Flying Tigers: roster of AVG pilots

FLYING TIGERS > ROSTER OF PILOTS

100 Fair Pilots plus 10

The 100 men recruited as fighter pilots for the American Volunteer Group are shown in roman type. The 10 hired as check pilots for the CAF Flight School are shown in italics. For a biography of each man, see Tales of the Flying Tigers or download the e-book 100 Fair Pilots.

Frank Adkins, served to disbandment and afterward flew for CNAC.

John Armstrong, killed in training.

Peter Atkinson, killed in training.

Noel Bacon, went home early and returned to U.S. Navy.

Percy Bartelt, went home early and return to U.S. Navy.

William Bartling, served two extra weeks and afterward flew for CNAC.

Marion Baugh, killed in crash of his Ryan trainer.

Albert (Ajax) Baumler was refused a passport but rejoined the AVG as an army captain in the spring of 1942 and served with the 23rd Fighter Group in China.

Donald Bernsdorf, went home early and may have flown as a civilian test pilot.

Lewis Bishop, shot down and captured in Vietnam; survived the war.

John Blackburn, transferred to combat squadrons, accidentally killed April 1942.

Morris Bohman, quit before December 7 and may have served later with the USAAF.

Harry Bolster, joined the combat squadrons, served two exta weeks in China, rejoined U.S. Army, accidentally killed.

Charles Bond, served two extra weeks in China, rejoined U.S. Army.

Gregory Boyington, went home early and rejoined the U.S. Marines, captured but survived, earned the Medal of Honor.

Gilpin (Gil) Bright, joined USAAF in China, served with 23rd Fighter Group.

Robert Brouk, served to disbandment, rejoined the U.S. Army, killed in flying accident.

Carl Brown, served to disbandment and later flew for CNAC.

George Burgard, served to disbandment and afterward flew for American Export Airlines.

Herbert (Pat) Cavanah, served to disbandment and afterward flew for American Export Airlines, rejoining the U.S. Navy toward the end of the war.

Allen Bert Christman, shot down and killed, January 1942.

Thomas Cole, shot down by ground fire and killed, January 1942.

Edwin Conant, served to disbandment, then rejoined the U.S. Navy

Elmer Cook quit before December 7.

Albert Criz, quit before December 7 and may have rejoined the U.S. Army.

John Croft served to disbandment and afterward flew as a test pilot for Republic Aviation.

James Cross served to disbandment, then joined CNAC until killed in crash in November 1942.

John Donovan Jr., shot down and killed while strafing Gia Lam airport at Hanoi, Vietnam, in May 1942.

Parker Dupouy served to disbandment and afterward flew as a test pilot for Republic Aviation.

John Farrell transferred to the combat squadrons served to disbandment, and afterward returned to the U.S. Army.

William Fish went home early and apparently returned to U.S. Navy service.

Ben Foshee was mortally wounded by enemy bombs in May 1942.

Henry Fuller went home early and flew for Pan American and the Air Transport Command.

Henry Geselbracht served two extra weeks in China.

Henry Gilbert was shot down and killed over Rangoon in December 1941.

Edgar Goyette served to disbandment and then apparently joined the U.S. Army.

Paul (P.J.) Greene served to disbandment and aferward rejoined the U.S. Army.

Clifford Groh served to disbandment and afterward flew for CNAC.

Ralph Gunvordahl went home early and apparently was killed as a test pilot in 1943.

Lester (Joe) Hall transferred to the combat squadrons, served two extra weeks, and afterward flew for CNAC.

Maax Hammer was killed in a training accident at Toungoo.

David Harris served to disbandment and afterward was a test pilot for the Republic and Grumman companies.

Raymond Hastey went home early and rejoined the U.S. Army.

Thomas Haywood served to disbandment and afterward ferried Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers for a military contractor.

Robert (Duke) Hedman served to disbandment and afterward flew for CNAC.

John Hennessy served to disbandment and afterward flew as a test pilot and transport pilot.

David (Tex) Hill served to disbandment and joined the U.S. Army as commander of the 75th Fighter Squadron.

Fred Hodges served to disbandment and afterward flew for CNAC, later rejoining the U.S. Army.

Louis (Cokey) Hoffman was shot down and killed over Rangoon in January 1942.

Leo Houle went home early and rejoined the U.S. Navy.

James Howard served two extra weeks in China, then rejoined the U.S. Army. He earned the Medal of Honor as a fighter pilot in Europe.

Lynn Hurst went home early.

Kenneth Jernstedt served to disbandment and afterward flew as a test pilot for Republic Aviation.

Thomas Jones was killed in 1942 while making practice runs on the dive-bombing range.

Robert (Bus) Keeton served until disbandment and afterward became a Pan American ferry pilot.

John Kelleher quit before December 7 and apparently rejoined the U.S. Army.

Donald Knapp went home early and rejoined the U.S. Navy.

Matthew Kuykendall served to disbandment and afterward flew for American Export Airlines and worked for Consolidated Aircraft in Fort Worth, Texas.

Chauncey (Link) Laughlin served to disbandment and afterward flew for CNAC until he rejoined the U.S. Marines toward the end of the war.

Frank (Whitey) Lawlor served to disbandment and then rejoined the U.S. Navy.

Robert Layher served two extra weeks in China, then rejoined the U.S. Navy.

Edward Leibolt went missing over South Burma in February 1942 and was not seen again.

Robert Little was killed by anti-aircraft fire while bombing Japanese positions on the Salween River in May 1942.

Ernest (Buster) Loane served two extra weeks in China and afterward flew for CNAC.

