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p51 Pilots Biographies, Last Name Starting With "R"
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Pilot Name
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Biography Summary
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W. H. Readshaw
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I attended flight training in the Southeast
Training Command, graduated in the class of
43J, from Napier Field, Dothan, Alabama, and assigned as a fighter pilot whereas
my first flight in the P-47 was at Richmond,
Va., where I completed my transition in the
P-47 , assigned to gunnery school at Millville,
N.J., and left for overseas duty in February,
1944, and assigned to the 48th Fighter
Group, 494th Fighter Squadron, 9th Air
Force. I flew 83 missions, mostly dive bombing missions resulting the DFC and Air Medal with 14 clusters.
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Ralph R. Regnier
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Most memorable were: (1)flak removing
the upper portion of the rudder and stabilizer
and most of the supercharger area, (2)
groundlooping on A-13's wet steel mat with
armed live 500 pounders, (3) a belly-in, (4)
first drop of napalm, (5) vengeance destruction of flak towers which had just downed our recce P-51, (6) leading the strafing of the
Gutersloh Airport, (7) forecasting that
future war would involve jets, after turning
inside ME-163, and 262's.
Least forgetful: (1) burying GI's near
Rennes, (2) viewing the remains around a
previous days strafing, (3) weather during
the Ardennes, (4) destroying an FW-190.
Left active service Mar. 1946
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Paul Rizzo
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Major
Rizzo states, "the P47 was a solid, sturdy
airplane, easy to fly and performed good. She
gave a pilot a feeling of security. The P47
proved itself in World War II."
He taught Aviation Mechanics in New
York City serving 30 years. He flew a Grumman Widgeon to remote lakes in the Canadian Bush. At times he and his fishing party were
the first United States Americans some of the
Canadian natives had seen.
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James F. Roberts
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bomber
version of the P51A. Participated in N.
Africa, Sicily, and Italy campaigns flying
dive bombing, strafing, and close support
attacks on tanks, docks, and supply lines as
well as flying cover for Sicily and Italy
invasions. Completed 59 missions. He was
awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and
Air Medal with six clusters. Commissioned in
the field Sept., 1943.
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Edward F. Roddy
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He was credited with eight
confirmed enemy aircraft destroyed (airborne) and many more on the ground. Just
prior to the invasion of Luzon, he managed to
get airborne during a red alert at dawn with
one wingman (C. Andress). Although
delayed to provide base defense cover until
the assigned P38s were airborne, they headed
for Clark Field where they caught a row of
new Georges (4-bladed prop) refueling.
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Charles E. Rowe
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Transferred to 6th Ferry Group, 14th Ferry Squadron, Long Beach,California, May 1943. On first trip, delivered C-47 to Fairbanks, Alaska to Russians
complete with Jeep, Trailer and other equipment as cargo. Red Star was painted over White Star at Great Falls, Montana just prior
to flying it out of the states. Spent next year
flying P-51's from Inglewood, California to
Newark, N.J., and other destinations for
overseas deliveries. Also delivered P-47's
from Evansville, Indiana, C-47's from Douglas at Long Beach, California etc. to various points throughout the states.
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Martha Davis Rupley
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I bought a Piper SuperCruiser, learned to
fly, joined the Civil Air Patrol, and managed
to get into the local Civilian Pilot Training
Program, the only girl. After Nancy Love
formed the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying
Squadron (WAFS) in Wilmington, Del., Jacqueline Cochran, together with General
H.H. Arnold, planned the women's flight
training program. I applied, was accepted,
and reported to Houston in mid-December,
1942, for primary, basic, advanced, multi-engine, night, and instrument flying.
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