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Miles R. Shipley
MILES R. SHIPLEY, born July 27, 1924, at Mt. Vernon, Ohio. He attended Ohio Wesleyan University in 1942 where he enlisted at 18 in the Air Corps as an aviation Cadet with the class of 44A. He graduated in Single Engine from Aloe Field, Victoria, Texas as a flight officer and took RTU at Abilene, Texas in Thunderbolts after having flown the P-40 Warhawk prior to graduation.
First combat was in Italy in September, 1944, with the 523 Squadron, 27th group of the 12th Air Force, flying P-47 Interdiction Missions in the Poe Valley and Brenner Pass. Near Christmas 1944 the group flew en masse to St. Diziek, France for the "big shove" on the Mosselle Pocket with the 12th Tactical Air Force. The 27th was the first to locate East of the Rhine River at Sandloffen, Germany.
By wars end Shipley was a group leader (as a 2nd Lt.) Having flown some eighty missions destroying trains, tanks, trucks, ammo depots and bridges with some sporadic combat with MEI09's, FW190's and ME262's. His most memorable missions were those in which he tangled with ME262's while escorting B26's to bomb airfields such as Lechfield near the Danube River deep in Germany. There were no confirmed kills.
Shilpey flew cover for both the Rhine and Danube River Crossings. At Remagen the orders were to fly until relieved or "belly in" if out of gas. He was one of the youngest P-4 7 pilots to complete a tour of duty in the ETO in WWII. He received the air medal with five OLC's and the DFC.
Released from active duty in November, 1945, he joined the Air Reserve and returned to complete a B.A. degree at
O.W.U. in 1949. He then became buyer and senior technical buyer at Cooper Energy Services (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) for thirty years, retiring at the end of 1979.
Among other projects he handled procurement of the major components for the Engine Generator sets for our Anti-Ballistic Missile program as well as the Rolls Royce Turbo Jet Engines for the Alaska Pipeline project. He was president of Cooper Energy Credit Union for several years.
Shipley retired from the Air Reserve as a Lt. Colonel in Procurement Mgt. in 1972. He married Martha Mills in 1945. They have one daughter, Carolyn, of Calabassas, California.
Hobbies include antique automobiles, fire. arms, and writing on automotive subjects related to energy conservation.
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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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