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Harold J. Ingley
HAROLD J.INGLEY, born March
30, 1918 near Dallas, Texas. Graduated
Lubbock, Texas High School spring 1937.
Attended Modesto, California Jr. College for
two semesters. Took written test for Pilot,
training before Pearl Harbor but flunked the
test. Entered Air Force in February 1942,
for ground duty. Graduated from Lincoln,
Neb. Aeronautical Institute as an airplane
and engine mechanic. Served in England
with the 303 Bomb Group, 8th Air Force.
Pvt. Ingley liked neither England, the weather or the rate of pay and felt he wasn't doing much toward winning the war, so he resubmitted his application for Aviation Cadets.
He passed the written and oral tests and was
shipped back to the U.S. where he was
assigned to class 44-B. Graduated with 44-B
after completing training in PT-13, BT-13,
AT-6, 20 hrs. in a P-40 and the required 80
or so in the P-51. Sent overseas to Italy and
Corsica, joined with the Jug Pilots of the
86th Fighter Bomber Group 526th Squadron, after 10 hrs. training in the P-47 , was in combat with the invasion of Southern
France. His combat career was cut very short
on his fourth combat mission when after
returning to near home base after dark, he
was forced to bailout due to a severe attack of
vertigo. His Chute malfunctioned, he hit in a
swamp like lake near his base like a ton of
bricks. Injured and semi-conscious, he was
rescued from the lake five hours later. After
two weeks hospitalization in the 15th Field
Hospital, and many tests he was found incapacitated for further Combat duty. After spending 2 months in Squadron S-2 he was
sent back to the U.S. and retired with a
disability in the line of duty, from Santa Ana,
California, in June 1945. After retirement
he worked in too many jobs to list.
He is presently living retired in Arnold,
California, Calaveras County, in the High
Sierras, with his wife Doris.
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Pilot Name
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Biography Summary
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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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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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W.B. 'Tex' Badger
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Eight and Ninth Air Force in WWII. B-l7's, P-51's and P-47's. Fifth Air Force in Korea, F80's and F86's. WWII and Korea, Flew 156 missions. Tactical units served in with the USAAF and USAF were: 305th BG , 368th Fighter Group, 4th Fighter Group, 49th Fighter Group, 12th Fighter Wing, 506th Fighter Wing.
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Robert T. (Bob) Bagby
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He trained in P47's at Cross City and Dale Mabry Fields, Florida and then joined the 341st FS Black Jack Squadron), 348th FG of the 5th AF in Brisbane, Australia in June 1943. Bob flew 78 combat missions in New Guinea (Port Moresby, Finchafen, Sador, Wakde and Biak) primarily as wingman to squadron CO's John Campbell and John Moore. Also privileged to fly wing to Neil Kirby on several occasions.
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Frank Baker
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After brief stops at Stone and Atcham, England he joined the 313th Fighter Squadron of the 50th Fighter Group in France. He flew 90 missions through V.E. Day. Most of the missions were close support attacks on various ground targets with a few B-26 escort missions thrown in. All of the missions took place in eastern France and southern Germany. He was awarded the Air Medal with 11 oak leaf clusters.
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John M. Balason
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To relieve the boredom, Balason went down on the deck and blew up a locomotive
he had observed at altitude. A few seconds after making his strafing pass he received a hit in his left wing tank and a fire started immediately in the cockpit. The paralyzing effect of the intense heat made climbing out of the cockpit impossible.
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Albert W. Barlow, Jr.
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He flew 69 escort and ground support missions. Destroyed one E/A (ME-I09). Was shot down on Sept. 8, 1944, and evaded enemy ground forces for 8 days. Was picked up by an American Recon. Unit behind the German lines. Was hospitalized until Feb. 1948, when he was medically retired with the rank of Capt. Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, and Purple Heart.
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William T. Beckler
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In July, 1944 Beckler exchanged his P-40 for a P-47N Thunderbolt. Missions in the Jug covered Northern Italy and Southern France. These included escorting medium bombers. The Bombers, based in Southern Italy, would be escorted to France by Thunderbolts based on Corsica. Shortly before target the Jugs would pull ahead of the bombers and bomb the enemy gun positions.
Beckler's activities while participation in three major campaigns earned him the DFC, two Air Medals and two Presidential citations.
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Herbert R. Benson
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After training in P-47 Thunderbolts at bases in North Carolina, Virginia, and Delaware, he was
assigned to the European Theatre of operations and joined the 48th Fighter Group
493rd Fighter Squadron at St. Trond, Belgium. After flying 44 combat missions, he was awarded the Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf clusters.
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Marvin C. Bigelow
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Training in the Southeast Training Command with the class of 44C, he graduated and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant single engine pilot at Marianna, Florida with the class of
44D. After checking out in the P-40 at Marianna, he transitioned in the P-47 in the Northeast Defense Command and after gunnery at Dover, Delaware was shipped on the Queen Mary to England.
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