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Lightning - Aircraft Profile - Lockheed : Lightning

Lightning

Manufacturer : Lockheed
Number Built :
Production Began :
Retired :
Type :

Designed by Kelly Johnson the P38 made its maiden flight on the 27th January 1939 and introduced into service in 1941. they cost $134,284 at the time each and a total of 10,037 were built. The Lockheed P-38 was introduced as a inceptor fighter but soon proved a valuable long range bomber escort for the 8thUS Air Force's B-17 and-24 bombers as they bombed targets further into Germany.

Lightning


Latest Lightning Artwork Releases !
 Born in 1919, Joe Forster enlisted in the Army in 1940 and was commissioned as a pilot in 1943, flying the P-38 Lightning with 432nd Fighter Squadron. On 3rd April 1944, he was credited with his first 3 confirmed victories, eventually finishing the war with 9 confirmed victories, three probables and one damaged.  He is shown here in his P-38 Lightning <i>Florida Cracker</i> of the 432nd Fighter Sqn.

Tribute to P-38 Lightning Ace Captain Joe Forster by Ivan Berryman.
 It was during the inter-war period that a reawakening interest in twin engined fighter design prompted several countries to investigate a number of revolutionary concepts, of these only Lockheed's sleek and unconventional P.38 was to be put into large scale production, proving to be a versatile and dominant fighter possessed of extremely long range, good speed and manoeuverability and a formidable armament. When production ceased in 1945, 9,923 examples of the P38 Lightning had been delivered.

Fork Tailed Devil (Lightning) by Ivan Berryman. (PC)
 The highest scoring US pilot of the Second World War, Richard Bong, is depicted in his personal P.38J <i>Marge</i>, claiming just one of his 40 confirmed victories. Insisting that he was not the greatest of marksmen, it was Bongs habit to manoeuvre to impossibly close distances before opening fire on his opponents. His eventual total may well have been greater than 40, as a further 8 probables could be attributed to him, together with 7 damaged. He was killed whilst testing a P.80 jet for the USAF in August 1945.

Richard Bong by Ivan Berryman. (PC)
 With 12 victories to his credit, William Sloan was the highest scoring pilot of the 96th FS/82nd FG and is shown here in his P.38 Snooks IV ½, a reference to the fact that this aircraft was made up of so many cannibalised parts from other P.38s.

Lt William J Dixie Sloan by Ivan Berryman. (PC)

Lightning Artwork Collection



Lightning Strike by Robert Taylor.

Mission Accomplished by Roy Grinnell.


Fork Tailed Devil (Lightning) by Ivan Berryman.


Lt William J Dixie Sloan by Ivan Berryman.


Clipped Signature - Hub Zemke.


Clipped Signature - Robin Olds.


Clipped Signature - Frank D Hurlbut.


Clipped Signature - William D Mitchell.


Clipped Signature - Jack Ilfrey.


Clipped Signature - Perry J Dahl.


Clipped Signature - Joseph Forster.


Clipped Signature - Thomas Oxford.


Clipped Signature - Arthur Jeffrey.


Clipped Signature - Travis Hoover.


Tactical Support by Richard Taylor.


Richard Bong by Ivan Berryman.


Lightning Encounter by Nicolas Trudgian.


Bogeys Eleven O Clock High by Robert Taylor


Hostile Sky by Robert Taylor


Coming In Over the Estuary by Robert Taylor.


Wide Horizons by Robert Taylor.


Winter of 44 by Philip West.


Pacific Glory by Nicolas Trudgian.


Thunderbolts and Lightnings by Nicolas Trudgian.


P-38 Lightning by Nicolas Trudgian.


Dawn Chorus by Nicolas Trudgian. (B)


Tribute to P-38 Lightning Ace Captain Joe Forster by Ivan Berryman.

Lockheed P-38 Lightning by Michael OLeary.


Messerschmitt Country by Nicolas Trudgian

P-38 Lightning Aces of the Pacific and CBI.

P-38 Lightning Aces of the ETO/MTO.


Doolittles D-Day, 6th June 1944 by Robert Taylor.


A Pair of Aces by Stan Stokes.


Moonlighting by Stan Stokes.

Lightning by Stan Stokes.


Yamamoto's Last Flight by Stan Stokes.


Lightning Strikes 7 Times by Stan Stokes.

