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Gordon B. Compton
GORDON B. "G.B." COMPTON,
a Sunset Hi Dallas Texan graduated from
Lake Charles AFS, 9 October 1942, two days
past his 21st birthday. He was assigned to the
newly activated 351st Ftr Sq. 353rd Ftr Gp
until its deactivation three years later in
October 1945. The squadron was based at
Norfolk Municipal Airport and the 1935
vintage barracks of a CCC camp several miles
away, genuine mud holes. Waiting for P-40's
to fly, G.B.'s first job was field telephone
switchboard operator! He did well enough
that the one and only 1st Lt Walter Carl
Beckham made him his Asst Ops officer.
Compton got 91 hours of "pursuit" time at
Norfolk but in one 3-day period wrecked two
Warhawks without flying the day between.
Before the 351st moved to Millville, N.J. for
conversion to P-47's, Lt Robert L. Eccles
became its first fatality in a crash at Lake
Drummond, Va., 7 January 1943. Compton's first P-4 7 flight was 18 February 1943
from Millville. He got 130 hours there and
33 in England before his first combat mission
14 August 1943. Usually a wingman or
element leader, he had 130 operational
hours before his first aerial victory, a JU-88,
22 February 1944. This followed a strafing
attack on a German airfield during which the
351st Commander and leading 8th AF Ace,
Walter Beckham, caught flak, bailed out and
was captured. Six days later G.B's P-47
caught fire on approach for landing at his
home base. He walked away from the crash,
but while he was hospitalized the tour was
increased to 300 hours, i.e., when he
returned to combat 20 May, he had 158
hours to go rather than 58. C'est la guerre!
During the D-Day month Compton flew 87
operational hours, teamed with his Gp C.O.
Ace Glen Duncan to shoot down an Me-l09
on 7 June, and the next day destroyed an
FW-190. He completed his tour 2 August
1944. His last P-47 flight was 30 July 1945.
Thunderbolt time total: 612 hours. In a 2nd
tour flying P-5l's, G.B. destroyed another
FW-190 and 2 Me-262s to become an ace. He and his wife Frances, formerly
Mrs. Robert L. Eccles, were married in March 1946, have five children, four
Children, and reside near McConnell AFB, Kansas where he was base commander before retirement in 1969.
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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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