Aces page

Jack llfrey was born July 31, 1920 in Houston, Texas. He graduated from high school there and went on to Texas A&M where he learned to fly in the first Civilian Pilot Training Program in 1939. He entered Army Air Corp as an Aviation Cadet, April 1941. He graduated 1941 I Luke Field, Arizona, in the first war time class, Dec. 12, 1941, and was assigned to the 94th Pursuit Group flying P38 D and E's in defense of the Southern California coast.

In late Spring of 1942 the First Fighter Group was equipped with new P38 F's and flew to Dow Field, Maine to stage with the 97th Bomb Group in preparation for the Bolero Mission, first mass flight of fighter planes to England. All pilots who completed the trip were awarded the first 8 Air Force Air Medal.

On July 4, 1942 the 94th "Hat In The Ring" fighter Squadron took off on first leg of the mission. Four P38's flying wing on a B17, took off from Presque Isle Maine to Goose Bay Labrador. July 6th -Goose Bay to Blue West I, Greenland. July 15th -B. W. I. To Reykjavik, Iceland.

It was on this day that 6 of the 94th's P38's and 2 of the B17's, low on fuel went down on Greenland's Icecap. All crews were rescued but the eight aircraft are still there to this day except one that was taken out in 1992.

July 26th saw most of the 94th land at Kirton in Lindsey, Lincolnshire, England to be stationed there with Polish 303 Koscuisko Squadron.

On September 1st the First Fighter Group made the first all American pilots and aircraft fighter sweep over Northern France for the fledgling 8th Air Force.

On November 15th they took off from Chivenor, in the Lands End area on Operation Torch, the invasion of N. Africa ,where they were suddenly to find out what it was all about.

Shortly out Ilfrey lost a belly tank but calculated he could make Gibraltar. Calculations proved wrong and he had to land in Lisbon, Portugal where he was immediately told that he and the P38 would be interned. However, he conned the Portuguese out of some gas, fired up and made an unauthorized take off. By the time he got to Gibraltar and International incident had flared up.

At the urging of the State Department, Gen. Eisenhower was to send him back to Lisbon but Gen. Doolittle stepped in and saved the day for Jack.

Jack was awarded a commendation letter from Chief of Staff, U. S. Army, dated 3rd Feb. 1943 for being one of the first aces in the 12th Air Force Mediterranean Theater, for shooting down his 5th plane the day after Christmas 1942. Historians now say he was the First Ace in a P38, but did not prove it with official records. He is also considered to be Houston's first ace.

After 208 combat hours, 72 missions, he was relieved from combat duty and returned to the states and instructed in P38's and P47's.

In April of 1944 Jack went back to the E. T. O. and became Squadron Commander of the 79th Fighter Group, flying P38's. On May 24th he was credited with 2 ME 109's in a hairy dog fight near Berlin. One of the 109's collided with his P38 and ripped off 4 % to 5 feet of his right wing. He was still able to return to England.

On June 6, 1944 - D-Day - he flew 3 patrols over the Normandy Landings (10 hours in a P38).

On June the 20th converted to P51 D's and went on Frantic VI, Shuttle Mission to Russia, Italy and back to England.

It was about this time the Maj. Ilfrey was busted to 2nd Lt. For infractions of the rules, but was left in command of the 79th Squadron. His claim to fame... or infamy.... Is that he was probably the only 2"d Lt. Of a Combat Fighter Squadron during the war; at least for a few days until he started his promotional climb back. He was again saved by Gen. Doolittle CO of 8th Air Force at the persuasion of Col. Cy Wilson, 20th Group C.O.

The last memorable incident to happen was on Nov. 20, 1944 when he landed behind enemy lines, near the front, around Maastrick, Holland and successfully picked up his wing man for a short ride to Brussels. After 70 missions, 320 hours of combat flying he was reassigned to the States where he later became a Troop Commander at McChord Air Force Base. In two tours, he completed 142 missions, 528 combat hours.

