p51 Pilots Biographies, Last Name Starting With "B"
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Pilot Name Biography Summary
William T. Beckler 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.
Herbert R. Benson 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.
Marvin C. Bigelow 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.
Henry Smyth Bille 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.
Sidney J. Bowlin 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.
Leslie C. Boze 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.
Mark E. Bradley 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.
Henry William Brown 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.
Thomas H. Brown 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.
Howell L. Broxton 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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