John Francis Coonan
MilitaryCook
A native of Portland, OR who graduated from Grant High in 1938. After 2 years at the U of WA he joined the AAAC and received his wings in Jan. 1941. Assigned to the 26th FS and he was one of the pilots who flew P-40s off of the USS Ranger to N. Africa and ferried them to Burma. Flew 64 combat missions in Burma and claimed 2 kills but was was reduced to damaged. Upon return to the US he requested P-51s in England. His friend Jack Landers asked for him for his 38th FS where he served has OPS officer 38th FS from Sept. 8, 1944 - Jan. 3, 1945. Jack was shot down and crash landed his P-51D near Gutenzell, Gr. on Jan 3, 1945. He was shot down by his element leader 1Lt Dudley Amoss by accident. He was captured and held at Stalag Luft I and was released after VE-Day. MACR #11525.
He stayed in the AF serving in Greenland, England, Morocco, Iran, Vietnam, Burma, Pakistan and the Philippines. He was the first foreigner to command a RAAF squadron that being 75 Squadron flying CAC Sabres. He also commanded the 1st TFS flying F-100D Super Sabres. He received the L of M for planning US air ops during the invastion of the Dominion Republic in 1965 and 2 more plus 3 Bronze Stars while serving in Vietnam. He retired has a Col (O-6) in 1975.
P-51D s/n 44-15564 CG+Y
P-51D s/n 44-14358 CG+P "Portland Rose" TSgt Roger Fraleigh-crew chief
3.5 air kills (1 KI-21 bomber, 1 ME-109, 1 AR-96 & 1/2 FW-190
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 55th Fighter Group 38th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12036512
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Crew chief
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 357th Fighter Group 361st Fighter Group 55th Fighter Group 38th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-431968
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Commanding Officer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 55th Fighter Group 38th Fighter Squadron Headquarters (55th Fighter Group)
- Service Numbers: O-425043
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
Aircraft
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Bures / RAF Wormingford / RFC Wormingford / USAAF Station 159 / Wormingford Landing Ground
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Based |
Wormingford | 7 September 1944 - 3 January 1945 | Assigned to 38FS, 55FG, 8AF USAAF. |
Other Promotion |
Wormingford, Colchester CO6 3SD, UK | 6 October 1944 | Promoted to Captain. |
Other Shot down |
Gutenzell-Hürbel, Germany | 3 January 1945 | Shot down by 1Lt Dudley Amoss by accident. crashed near Gutenzell on 3-Jan-45 in P-51D s/n 44-14358 CG+P "Portland Rose". Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 11525 |
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Barth, Germany | 3 January 1945 | Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag I. |
Born |
Portland, OR, USA | Son of Ellen M Coonan. |
Revisions
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 11525 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list