William (Mac) McGarry was hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed over Thailand in March 1942. He survived the war as a comparatively privilged prisoner of sympathetic Thais.

Maurice McGuire quit early and became a test pilot for Ryan aircraft; he was killed in a crash in March 1945.

George McMillan served to disbandment, rejoined the U.S. Army, and returned to China to serve with the Chinese-American Composite Wing and the 449th Fighter Squadron. He was killed in action in June 1944.

Lacy Mangleburg was killed in December 1941 while ferrying a CW-21 "Demon" fighter from Toungoo to Kunming.

Neil Martin was shot down and killed over Rangoon in December 1941.

Kenneth Merritt was killed at Mingaladon airport outside Rangoon when a landing P-40 careered into the automobile in which he was sitting, in January 1942.

Einar (Mickey) Mickelson served to disbandment, flew for CNAC, and died in the crash of his Douglas transport in February 1943.

Robert (Moose) Moss served to disbandment and afterward flew for CNAC.

Charles Mott was shot down over Thailand in January 1942 and spent most of the war as a slave laborer on the "Death Railway," escaping just before the war ended.

Robert Neale served two extra weeks in China as the acting commander of the 23rd Fighter Group, afterward flying for Pan American World Airways.

John (Jack) Newkirk was killed over Thailand in March 1942, either downed by anti-aircraft fire or by colliding with a tree while strafing a target on the ground.

Charles Older served to disbandment, joined the U.S. Army, and returned to China to fly for the 23rd Fighter Group. He returned to active duty in 1950 and flew a Douglas attack plane during the Korean War.

Arvid (Oley) Olson served to disbandment, rejoined the U.S. Army, returned to Burma with the Air Commandos.

Edmund Overend served to disbandment, rejoined the U.S. Marines, and flew with VMF-321 in the Pacific Theater.

George (Pappy) Paxton became the AVG's paymaster and supply officer in Kunming, Calcutta, and New York City, where he worked at the CAMCO office to wind down the group's financial affairs in the summer of 1942. He afterward worked for American Export Airlines and helped journalist Robert Hotz write one of the first Flying Tiger romances.

John (Pete) Petach volunteered two extra weeks' service in China and was shot down and killed in July 1942.

Robert Power quit early and may have later flown for the Flying Tiger Line.

Robert Prescott served to disbandment and afterward flew for Trans World Airlines and CNAC. Postwar, he founded the Flying Tiger Line with other AVG veterans.

Albert (Red) Probst served two extra weeks in China afterward evidently rejoined the U.S. Army.

Robert (Catfish) Raine served two extra weeks in China and afterward flew for CNAC, rejoining the U.S. Navy toward the end of the war.

Edward Rector was commissioned in China and commanded the 76th Fighter Squadron.

William Reed served to disbandment, rejoined the U.S. Army, and returned to China to fly with Chinese-American Composite Wing and the 3rd Fighter Group. He was killed in December 1944 trying to bail out of his Curtiss P-40N.

Freeman Ricketts served two extra weeks in China, when he mistakenly shot down one of Chennault's B-25 Mitchell bombers.

Joseph Rosbert served two extra weeks in China and afterward flew for CNAC.

Richard Rossi served to disbandment and afterward flew for CNAC. He was president of the AVG veterans' group for more than 50 years.

Edwin Rushton quit before December 7.

Robert (Sandy) Sandell was killed in a flying accident at Rangoon in February 1942.

Charles Sawyer was commissioned in China and served with the 76th Fighter Squadron.

Frank Schiel was commissioned in China and given command of the 74th Fighter Squadron. He was killed in December 1942 in the crash of his Lockheed Lightning photo plane.

Arnold (Red) Shamblin joined the combat squadrons, volunteered to serve two extra weeks in China, and was shot down over Fuzhou in July 1942. He was captured and apparently murdered.

Evander (Van) Shapard joined the combat squadrons, volunteered to serve two extra weeks, and stayed in China as a CNAC pilot.

Eriksen Shilling served to disbandment, then joined CNAC. Postwar, he flew for Chennault's paramilitary airline during the Chinese Civil War, the Korean War, and the French war in Vietnam. During the "American war," he worked for a CIA contractor, flying unarmed bush planes in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Curtis Smith served to disbandment and afterward returned to the U.S. Marines.

Robert H. Smith rejoined the U.S. Army after his tour with the AVG, commanding the 12th Fighter Squadron in the Pacific.

Robert (R.T.) Smith served to disbandment, rejoined the U.S. Army, and served with the 1st Air Commando in India and Burma.

Gail Stubbs went home early, rejoined the U.S. Army, and served with 10th Air Force in India.

Frank Swartz was wounded in the bombing of Magwe in March 1942, was evacuated to India, and died of an infection in April 1942.

Estes Swindle went home before December 7 and was dropped from the AVG rolls. He rejoined the U.S. Army captain and died in a mid-air collision while piloting a Curtiss C-46 over China in October 1944.

Stanley Wallace quit before December 7, rejoined the U.S. Army, and flew a C-47 transport into Lashio, Burma, soon after it was liberated from the Japanese in the spring of 1945.

Robert Walroth quit before December 7.

Eugene Watson quit before December 7 and rejoined the U.S. Army.

Richard White quit before December 7.

Fritz Wolf served to disbandment, rejoined the U.S. Navy, and flew off USS Yorktown in the Pacific Theater.

Allen Wright joined the combat squadrons, served to disbandment, flew for CNAC, and was killed in a crash in December 1943.

Peter Wright served to disbandment and afterward flew for American Export Airlines and as a test pilot for GM-built Wildcat fighters.

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