George C Carpenter
MilitaryMajor Carpenter was born 14 May 1917 in Townville, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Oil City, where he graduated from high school in 1935. he attended Grove City College, meanwhile taking flight instruction under the Civilian Pilot Training Program.
George enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in March 1941. He unfortunately washed-out when he fainted after being given a tetanus shot. He then contacted the Clayton-Knight Committee and subsequently joined the RCAF. Upon completion of his training in California he was sent to England, where he flew Spitfires in No. 121 (Eagle) Squadron in June 1942.
In September 1942 he transferred to the U.S. 4th Fighter Group, 335th Squadron, where they began flying P-47 Thunderbolts in early 1943. His first victory took place in February 1944, followed by four more in March to make him an "Ace". By the end of April he added 8 1/3 more destroyed. Unfortunately, the last two of those were on 18 April, when he paid the price of himself being shot down near Stendel, Germany. He became a POW in Stalag Luft III and later Mooseburg, near Munich. He was liberated in May 1945 and immediately returned to England, where he married his girlfriend before returning to the States.
He was the Commanding Officer of the 335th Squadron from February until his capture by the Germans and had destroyed 17.3 enemy aircraft. He had flown 143 missions and 257 combat hours in Spitfires, P-47s, and P-51s. He had earned the Distinguished Flying Cross with five Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the POW Medal, and the Presidential Unit Citation Medal.
When the war ended, he left the military service and attended Kirksville College of Osteopathy, graduating in 1956. He practiced medicine in Tennessee until his death in 2005.
He was proud of his time in the Air Force, and at a gathering of 4th Fighter Group retirees at Seymour Johnson Air Base shortly before his death, he was proud to show up wearing his wartime "Pinks and Greens", which still fit.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
Aircraft
Places
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Townville, PA 16360, USA | 14 May 1917 | |
Enlisted |
12 April 1941 | ||
Other Crashed |
Nauen, Germany | 18 April 1944 | Last seen shortly after engaging two Me109’s northwest of Nauen, Germany. Crashed near Stendel in P-51 Mustang 42-106675. (MACR 4125). |
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Zagan, Poland | 18 April 1944 | Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft III. |
Other Discharged USAAF |
2 February 1946 | ||
Died |
Paris, TN 38242, USA | 2 July 2005 | |
Lived in |
Oil City, PA, USA |
Revisions
https://www.fold3.com/record/623589970/george-carpenter-1917-veterans-a…
EAGLES of the RAF - The World War II Eagle Squadrons by Phillip D Caine.
http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/people_details.php?PeopleID=3522
http://www.4thfightergroupassociation.org/uploads/8/2/0/3/8203817/335_c…
Updated the location of the "POW" event per WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).
EAGLES of the RAF - The World War II Eagle Squadrons by Phillip D Caine.
http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/people_details.php?PeopleID=3522
http://www.4thfightergroupassociation.org/uploads/8/2/0/3/8203817/335_c…
Merged with duplicate entry to include details from :
Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list
EAGLES of the RAF - The World War II Eagle Squadrons by Phillip D Caine.
http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/people_details.php?PeopleID=3522
http://www.4thfightergroupassociation.org/uploads/8/2/0/3/8203817/335_c…
Personal research & 'Eighty-One Aces of the 4th Fighter Group' by Frank Speer.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Fighter Aces of the U. S. A. and Mustang Aces of the Eighth Air Force MACR 4125 / MACR 4125 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list