Decorations

• Silver Star
• Distinguished Flying Cross W/5 OCL
• Air Medal W/12 OCL

 

Tally Records

• 8 kills—all air

He is a retired bank officer after 30 years with Alamo Nat'l. Bank, San Antonio. Historian 20th Ftr. Gp. Assoc. and editor "King's Cliffe Remembered"(their 8th A.F. base in England) newsletter. Jack is presently a Director of the 8th Air Force Historical Society and the P38 National Association.

Archie Donahue, born Oct. 24, 1917, in Casper, Wyoming, moved to Texas in 1934. After three years of engineering at the University of Texas, he was accepted as an Aviation Cadet in the Navy and sent first to Kansas City, then to Corpus Christi Air Station. He transferred to the Marine Corps and was commissioned Second Lieutenant in Feb., 1942. Donahue was posted to Norfolk, Va. until assigned to VMF-112. VMF-112 arrived at Guadalcanal in Sept., 1942, flying F4F-4 Wildcats. Between Sept., 1942 and June, 1943, Donahue shot down nine enemy aircraft over Guadalcanal, one in his F4F-4, and eight in the F4U-1 Corsair. On May 13, 1943, he destroyed five Mitsubishi A6M3 Zeros in a single engagement, then returned to the United States in June. After serving as Flight Officer at El Toro Air Station in California, Donahue was assigned to VMF-451 with the responsibility for making the unit carrier qualified.

On Feb. 16, 1945, VMF-451 began combat operations from the USS "Bunker Hill" carrying out a fighter sweep over Tokyo. For the next three months 451 took part in continuous bombing, strafing, and close support missions for the landings at Iwo Jima and Okinawa and in operations against the Japanese mainland. On April 12, Donahue again achieved five victories in a single engagement over Okinawa. In May the "Bunker Hill" was severely damaged during a Kamikaze attack and forced to retire from combat. Donahue returned to the States and was put in command of a squadron at El Centro before being posted to Quantico, Va. For his actions Donahue was decorated with the Navy Cross, three Distinguished Flying Crosses and five Air Medals. He flew 159 combat missions over Guadalcanal and 56 from the deck of the'"Bunker Hill", and was credited with fourteen confirmed aerial victories.

Navy Cross Citation:

Major Archie Glenn Donahue, USMCR, for service as set forth in the following

CITATION:

"For distinguishing himself by extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as leader of a carrier based fighter division on Combat Air Patrol over Okinawa on 12 April 1945. After taking over the lead of two other fighter divisions in addition to his own, when the flight leader was forced to leave the formation, he skillfully and courageously led the flight into action against numerically superior enemy planes that were directing an attack against units of our shipping. As a result of his able and inspiring leader-ship the flight destroyed a total of sixteen enemy planes of which he personally shot down five. His prompt and effective action in routing the enemy not only removed a dangerous threat to our shipping but was also accomplished without loss to our own planes. His skill and courage were at all times inspiring and in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."

M. A. MITSCHER,
Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy

Born in Boise, Idaho, on 16 July 1921 Beeson eventually moved to Californa, where he worked as a hotel clerk. Deciding to leave this boring job behind, he joined the Royal Canadian Air force on 23 June 1941, and was commissioned as a pilot officer on 26 February 1942, being sent overseas shortly afterwards.

Once in England, Beeson completed the five-month long Spitfire conversion course at RAF Usworth, just south of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, with No. 55 Operational Training Unit, before being posted to No 71 'Eagle' Sqn at Debden, in Essex He arrived on the unit of 5 September, and 24 days later became a part of the US Amry Air Force when No 71 Sqn was transferred to VIII Fighter Command control.

Now flying with the 4th Fighter Group (FG), 2Lt Beeson was a assigned to the 334th FS, which swapped its Spitfire VBs for P-47C Thunderbolts in early 1943. He seemed to click with the Republic 'heavyweight', and scored his first victory on 19 May 1943 when he shot down a BF 109 over Holland. From that point on this score rapidly rose, and he became the 4th FG's first ace on 8 October.