Top Aces for : Lightning
A list of all Aces from our database who are known to have flown this aircraft. A profile page is available by clicking the pilots name.
NameVictoriesInfo
Richard I Bong40.00
Thomas B McGuire Jr38.00
Charles H MacDonald27.00
Gerald R Johnson22.00
Jay T Robbins22.00
Robert B Westbrook20.00
Thomas J Lynch20.00
Hubert Zemke17.75The signature of Hubert Zemke features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
Bill Harris16.00The signature of Bill Harris features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
George S Welch16.00
Cyril F Homer15.00
Edward Cragg15.00
Arthur F Jeffrey14.00The signature of Arthur F Jeffrey features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
Daniel T Roberts Jr14.00
Robin Olds13.00The signature of Robin Olds features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
Cotesworth B Head Jr12.00
James Albert Watkins12.00
Kenneth G Ladd12.00
Richard L West12.00
William J Sloan12.00The signature of William J Sloan features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
Cornelius M Smith Jr11.00
Francis J Lent11.00
John Simon Loisel11.00The signature of John Simon Loisel features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
Kenneth C Sparks11.00
Murray Shubin Jr11.00
Elliott Summer10.00
Paul M Stanch10.00
Robert Wayne Aschenbrener10.00
William K Giroux10.00
Allen E Hill9.00
Frank D Hurlbut9.00The signature of Frank D Hurlbut features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
Fredric F Champlin9.00
Joel B Paris III9.00
Joseph M Forster9.00
Meryl M Smith9.00
Perry J Dahl9.00The signature of Perry J Dahl features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
Fernley H Damstrom8.00
Frederick A Harris8.00
Jack M Ilfrey8.00The signature of Jack M Ilfrey features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
John G ONeill8.00
John L Jones8.00
Kenneth F Hart8.00
Maxwell H Glenn8.00
Thomas Edward Maloney8.00The signature of Thomas Edward Maloney features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
Walter F Duke8.00
Burnell W Adams7.00
Calvin C Wire7.00
Jack A Fisk7.00
John E Purdy7.00
John S Dunaway7.00
Richard E Smith7.00
Verl E Jett7.00
Vincent T Elliott7.00
Warren R Lewis7.00
Zach W Dean7.00
Arthur E Wenige6.00
Billy M Gresham6.00
Charles S Gallup6.00
Edward J Czarnecki6.00
Edwin L Degraffenreid6.00
Hampton E Boggs6.00
Henry H Meigs6.00
Hoyt Arnold Eason6.00
James C Ince6.00
John C Smith6.00
John H Lane6.00
John Pietz Jr6.00
Joseph T McKeon6.00
Laurence E Blumer6.00The signature of Laurence E Blumer features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
Lee O Gregg6.00
Paul C Murphey Jr6.00
Paul W Lucas6.00
Ralph H Wandrey6.00
Stanley O Andrews6.00
Thomas H Walker6.00
Wallace R Jordan6.00
William C Moseley6.00
William B King5.50The signature of William B King features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
Burdette Goodrich5.50
Aaron L Bearden5.00
Besby F Holmes5.00The signature of Besby F Holmes features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
Charles P Sullivan5.00
Charles W King5.00
Cheatham W Gupton5.00
Curran L Jones5.00
Darrell G Welch5.00The signature of Darrell G Welch features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
Ernest J Ambort5.00
Franklin H Monk5.00
Frederick E Dick5.00
George T Chandler5.00
Gerald A Brown5.00The signature of Gerald A Brown features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
Grover D Gholson5.00
Harry Winston Brown5.00
Henry L Ii Condon5.00
Jack C Mankin5.00
Jennings L Meyers5.00
John A Tilley5.00
Keith Mahon5.00
Kenneth R Pool5.00
Lowell C Lutton5.00
Marion C Felts5.00
Marion F Kirby5.00
Milden E Mathre5.00
Nelson D Flack Jr5.00
Nial K Castle5.00
Paul V Morriss5.00
Rex T Barber5.00The signature of Rex T Barber features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
Richard Charles Suehr5.00
Robert C Milliken5.00The signature of Robert C Milliken features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
Robert H Adams5.00
Thomas G Lanphier5.00
Truman Sheldon Barnes5.00
Vivian A Cloud5.00
Warren D Curton5.00
Willard J Webb5.00
William H Allen5.00The signature of William H Allen features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
Charles Ray5.00
Robert Schultz5.00
Harry Sealey4.50

Lightning
Squadron details



332nd Fighter Group
Country : US


332nd Fighter Group



55th Fighter Group
Country : US


55th Fighter Group



Lightning
Pilot and aircrew signature details




Major Bill Allen
Our estimated value of this signature : £25

Major Bill Allen

Commissioned in November 1943, Bill Allen was posted to England, joining the 55th Fighter Group based at Wormingford, on May 15th 1944. Posted into the 343rd Fighter Squadron the following day, Bill flew his first combat mission on 14th June 1944. He flew both P38 Lightnings and P51 Mustangs through his tour, becoming an Ace in one day on 5th September 1944, when he shot down 5 German aircraft whilst flying his P51 'Pretty Patty II'.


