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P47 Pilots Biographies, Last Name Starting With "K"
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Pilot Name
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Biography Summary
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William E. Kepner
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During the First World
War he commanded a company at Chateau-Thierny. Commanded a battalion and was
engaged in most of the battles where Americans were involved. He remained in the military and acquired a thorough knowledge of
airships. He commanded airship schools in
Langley, Va. and at Scott Field, III. He flew
in four National and International air races.
While in command of the 9th Bombardment
Sqdn. at March Field, CA he completed flying school as an Army Air Corps pilot in
1932. In 1934, he served as pilot and commander of the stratosphere flight "Explorer I" attaining an altitude of 61,000 ft. before
the balloon ripped open, and he had to parachute from a minimum altitidue of 300 ft.
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Edwin D. Kettrick
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Ed had an early start in the service enlisting in the Texas National Guard at the age of
16, as a cook. He was discharged in 1940
when the National Guard was Federalized.
Upon graduating high school, he enlisted in
the Army Air Force June 3, 1941 and was
stationed at Kelly Air Base, San Antonio,
Texas where he became an aircraft mechanic.
Transferring to Mission Air Base when it was
in its infancy, he became a squadron clerk
before enlisting as an aviation cadet. Ed went
back to S.A.A.C. at Kelly Field, primary
training at Pine Bluff,Arkansas, basic at
Coffeyville, Kansas and back to Mission for
advanced and graduating Class 43-J.
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Earl Lehman Kielgass
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Class 43-K pilot training (Williams AAB, Chandler, Arizona). P-47 RTU at Dover, Delaware. Joined 9th Air Force and
368th Ftr.Gp. at A-3 on Normandy Beach. Stayed with 396th Fighter Squadron (Thunderbums) till end of European war with bases at A-3,
Chartres, Laon Athies, Chievre (Belgium),
Rheims, Metz, Frankfurt AM, and Nuremburg. Spent some time flying P-51's with
Arizona National Guard. Recalled as regular
in 1947 with First Fighter Wing March
Field, California. Flew out of Frankfurt on
the Berlin Airlift in 1949 then spent several
years in Air Training Command training
pilots (T-6, T-28, T-33, B-25 etc.)
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Ike K. Killingsworth
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Civilian Pilot Training (CPT)- 1942; Aloe Army Base, Victoria, Texas,
class 43-H Commissioned 2nd Lt. - August
of 1943 (AT-6 and P-40), Joined 404th
Fighter Squadron, 371st Fighter Group,
Richmond, Virginia and Camp Springs,
Maryland (Andrews AFB) - October 1943.
ETO with 371st January 1944. One year
flying 100 combat missions in the P-47
Thunderbolt (9th AF and 19 TAF)
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Captain Everett G. King
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Captain Everett G. KING.
411th Squadron of the 373th group of the 9th Army Air Force shot down on mission by the Luftwaffe near Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines.
1920-1944.
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Frank N. King
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After
combat, transferred to 27th Air Transport
Group, Belfast, Ireland. Flew new aircraft to
combat bases, including P-47, P-51, P-38,
B-26, A-26, B-24, B-17, and C-47. Flew
troops and cargo in ETO. Flew spotter cub to
Paris. from Scotland. Toured Paris prior to
troops entering. Returned to States October 1,1944. Assigned P-47 combat instructor at
Richmond, Va.
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Claiborne Holmes Kinnard
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WWII FIGHTER ACE!
Clay Kinnard graduated with a BSCE at Vanderbilt University and joined the USAAF before WWII. He graduated from flight school in August, 1939 and served with various squadrons until going to war with the 356th FG in August, 1943. He transferred to 354FS/355FG as Squadron CO in November 1943, but was off ops with a severe ear infection until February, 1944.
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Jean Kisling
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Back in France, Jean KISLING has been
in the French Air Force until June 1946. He
joined AIR FRANCE in 1947 and has been
instructor Airline Transport Pilot from
1955 to 1964. In 1980 he is still flying for
AIR FRANCE as B-747 Captain. He spent
summer vacation in Alaska flying amphibian
LAKE BUCCANEER on water.
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Peter W. Klaassen
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He graduated with Class 44A at Eagle Pass, Texas and after fighter transition training was assigned to the
78th Fighter Group, 83rd Sqdn. at Duxford
England, flying a total of 355 combat hours
in P-47's and P-51 's.
Returning to the United States after the
war, he worked at reactivating the 127th
Fighter Interceptor Group, Michigan Air
National Guard, becoming that unit's first
Post-War Commander. He continued engineering studies and flew with the Air Guard
until 1960, at which time he became a
manufacturing engineer with Teer-Wickwire
& Company, a large automotive parts manufacturer in Jackson, Michigan.
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Ralph F. Kling
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Ralph went to England and was with the
first replacements to the 388th Fighter
Squadron, of the 365th Fighter Group in
May, 1944. He flew 68 missions, all ground
support and reconnaissance except 4 as radio
relay and/or escort. He earned 12 Air Medals and destroyed one ME109. Kling was shot
down on a "recon" mission in Luxemborg
when his gas line was severed by ground fire
during a strafing pass.
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