'Bee" Beeson was given command of the 334th FS on 15 March - by which time the unit had converted to P-51B Mustangs, On 5 April 1944, he was shot down by flak while strafing a German airfield at Brandenburg, near Berlin. Immediately taken prisoner, Beeson was released following the surrender of Germany. He elected to stay in the AAF postwar, and was promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 24 October 1945. However, a promising career was cut short when Duane Beeson died for a brain tumor on 13 February 1947, aged just 25.*

References

Aircraft of the Aces Legends of World War 2

Compiled by Tony Holmes Osprey Aviation 2000

O'Hare's most famous flight occurred during the Pacific war on 20 Feb 1942 Lt. O'Hare was the only U.S. Navy fighter pilot available in the air when Japanese bombers were attacking his aircraft carrier Lexington.

Butch O'Hare was on board the aircraft carrier USS Lexington, which had been assigned the task of penetrating enemy-held waters north of New Irland While still 450 miles from the harbor at Rabual, at 1015, the Lexington picked up an unknown aircraft on radar 35 miles from the ship.

A six-plane combat patrol was launched, two fighters being directed to investigate the contact. These two planes, under command of Lieutenant Commander Thach shot down a four-engine Type 97 ("Mavis") flying boat about 43 miles out at 1112. Later two other planes of the combat patrol were sent to another radar contact 35 miles ahead, shooting down a second Mavis at 1202. A third contact was made 80 miles out, but reversed course and disappeared. At 1542 a jagged vee signal drew the attention of the Lex's radar operator. The contact then was lost, but reappeared at 1625 forty-seven miles west and closing fast. Butch O'Hare, flying F4F Wildcat BuNo 4031 "White F-15", was one of several pilots launched to intercept. Of the incoming nine Japanese "Betty" bombers, at this time five had already been shot down.

At 1700, the Lexington's radar picked up a second formation of Bettys only 12 miles out, on the [1]disengaged side of the task force, completely unopposed. The carrier had only two Wildcats left to confront the intruders: Butch and his wingman "Duff" Dufilho. As the Lexington’s only protection, they raced eastward and arrived 1,500 feet above eight attacking Bettys nine miles out. Dufilho’s guns were jammed and wouldn’t fire, leaving only O'Hare to protect the carrier. The enemy formation was a V of Vs flying very close together and using their rear facing guns for mutual protection. O'Hare's Wildcat, armed with four 50-caliber guns, with 450 rounds per gun, had enough ammunition for about 34 seconds of firing.

O'Hare's initial maneuver was a high-side diving attack employing accurate deflection shooting. He accurately placed bursts of gunfire into a Betty's wing fuel tanks; when the stricken craft on the right side of the formation abruptly lurched to starboard, he ducked to the other side of the V formation and aimed at the enemy bomber on the extreme left. When he made his third and fourth firing passes, the Japanese planes were close enough to the American ships for them to fire their AA guns. O'Hare's hits were so concentrated, the nacelle of a Betty literally jumped out of its mountings, after O'Hare blew up the Betty's port engine. O'Hare managed to shoot down five bombers, and damage a sixth. The three survivors managed to drop their ordnance, but all three bombs missed. Lieutenant Commander Thach arrived at the scene with other pilots of the flight, later reporting that at one point he saw three of the enemy bombers falling in flames at the same time.[2]

With his ammunition expended, O'Hare returned to his carrier, and was fired on accidentally but with no effect by a .50-caliber machine gun from the Lexington. O'Hare's fighter had, in fact, been hit by only one bullet during his flight, the single bullet hole in F-15's port wing disabling the airspeed indicator. According to Thach, Butch then approached the gun platform to calmly say to the embarrassed anti-aircraft gunner who had fired at him, "Son, if you don't stop shooting at me when I've got my wheels down, I'm going to have to report you to the gunnery officer." [3]

Thach calculated that O'Hare had used only sixty rounds of ammunition for each bomber he destroyed; an impressive feat of marksmanship. In the opinion of Admiral Brown and of CaptainF C Sherman commanding the Lexington, Lieutenant O'Hare's actions may have saved the carrier from serious damage or even loss. By 1900 all Lexington planes had been recovered except for two F4F-3 Wildcats shot down while attacking enemy bombers; both were lost while making steady, no-deflection runs from astern of their targets. The pilot of one fighter was rescued, the other went down with his aircraft.

• 1. Ewing and Lundstrom 1987, p. 129.
• 2. Acepilots saving the Lexington
• 3. Ewing and Lundstrom 1987, p. 138.