Lt Colonel Roger J Ames
Our estimated value of this signature : £60
Died : 2000

Lt Colonel Roger J Ames

Roger Ames joined the USAAF for pilot training on 24th April 1941 and was assigned to the 12th Fighter Squadron. He first saw combat in December of the following year, and logged a total of 67 hours of combat flying in P39s and P38s. Selected for the Yamamoto mission, he flew in Mitchells top cover group, sweeping the sky above Bougainville at 18000 feet. He served in the South Pacific, Solomons, and Canal Zone during WWII. He died in 2000.




Colonel Rex Barber
Our estimated value of this signature : £35
Died : 2001

Colonel Rex Barber

Rex Theodore Barber was born in Culver, Oregon on May 6, 1917. Barber was accepted at Oregon State University and graduated from that University in 1940. In September of that year Barber enlisted in the Army Air Corps, and served as a private first class, prior to being accepted for flight training in March of 1941. Following graduation with Class 41-H from Mather Field in California in October of 1941, now Lt. Rex Barber was assigned to the 70th Fighter Squadron of the 35th Fighter Group. He arrived in the Fiji Islands with his new unit in January of 1942. Barber's only victory in 1942 was on December 28, 1942 when he downed a twin-engine Japanese 'Nell.' Early in 1943 the 70th Fighter Squadron was integrated into the 339th Fighter Group, and converted to the Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter. The P-38 was an ideal aircraft given the long distances involved in combat in the Pacific. In April Rex got credit for downing two Zekes near Cape Esperance. On April 18, 1943 Rex participated in one of the most interesting missions of the War, the interception and destruction of the Betty bomber carrying Admiral lsoruko Yamamoto, the Commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet, and mastermind of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The mission was commanded by Major John Mitchell. While a total of sixteen aircraft were involved, only four were to actually attack the Betty. With Yamamoto noted for his punctuality, and American code-breakers having deciphered his intinerary, Mitchell's flight had a fighting chance of pulling off the mission. Yamamoto's flight arrived on schedule. There were two Betty bombers and only four escorting fighters. Barber, Lt. Frank Holmes and Captain Tom Lamphier got in the heat of the action. Barber got hits on both the Bettys and also bagged a Zeke. The Army Air Force decided after the mission to give equal credit to both Lamphier and Barber for downing the Betty which Yamamoto was a passenger in. Years later Tom Lamphier lobbied hard for getting sole credit for the Yamamoto victory. The Air Force's official investigation concluded that a shared victory was still appropriate. More recent evidence, including testimony from one of the Japanese Zero pilots and a survivor from one of the Bettys which was downed, were supportive of the thesis that Rex Barber should get full credit. A book published by noted aviation historian and author Carroll Glines favors this conclusion, and a recent review panel of the American Fighter Aces Association concluded that Rex Barber deserves the sole credit for downing Yamamoto's Betty. This unfortunate controversy tarnishes the fact that this mission was the longest successful interception of its kind, and all those who participated in all aspects of it deserve credit. Barber served a second combat tour in the Pacific with the 449th Fighter Squadron in China. Following the War, Rex commanded the 29th Fighter Squadron of the 412th Fighter Group. Later he would command one of the Air Force's early jet squadrons flying the P-59A Airacomet and the P-80. Rex retired from the Air Force in 1961. His numerous decorations include the Navy Cross, the Silver Star with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Purple Heart, the Air Medal, and the Air Force Commendation Medal. In January 1945, he returned to duty with 412th Fighter Group, 29th Fighter Squadron, testing the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star. He flew jet fighters in the Korean War and retired as a Colonel after a full Air Force career. By the end of WWII, Barber had five confirmed aerial victories and three probables. Awarded the Navy Cross, Silver Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal and Veteran of foreign Wars Gold Medal of Merit, he died peacefully in his home on July 26, 2001.



