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Pilot Name
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Biography Summary
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Henry Smyth Bille
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WWII FIGHTER ACE!
Hank Bille joined Army Reserves in November 1941, trained as tank gunner, re-assigned as pilot trainees and graduated from Aloe Field, Texas as Second Lieutenant February, 1943. He joined the 357FS/355th FG just before the 355th sailed for England in July.
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Sidney J. Bowlin
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First assignment was 327 Ftr Gp (P-47) for RTU; later to Matagorda Island gunnery school and thence to Norfolk as IP for P-47 gunnery training. Next assigned to 9 AF, 371 Ftr Gp, 405 Sqdn (P-47). Flew 56 combat missions through V.E Day from France and Germany and was awarded Air Medal w / 4 OLC's.
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Leslie C. Boze
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Assigned 365th Sqdn., 358th Group, "Orange Tails," in England. Flew 193 missions in "Jugs"
from D.Day to early 1945 in France and
Germany on close support ground targets for
9th A.F. and 12th TAC. Lost five T-Bolts to
ground fire. Had two bailouts and the unusual experience of deadsticking a "Jug" with frozen engine and prop from 10,000 feet to
a wheels-down (happy) landing.
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Mark E. Bradley
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First served with 1st Pursuit Group, Selfridge
Field, Michigan and with 18th Group in Hawaii. 1937 Went to Wright Field to attend Air Corps Engineering School, graduating 1938. After year as test pilot in Flight Test Section, became Project Officer - P-40 airplane program,
Which began production in 1939.
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Henry William Brown
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WWII FIGHTER ACE!
Joined USA Reserves December 1941, graduated from Flight School at Spence Field, GA as a Flight Officer in March 1943. Joined the 354FS/355th FG at Steeple Morden, England in November, 1943 and promoted to Lieutenant in January, 1944.
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Thomas H. Brown
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He started flying missions on "D" Day covering the beach landings and close support dive bombing and strafing missions. On his 56th mission he was
hit by ground fire through the main fuel tank
flooding the cockpit with flaming fuel.
An immediate bailout ensued with the good old
Jug exploding and raining flaming debris all
around during the parachute ride down.
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Howell L. Broxton
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Flew P-47's while assigned to 359th Squadron, 356th Fighter Group, Eighth Air Force, during
WW II. Credited with four P-47's destroyed. Shot
down on 54th mission near Niijmegan, Holland
on 17 September 1944. Evaded capture
and linked up with elements of U.S. 82nd
Airborne Division.
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James Frederick Bultman
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Graduated from East High School
in June 1942. Enlisted April 1943 and
graduated from flying school at Spence
Field, Moultrie, Georgia, class of 44F.
Flew P-47 at Camp Springs, Maryland
(now Andrews AFB) with gunnery at Millville,
New Jersey. Joined the 413th Fighter
Squadron, 414th Fighter Group at Selfridge
AFB, Michigan. Completed training at
Bluethenthal AFB, Wilmington,North Carolina
and Sent overseas in June 1945.
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Joel Catron
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I checked out in Aloe's only P-47B - was
impressed by the quietness and solid feeling
of this big machine. I was attacked by P-40's
at 10,000 feet. The P-47 was no match in
slow speed turns. The P-40's ate me up- I
rolled over in a high speed dive and left my
P-40 adversaries far behind. I then climbed
and dove on the P-40's at high speed and
found their turning ability didn't mean much
as I flashed by.
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James R. Chapman
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Chapman was assigned to the 351st Bomb Group, 508th Bomb Squadron where he flew 10 missions
over Germany and was escorted several times
by P47's which held the ME262's at bay.
Chapman's B-17 was struck by enemy anti-
aircraft several times and on one occasion
had to drop out of formation and return
alone, but all crew members finished their
missions without injury.
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