Spurgeon Neal Ellington
Military
Object Number - UPL 24793 - 1LT Spurgeon Neal Ellington 332nd Fighter Group - 99th Fighter Squadron - 15th AF
In his book, The Tuskegee Airmen: The Men Who Changed A Nation, Charles E. Francis wrote:
“One of the most unforgettable characters I have ever met was Lieutenant Spurgeon Ellington. If there was ever a proud man, it was Ellington. He was not only proud of being a pilot, but proud in general. To him, there was only one person – Ellington. He figured he could out-talk and out-smart anyone. Needless to say, he also pictured himself as God’s gift to women.”
Francis tells the story of how, after receiving his wings, Spurgeon flew home for a visit and buzzed Main Street in the Twin City, for which he was later court martialed and fined back at Tuskegee, then immediately forgiven.
“Perhaps it was Ellington’s showmanship and ego that largely accounted for his success in combat. He could not conceive of any German pilot capable of shooting him down.”
And none did, which earned him an Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters and the nation’s third highest valor medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Twelfth Air Force Fifteenth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Twelfth Air Force Fifteenth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 332nd Fighter Group 99th Fighter Squadron 100th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-809242
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Nicknames: Lollipoop II
- Unit: 332nd Fighter Group 100th Fighter Squadron
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Winston-Salem, NC, USA | 17 October 1919 | |
|
Other Graduated Pilot Training/Commissioned |
Tuskegee, AL, USA | 28 May 1943 | Class 43-E-SE |
|
Died |
Crystal Lake, Georgia 31783, USA | 10 December 1945 | Spurgeon was assigned as an instructor at a training base in Georgia. Then one day he was riding in the back seat with one of his fellow pilots. The plane crashed. A simple pilot’s mistake accomplished what no German pilot could. Spurgeon’s body came home on a train and was buried at the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Winston-Salem. |
|
Buried |
Winston-Salem, NC, USA | 15 December 1945 | Odd Fellows Cemetery Winston-Salem Forsyth County North Carolina, USA |
|
Other Graduated |
Winston-Salem, NC, USA | Winstom Salem Teachers College |