Colonel Gerald Brown
Our estimated value of this signature : £50
Died : 2007

Colonel Gerald Brown

Gerald Brown arrived in Europe in August 1943, completing his first tour with the 38th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group, becoming the first P38 Ace in the 8th Air Force. Volunteering for a second tour, this time flying P-51 Mustangs with the 334th FS, 4th Fighter Group at Debden. In September 1944 he was forced to bail out of his burning P-51 over enemy territory, but escaped to return to his squadron, and completed his second tour in November 1944. Gerry Brown later flew in Korea, but was shot down, spending three years in captivity. Sadly, he passed away on 9th December 2007.



Colonel Hubert M. Childress
Our estimated value of this signature : £45

Colonel Hubert M. Childress

Hubert Childress was posted to England, joining the 27th Photo Recon Squadron, 7th Photographic Group flying the F5 - a specially adapted photo-recon version of the P38 with cameras and no guns. Hubert flew his first combat mission on New Year's Eve 1943, and was heavily involved in many reconnaissance missions prior to D-Day. He also flew the Spitfire MkIXs on several operations. He flew 58 combat missions and later commanded the 7th Photographic Group (R)



Lieutenant Colonel Walter M Drake
Our estimated value of this signature : £10

Lieutenant Colonel Walter M Drake

Entering the Air Force in March 1942, he joined the 479th Fighter Group at Wattisham in May 1944 equipped with P-38s. Flying alongside Robin Olds in the 434th Fighter Squadron, his first combat sortie was on 2nd June just in time for the D-Day missions. He later scored an aerial victory over an Me109 and completed a total of 68 combat missions. Converting to P-51s in September he destroyed three aircraft on the ground during the Group's epic raid on the Luftwaffe airfield at Nancy-Essey led by Hub Zemke.


Captain Delton Goerke
Our estimated value of this signature : £40
Died : 1999

Captain Delton Goerke

Almost two years to the day after joining the USAAF, Delton Goerke found himself selected to take part in the Yamamoto Mission. He had three combat tours to Guadalcanal with 339th Pursuit Squadron and saw action also in the Solomon Islands. He flew P39 and P38 fighters and completed a total of 78 combat missions. On the Yamamoto Missions he was part of Mitchells top cover flight. He died 23rd March 1999.




Lt Colonel Frank D Hurlbut
Our estimated value of this signature : £35

Lt Colonel Frank D Hurlbut

Frank Hurlbut joined the National Guard in early 1940 before being activated following the Japanese Attack at Pearl Harbor. He was posted to the 82nd Fighter Group, 96th FS flying P38s in Europe. He became a P38 Ace on 10th July 1943 during a notable fighter sweep in which his Group was credited with 10 kills. Frank Hurlbut flew over 50 combat missions and scored nine confirmed victories, all in Europe, making him the second highest Ace in the 12th Air Force. In Italy, in the summer of 1944, where he flew P38s with the 96th FS. Attacking targets of opportunity and strafing trains, the squadron escorted the heavy bombers that attacked aircraft. We have learned (2017) that Frank Hurlbut has died.




Colonel Jack M Ilfrey
Our estimated value of this signature : £60
Died : 2004

Colonel Jack M Ilfrey

Posted to North Africa with the 94th Fighter Group, Jack Ilfrey lost a belly tank transiting from England and force-landed at Lisbon. He avoided internment by conning some fuel and making an unauthorised take-off. He became one of the early P-38 Aces, and historians now say the very first P-38 Ace. Back in England in 1944 he commanded the 79th P-38 Squadron, 20th Fighter Group, at Kingscliffe, and ended his tow-tour war with 8 victories. Sadly, Jack Ilfrey died on 15th October 2004.


Major Julius Jack Jacobson
Our estimated value of this signature : £45
Died : 2005

Major Julius Jack Jacobson

Jack Jacobson joined the Service in March 1941, and flew his first combat missions in October 1942. Jack Jacobson was John Mitchells regular wingman, and flew in that position on the Yamamoto Mission. Flying P39s and later P38s he saw action at Guadalcanal and in the Solomons, flying a total of 111 combat missions. After leaving the Service in 1946 he rejoined to serve two years in the Korean conflict. Cracking the Japanese naval code, U.S. intelligence discovered the travel plans of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, architect of the Pearl Harbor attack. On April 18, 1943, sixteen Army Air Force P-38 fighters took off to intercept his aircraft. Flying at altitudes of 50 feet or less over 400 miles of open ocean while maintaining radio silence, they arrived at precisely the right moment - a phenomenal feat of navigation. Sixty-two years later, exactly which pilot shot down Yamamoto's aircraft in the ensuing turmoil of aerial combat remains a controversy. 'Jack' Jacobson, flew as wingman to mission leader Major John W. Mitchell. Jack Jacobson passed away on 8th April 2005.




