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Alvin McCorkle
ALVIN McCORKLE, III, born Aug.4, 1923, Charleston, WV. Attended local
schools, Hampden Sydney College, Lehigh
University and graduated Georgia Tech. College interrupted for service.
Graduated flying school, Eagle Pass, Texas, 44-C. Overseas training Tallahassee, Fla.
in P-40s. Joined 314th Sqd.,324th Gp. in
Corsica. Flew cover in So. France invasion.
Moved into France and flew close support up
the Rhine River and into Germany.
Dec. 26, 1944 on my 26th mission 8 of us
were fire bombing near Stuttgart, Germany.
The first 4 of us had bombed and were back at
12 thousand feet covering our buddies when
12 Me 109s jumped us. On the first pass they
shot down the element leader and his wing
man. One bailed out and the other spun out
on fire. On the second pass they hit me with
3-20mms. One hit where the wing fared into
the cockpit about 1 foot from me, one hit the
engine and one hit the right wheel well
starting a fire and forcing the aileron on the
right wing about 1/2 way up. This threw me
into a spin. I spun and recovered three times,
finally pulling out about 3 thousand ft. I
finally got it flying and headed for France. It
wouldn't fly unless I kept it over 230 mph.
The wing continued to burn opening up an
increasing larger hole. The aluminum was
running back along the wing in small drops
and falling off of the trailing edge of the wing.
When I crossed the Rhine into friendly
territory I was vectored into a small spitfire
scramble strip. I probably should have bailed
out but it meant going thru the fire in the
right wing so I decided to "belly in" I
jettisoned the canopy and with wheels up I
put it on the end of the strip going 250mph.
It was going too fast to stay down and as it got I
back into the air it rolled over on the right
wing. The wing tip hit and it cartwheeled
over 3 parked spitfires and hit on the other
wing tip. It bounced and .leveled off about 50
ft. up. I pushed the nose down and on impact
everything in front of the fire wall left us,
bouncing over a road and into a gully. I slid
sideways for about 100 yds. taking down that I
much fence at the other end of the field. A
group of pilots watching, later narrated to me
what had happened, it happened too fast for
me to know.
I spent two days in a field hospital and was
back flying. I flew a total of 89 missions and
was shot down one other time. I took an
88mm through the left wing that exploded
about 50 feet above me. I'm probably one of
the few fighter pilots with 2 purple hearts. I
also was awarded the air medal with eleven
clusters.
When I was discharged, I finished my
education and went into the building construction business with my father. I flew jugs
in the National Guard for a few years, but
haven't flown since 1953. If I had been in
anything but a 47 in combat I honestly don't
think I'd be here to tell about it. Love that airplane.
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Pilot Name
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Biography Summary
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John Abbotts
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P-47 transition followed at Pocatello, Idaho and Greenville, Texas after which he was assigned to the 56th Fighter Group in England. When the news of his arrival reached Berlin, Hitler retired to his bunker with his cyanide capsule and revolver. Eva found the news equally depressing.
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Asa A. Adair
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He returned to the States in August of 1944 after participating in the invasion "D" Day. He flew P-63's, P-51's, F-80's, T-33's, F-84's, T-38's, P-47's in numerous assignments during the following twenty years in in, Japan, U.S.A. and Europe before retiring after twenty-six years of Active Duty.
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Edward B. Addison
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The 507th Fighter Group, equipped with P-47N's, won the Presidential Unit Citation for destroying 32 Japanese aircraft in the air on one mission to Seoul, Korea. The average flying time for raids to Korea and Japan would be 7 to 9 hours flying time. In a total of 31 months, the 507th not only provided top cover for B-29's, but also
dive-bombed, napalm-bombed and flew low-level on strafing missions.
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Levon B. Agha-Zarian
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It is rumored that he, took his primary training on a flying rug. He flew Spits, briefly, in England, but as the, war moved to the East, he was sent to India as a Sgt. Pilot and first saw action from Ceylon, flying the Curtiss P.36, the Brewster Buffalo, and the Hurricane. At this point he might have opted for the rug! This was at the time of the fall of Singapore and the sinking of the Prince of Wales and the Repulse.
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George N. Ahles
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Posted to A-20 light bomber squadron Barksdale Field, Louisiana. . Group moved to Hunter Air Base Savannah, Georgia. Qualified for Pilot training November 1940. Entered Aviation Cadets January 1942. Presented wings November 1942 class of 42-J. Married Mary Louise while in Advanced Pilot Training at Craig AFB, Selma, Alabama, September 1942.
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Roy J. Aldritt
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Shortly after the group moved to France he ran into some unseen flak and was forced to make a nylon descent behind the lines; some evasion and a lot of luck had him back with his unit
in 24 hours.
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Eugene J. Amaral
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After graduation from Stonington High School he enlisted as an Aviation Cadet in December 1942 and was called to active duty in March, 1943. He received his wings and commission at Spence Field, Georgia as a member of the Class of 43-C.
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Talmadge L. Ambrose
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Flew 84 missions thru VE Day, was downed by 22mm ground fire over Siefried Line. He destroyed 11 enemy aircraft, 9 known confirmed in air and on
ground, including 4 FW 190-D's in one afternoon over Hanover, Germany, April 8, 1945. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross,
Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, 17 man, Oak Leaf Clusters, Good Conduct Medal, Pacific Theatre and European Theatre Meda1s with 5 Battle
Stars and Unit Citation Medal.
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John C. Anderson
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After P-47 transition he was assigned to the 406th Fighter Group, 512th Fighter Squadron. (E.T
.0.) He flew 56 missions through January, 1945 destroying supply routes, bridges, and railroads; he also flew close support missions with the ground forces, with attacks on tanks, artillery and enemy positions.
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William Anderson
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It was not always flak,two ME-109's beat the hell out of me one day. The central controller called me and said "Basher-Red Leader do you have contact Bandits," I replied, "I sure do, I'll bring them over the field in 3 minutes, they're chasing me home." Got all the usual medals including two Belgium and two French but one I'm most proud of is the Silver Star -it is the greatest.
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