 1.11.86, I’m just trying to support his sacrifice, and I really appreciate your understanding.
Thankyou as a fellow Photographer, and journalist.
Hi Michael. I am a retired US Marine. I’m writing my dissertation on VMF-221. I would be grateful for the opportunity to talk to you about your father’s service with the squadron. Yu can reach me at pfowen0302 at gmail.com.
Just now came across your excellent article on Japanese WW II aircraft. I got there via searching for the diff’s between Oscar and Zero and ended up learning so much more. Thanks for that.
p.s. I found a typo: One female too many in, “The use of female names for Japanese bombers and female names for fighters was…”
Am referring to this: http://acepilots.com/planes/jap_fighters.html
“The pilots on this website fought to defend American democracy and freedom. Now, years after I built this site, I am dismayed to find that now WE must defend our democracy right now. Donald Trump poses the gravest internal threat to America since the Civil War. We must fight back at the ballot box, and elect Democrats.
Please donate to the DLCC, dedicated to electing Democrats in state legislatures.”
Just curious Stephen – did you post this recently?
Karen
LOL. Somewhat recently, certainly before Nov. 2020. I guess I should delete it.
I just ran across an obituary of a cousin: William L. Gerner.
DOB 10/15/1918; DOD 8/1/2000.
In the review of his life, he is described as
“one of the first naval aces on an aircraft carrier during WWII”,
and the recipient of over 10 DFCs, and numerous air medals.
I searched a list of aces, but did not find anything about him.
Do you have any records of his Navy experience ?
Thanks,
Ron Hanson
Hi,
While reading Robert S. Johnson biography published in http://acepilots.com/usaaf_rsj.html you wrote that Johnson was excused during the medical examination because he was too nervous to be a pilot.
In the next paragraph it reads: “Johnson began his military experience at Kelly Field in San Antonio, as a member of Class 42F.”
How is that after being rejected by medical reasons he suddenly was accepted for training at Kelly Filed, San Antonio?
In my opinion there is something weird or missing here. Well, after all, some of Johnson’s stories are really too bizarre to be true.
Regards.
Read this paragraph again. 🙂
In mid-1941, at age 21, he signed up for the Army Air Corps cadet program, and survived the excruciating indignities of the medical exam, unlike one poor fellow who was perspiring heavily. The Draconian doctor took one look at this sweaty candidate, and pronounced “You’re too nervous to be a good pilot. You’re excused. … Next!”
Hello Stephen. I am researching pilots who flew with my father in the Pacific WWII. I have a document of some detailed dog fights , etc. that my father and Lt David Rehm Jr. were involved in. They were both assigned to the Bunker Hill and the Bataan. Flying F6F’s. My fathers name was L. O (Pat ) Brown Jr. If you would like to know more about the info I have feel free to send me an email. My father was also a photographer. He took many pictures of his fellow pilot and officers. Unfortunately most of them are unnamed. It would be wonderful to share these photos with their family members should I be able to find them.
Major James McCudden – VC, DSO-bar, MC-bar, MM and Croix de Guerre
17 September, 2022
I am one of the moderators of the CEF Study Group Discussion Forum (900+ members) and also maintain and publish the “List of Recommended Great War Websites” for use by our membership. Your website has been included on our 220 page List. An update is planned on or about 11 November 2022. Please advise if you wish a free digital copy of the latest edition – you are part of a community of hundreds of Great War webmasters for the Great War. This product is free and available to you and distribution to your members.
The CEF Study Group forum was formed in 2004 and was generally based around some of the original “Canadian Pals” who first met on the Great War Forum discussion site based in Great Britain.
Our discussion forum can be accessed or linked with via the following URL link: http://cefresearch.ca/phpBB3/
New members are always welcome and current members range from neophytes to published authors with PhD’s. Consider linking websites and we will promote your research group on our discussion forum.
Contact me if you have any questions.
Regards
Dwight Mercer
Borden Battery – CEF Study Group Moderator
Regina, Canada (aka Dwight G Mercer)
hi.was the hosho the aircraft carrier that the japs used for their flights to pearl harbor ?