Colonel Arthur Jeffrey
Our estimated value of this signature : £70
Died : 2015

Colonel Arthur Jeffrey

Colonel Arthur Jeffrey was born in Brewer, Arkansas on the 17th of November, 1919. Arthur Jeffrey enlisted in the Army on August 18th, 1939, and two years later in September, he entered aviation cadet training and graduated at Kelly Field, Texas in April of 1942. Jeffrey was assigned to the newly-formed 479th Fighter Group flying P-38s, and after a training period, his group was sent to England to become a part of the 8th Air Force. The year was 1944, and eleven days after arrival, the group began flying operational missions. Arthur Jeffrey became the top-scoring P-38 Ace with the 479th Fighter Group, and later became the Groups leading scorer after they converted to P-51s. Jeffrey was a captain in the 434th Fighter Squadron, and scored his first aerial victory over a Fw-200K heavy bomber downed over the Chateaubernard Airdrome near Cognac in July. Jeffrey went on to command the 434th Fighter Group. Arthur had the distinction of being the first pilot to shoot down the Luftwaffes jet-rocket aircraft - the Me163. He flew 82 combat missions and was credited with 14 aerial victories. Arthur Jeffrey ended his tour as a lieutenant colonel in command of the 434th Fighter Squadron, with a list of combat awards including the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Air Medal with 16 Oak Leaf Clusters. Arthur Jeffrey remained in the Air Force after the war and retired from the Air Force in September, 1968. Arthur Jeffrey died on 18th April 2015 aged 95.



William King
Our estimated value of this signature : £35

William King

P51 pilot who flew during the D-Day landings. Serving with the 355th Fighter Squadron, he scored 5.5 victories, including 3 Fw190s in a single day.


Lt Colonel Louis R Kittel
Our estimated value of this signature : £35

Lt Colonel Louis R Kittel

Lou Kittel joined the Service in 1939, seeing his first combat in March 1943 in the Pacific. He pioneered night-fighting techniques useing the P38, loitering at high altitude and pouncing on enemy aircraft caught in the searchlights. On one occasion he flamed two Bettys over Guadalcanal in a spectacular interception watched by half the islands population, returning to a heroes welcome. Lou Kittel flew 78 combat missions and recorded 4 air victories and 1 probable.


Major Thomas E Maloney
Our estimated value of this signature : £45
Died : 2008

Major Thomas E Maloney

Maj. Thomas E. Maloney, the highest scoring ace in 27th Fighter Squadron history with 8 victories. By scoring five kills during the war, he became an ace May 31, 1944, and by August 15th he had racked-up eight air victories. On August 19th he was already on his second combat mission of the day, his 64th, and last. After the dive-bombing, Maloney's flight looked for targets of opportunity. Repeatedly strafing a German train, Maloney's bullets caused secondary explosions sending debris and rolling stock higher into the air than his attacking aircraft. One of his engines was hit. It started losing oil pressure and he shut it off. With an escort of three other 27th fighters he headed for the Mediterranean Sea. His other engine began failing, and he was down to 800 feet above the water, too low to bail out. He bellylanded the aircraft in the water. Maloney said his P-38 floated like a crowbar. It started to sink immediately, even before it had stopped moving forward, almost taking him to the bottom. The tall pilot squeezed into his inner tube-size dinghy and waved to his circling flight to let them know he was OK. He expected a quick rescue, but he actually spent 10 days evading enemy forces until rescued by French soldiers and returned to the U.S. As Major Maloney recovered from his wounds in the hospital, Col. R.S. Richard, 1st Pursuit Group commander, decreed that any 27th Fighter Squadron aircraft bearing the number 23 would permanently be known as Maloney's Pony, the colorful moniker Major Maloney chose for his P-38. After rehabilitation Maloney was medically retired as a major in October 1947. He went back to school, then went on to become president of his own oil and gas drilling company. On December 5th 2008 Maloney was inducted into the Oklahoma Aviation and Space Hall of Fame. Tom Maloney passed away on November 16th, 2008.



Colonel Charles McGee
Our estimated value of this signature : £45
Died : 2022

Colonel Charles McGee

Charles McGee graduated from flight school and shipped out to Italy in December 1943 as a flight Lieutenant in the 302nd fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group. He flew missions in North Africa, Italy and Germany, and got his first victory on 24th August flying escort in the Ploesti oil field raid. After the war this outstanding flyer commanded fighter squadrons throughout the United States, Italy, the Philippines and Germany, logging up more than 6,100 hours in 409 combat missions spanning World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Serving in the armed forces for 30 years he holds the record of flying more combat missions than any other USAF pilot in history. Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1919, Charles MeGee, who was to become a Command Aviator who would fly combat missions in three different military conflicts, spent his childhood in Ohio, Illinois, and Iowa. Following two years attending the University of Illinois, WW 11 began, and McGee was sworn into the US Army enlisted reserves on October 26, 1942. He was accepted for pilot training in November and entered the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Training Program. McGee earned his wings and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in June 1943, as a member of Class 43-F at Tuskegee Army Air Field. He was assigned along with many of the other black pilots who had earned their wings at Tuskegee to the 332 nd Fighter Group in Italy. With the 302nd Fighter Squadron McGee trained in the P-40 and would later fly more than 82 tactical missions in the P-39. His fighter group was then transferred into the Fifteenth Air Force and he first flew the P-47 and several weeks later the P-51 Mustang. In this duty, along with other 'Tuskegee Airmen,' McGee performed admirably surmounting many of the unfortunate hurdles placed in their path. The Tuskegee Ainnen became known for their superlative effort at protecting allied bombers from attacking German fighters. McGee is credited with downing one Fw- 190, and the destruction or damage of many others on the ground. He became a flight leader, was promoted to Captain, and after flying 54 more combat missions, returned to Alabama as a twin engine flight instructor. In 1950 McGee flew 100 more combat missions with the 67th Fighter Bomber Squadron of the 18th Fighter Group. He was then made Commander of the 44th Bomber Squadron flying out of Clark Field in the Philippines. Later he would serve with an F-89 Interceptor Squadron, and following a number of interesting operational and staff assignments he would serve as Commander of the 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron deployed in Vietnam. In his year in Vietnam, McGee would fly another 173 missions. Later assignments included Air Liason Officer for USAEUR and 7th Army, Chief of Maintenance for the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, Director of Maintenance Engineering for AF Communication Service, and Commander of Richards-Gebaur AFB, and the 1840 Air Base Wing. He retired from the USAF in 1973 with 6,300 flying hours, including 1,100 hours flown on fighter combat missions. Col. McGee earned a BA Degree in Business Administration and worked for many years in the real estate business with ISC Financial Corporation. He also served as Director of Administration forthe city of Prairie Village, Kanasas, and as Manager of the downtown Kansas City Airport. Now fully retired Charles lives with his wife, the former Frances Nelson of Champaign, Illinois. The McGees have three children, ten grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. His numerous decorations include the Legion of Merit with one cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross with two clusters, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal with 25 clusters, the Army Commendation Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal with one cluster, a Presidential Unit Citation, and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, to name only a few. He died 16th January 2022.




Brigadier General Robin Olds
Our estimated value of this signature : £55
Died : 2007

Brigadier General Robin Olds

After leaving West Point in June 1943, Robin Olds was posted to the 479th Fighter Group in England, joining 434 Squadron. Based at Wattisham in East Anglia, and flying P-38s, he was involved in heavy bomber escort duties and fighter sweeps until the Normandy invasion, soon after which his Squadron converted to P51 Mustangs. by early 1945 Robin Olds was in command of 434 Squadron taking part in the Battle of the Bulge, flying escort missions, and providing air support to the airborne attack across the Rhine. At the end of World War II Robin Olds had 24.5 victories, of which 13 were in the air. Later in Vietnam Robin Olds gained four more victories, flying F4 Phantoms and flew with the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing. Sadly, Robin Olds passed away on 14th June 2007.



First Lieutenant Richard Ostronik
Our estimated value of this signature : £35

First Lieutenant Richard Ostronik

Joining the service at the end of 1942, Dick Ostronik was posted to the 82nd Fighter Group in Italy, in the summer of 1944, where he flew P38s with the 96th FS. Attacking targets of opportunity and strafing trains, the squadron escorted the heavy bombers that attacked aircraft factories and industrial targets, and flew defending photo reconnaissance missions - once against a pair of Me262s. Dick flew over 30 combat missions, finishing his stint in Europe in May 1945.



First Lieutenant Mel Roasvig
Our estimated value of this signature : £40

First Lieutenant Mel Roasvig

Already in the Reserves, Mel Roasvig was activated for full service in August 1941, and was posted overseas to join the 97th Fighter Squadron, 82nd Fighter Group, by then operating in Italy. Flying the P38 Lightning in its main role of bomber escort, he also took part in dive bombing operations in Czechoslovakia, and hitting targets of opportunity, including strafing an ammunition train which exploded, the debris seriously damaging his aircraft.



Jay Robbins
Our estimated value of this signature : £45
Died : 2001

Jay Robbins

Lt. General Jay Robbins who flew with the Fifth Air Force in the Southwest Pacific, rose to command the 8th Fighter Group and finished the war as a quadruple P-38 Ace with 22 air victories. Robbins graduated from Coolidge High School in 1936. He attended Texas A&M University, graduating in 1940 with a BS degree and a commission as second lieutenant through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. He entered active USAAC duty at Randolph Field, Texas, in July 1941. He began flying training at Corsicana Air Field, at Randolph Field, and at Foster Field, Texas. He received his pilot's wings in July 1942, and began fighter-aircraft training in the 55th Fighter Squadron, 20th Pursuit Group, at Morris Field, NC and Drew Army Airfield in Florida. In September 1942, Robbins was assigned to 80th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group of the Fifth Air Force in the Southwest Pacific area. By September 1943, he had been credited with three aerial victories in two aerial combats. On 4th September 1943 he downed another four Japanese aircraft in one flight, becoming an ace. In January 1944, Robbins became commander of the squadron and in September 1944 became deputy commander of the group. He flew 607 hours on 181 combat missions in P-39 and then P-38 aircraft. He scored 22 aerial victories against Japanese fighter aircraft, the fourth highest number of enemy aircraft destroyed by an Army Air Corps pilot in the Pacific Theater of Operations. He twice destroyed four enemy fighters during single missions and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for each of these missions. After the war ended, Robbins remained in the Air Force. He commanded the 434th Army Air Forces Base Unit at Santa Rosa Field, California, from February to November 1945. He next served as squadron operations officer with the 412th Fighter Group (later redesignated the 1st Fighter Group), at March Field, California, the first organization in the Air Force to be equipped with the F-80 jet fighter, and later held several operational staff positions. In June 1947, he was assigned to Headquarters Tactical Air Command (TAC), Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, in plans and operations. In 1949, he was posted to Headquarters Twelfth Air Force, Brooks Air Force Base, Texas. He attended the Air Command and Staff School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, in early 1950 and, after graduation in June, returned to the Twelfth Air Force. In August 1950, he was assigned as assistant chief, Tactical Air Operations Branch, Headquarters Continental Air Command, Mitchel Air Force Base, New York, and in January 1951, joined the operational staff of the newly established Air Defense Command at Ent Air Force Base, Colorado. From June 1953 to September 1955, General Robbins served as plans and programs officer of the War Plans Division, Directorate of Plans, at Headquarters U.S. Air Force. He then became a member of the Joint Strategic Plans Group of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. While in this position, he represented the Joint Chiefs of Staff on a special continental defense subcommittee of the National Security Council. General Robbins was deputy commander and later commander of the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing in England from July 1957 to August 1961. In 1960, he led the U.S. Air Force European Gunnery Champions to the 'William Tell' weaponry meet in Nevada, flying F-100s aircraft across the Atlantic to participate. In July 1962, he graduated from the National War College and was named director of USAF flight safety. In January 1963, he became the director of aerospace safety at Norton Air Force Base. General Robbins became commander of the 313th Air Division in July 1965. In March 1967, he was named chief of staff, Pacific Air Forces, with headquarters at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. From July 1968 to February 1970, General Robbins was the commander of the Twelfth Air Force at Bergstrom Air Force Base. In February 1970, he was named vice commander, Tactical Air Command at Langley Air Force Base. In August 1972, he became vice commander of Military Airlift Command (MAC). He retired from the Air Force in 1974. Robbins died on 3rd March 2001 at the age of 81.



Lieutenant Colonel William Dixie Sloan
Our estimated value of this signature : £50
Died : 1999

Lieutenant Colonel William Dixie Sloan

Born in 1921, he went to flying school in 1942. Flying P-38 Lightnings over North Africa, he became the top Ace in that theatre, with 12 victories. He stayed in the Air Force after the war. He died 30th January 1999.




Colonel Darrell G Welch
Our estimated value of this signature : £55
Died : 2015

Colonel Darrell G Welch

Commissioned in 1941, Darrell Welch was assigned to the 27th Squadron of the 1st Fighter Group, which became the first squadron to be equipped with the new P38 Lightning. Arriving in England in August 1942, the 1st Fighter Group was part of a large American force despatched to Algiers in November for the North African campaign, where he made his first kill in January 1943 while escorting B17s over Tripoli. A few months later, whilst leading the 27th on a big intercept mission, Welch became an Ace when he notched up a further three victories in the space of just twenty five minutes, bringing his tally up to five confirmed victories. He later saw service in the Pacific, and retired the service in 1970. He died on 13th January 2015.




Colonel Richard Willsie
Our estimated value of this signature : £45
Died : 2013

Colonel Richard Willsie

Joining up in 1942, Dick Willsie was posted to North Africa with the 414th Night Fighter Squadron, where he flew 31 missions on the Beaufighter. He transferred to the 96th Fighter Squadron, 82nd Fighter Group, flying the P38 Lightning on 82 day missions through to the end of hostilities in Europe. Willsie would go on to serve in both Korea and Vietnam, and Willsie became the commanding officer of the 602nd Air Commando Squadron and retired in 1974. Dick Willsie was born on the 6th of September 1920 in Michigan USA and joined the US Air force in 1942. Dick Willsie was posted to North Africa with the 414th Night-fighter Squadron, where he flew 31 missions on the Beaufighter. He transferred to the 96th FS, 82nd Fighter Group, flying the P38 Lightning on 82 day missions through to the end of hostilities in Europe. He notched up a large number of ground attack victories as well as three aerial victories in his P38 'Snake Eyes'. On one mission Captain Richard 'Dick' Willsie's P-38 was damaged by flak near Ploesti, Romania. Lieutenant Willsie felt the bullets tearing into his aircraft, the force of the hits actually making his feet bounce on the rudder pedals. He noticed oil leaking from the left engine, and then the engine lost oil pressure. Willsie immediately feathered the propeller, turning the blades edge on to present the least resistance to the wind, and headed for home, his right engine at full power. Then he noticed coolant streaming from his remaining good engine. Within minutes he would be without power. He immediately reported over the radio that he was going down. One of the many to hear his broadcast announcement was 19-year-old Richard T. 'Dick' Andrews, who flew with the same 82nd Fighter Group as Willsie. But unlike the more experienced Willsie, Andrews had less than 100 flying hours in the P-38. Pick a good field, radioed the youngster, and I will come in after you.It was a strange message; it made no sense. But Willsie had no time to wonder about it. His remaining engine was popping loudly, a fresh hit shattered his windscreen and bloodied his forehead, and a plowed field appeared ahead. As his wounded fighter barely made it over the final obstacle he planted his forehead firmly against the padded gun sight. That did not prevent his nose taking a beating as his plane skidded to a stop with its wheels retracted. Scrambling from the cockpit as quickly as possible, he - as per instructions - destroyed his P-38 with a small phosphorous bomb. With truckloads of enemy troops approaching from beyond some trees six Me-109 German fighters appeared overhead. And a second P-38 was coming toward him with its landing gear down! Other Lightnings engaged the Me-109s and Andrews set his P-38 down, landing in line with the plowed furrows. Willsie raced to the plane, praying it might be his salvation, praying they would both be able to fit into the one small seat. Andrews threw his parachute - and everything else that was handy and not nailed down - out of the cockpit. With no time to think of how it might be done both men climbed hurriedly into the plane 'with miraculous precision,' as the older pilot would later joke. At Andrews' suggestion the more experienced Willsie took the controls. With Andrews in back, one leg slung over Willsie's shoulder, the two somehow managed to close and securely lock the canopy. They barely cleared the trees at the end of their improvised 'runway' and quickly ran into inclement weather and became separated from the other P-38s. With no map and fully expecting to be greeted by friendly fire because of their aircraft type, with which the Russians might not be familiar, they headed for an air base at nearby Poltava. Word of the rescue spread and others tried to emulate it. But so many were injured in these attempts that the USAAF had to issue orders forbidding the use of such tactics. Richard T. Andrews was awarded the Silver Star for his unique rescue. Willsie would go on to serve in both Korea and Vietnam, and Willsie became the commanding officer of the 602nd Air Commando Squadron and retired in 1974. Colonel Richard Willsie died on Febuary 16th, 2013 in Dana Point, Orange County, California.

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