Thomas Jonathan Jackson Christian Jr

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-18211.jpeg UPL 18211 361st Fighter Group Commander Col. Thomas J J Christian Jr., United States.
Museum object reference no. BAM_0280 Bottisham Airfield Museum

Bottisham Air Museum

Object Number - UPL 18211 - 361st Fighter Group Commander Col. Thomas J J Christian Jr., United States. Museum object reference no. BAM_0280

Thomas Jonathan Jackson Christian, Jr., Colonel, U.S. Army Air Forces Headquarters, 361st Fighter Group.



Colonel Thomas Jonathan Jackson “Jack” Christian, Jr., O-21782, was the great-grandson of Stonewall” Jackson, one of the Confederacy’s outstanding commanders of the American Civil War. He was born on 19 November 1915, in San Francisco to Brigadier-General Thomas Jonathan Jackson Christian Sr. and Bertha Marguerite Cook.



Before entering in West Point in 1935, he graduated Chicago University High School in 1933 and spent 2 years in Chicago University. He was a member of the Illinois National Guard (122 field Artillery).



He graduated 45th from a class of 456 at West Point in 1939 and choose first to follow his father into the Field Artillery branch of the U.S. Army. However soon after making this decision, he changed his mind and joined the Army Air Corps.



From 1939 to 1941, Christian was a student in Texas at the Air Corps Primary Flying School at Love Field in Dallas; then the Air Corps Training Center at Randolph Field followed by the Air Corps Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, both in San Antonio. On completion of pilot training in 1940, he was assigned as instructor at Randolph Field, Texas.



In March 1941, he is transferred to the 19th Bombardment Group at Clark Field in the Philippines, where he flew B-18's and B-17’s. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the disaster of the bombing of Clark Field by Japan on 8-Dec-41 (destroying more than 80% of the US planes in Philippines) he was reassigned to Bataan and then Australia where he ferried P-40 fighters and was later shot down and declared missing in action ‘somewhere’ in Timor Coast. He was able to return to the base after living with natives in the jungle.



Assigned in May 1942 to 67th Pursuit Squadron, Christian was the first US Army Air Corps pilot that landed on Guadalcanal on 15-Aug-42. Flying P-400 (an export version of P-39 Airacobra) from Henderson Field, he flew more than sixty hours of combat missions and was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry.



After being granted leave, he returned to the United States, where on 2-Jan-43, he married Marjorie Lou Ashcroft, whom he met while in Dallas.



While in the USA he formed and trained the 361st Fighter Group (as a major) in Richmond, Virginia on 10 February 1943. The 361st’s nickname was the “Yellow jackets”. He took the unit to RAF BOTTISHAM (later Army Air Forces [AAF] Station F-374), England, for assignment to the 8th Air Force in November, 1943. He flew more than seventy combat missions in the European war and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart. In Mar-44, he had been promoted to colonel at the age of 28.



While overseas, Christian became a father. His daughter, Lou Ellen was born in Dallas in January 1944.



In a lasting tribute to his actions, in Jul-44, a photographic section of the USAAF immortalized his personal aircraft, named “LOU IV / ATHELENE” in a famous set of photos called “Bottisham Four”. The photo seems to be the most moving tribute to all he accomplished at just twenty-eight years of age, but it is a tribute he never saw as he was killed just three weeks later.



He was killed in Action on 12-Aug-44 while bombing the station of Boisleux-au-Mont (near Arras, France). He is believed to be buried in Arras Faubourg d’Amiens British Cemetery, but his grave could not be located.

Connections

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Units served with

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: Lou III
  • Unit: 361st Fighter Group 375th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Nicknames: Lou
  • Unit: 361st Fighter Group 375th Fighter Squadron
P-51 Mustangs (E2-C, serial number 44-13410) nicknamed "Lou IV (Athelene)", (E2-A, serial number 44-13568) nicknamed "Sky Bouncer", (E2-S, serial number 44-13926) and (E2-H, serial number 42-106811) nicknamed "Suzie G" of the 361st Fighter Group fly in formation above the clouds.
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: Lou iv / athelene
  • Unit: 361st Fighter Group Headquarters (361st Fighter Group)

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Promoted

Presidio, San Francisco, CA, USA 19 November 1915 Born at the Presidio of San Francisco on 19 november 1915. son of Thomas J J Christian (West Point 1911) and Bertha Marguerite Cook; Great Grandson of General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson

Other

Pacific engagement

Clark International Airport (CRK), Clark Freeport Philippines, Pampanga, Philippines 8 December 1941 In March 1941, he is transferred to the 19th Bombardment Group at Clark Field in the Philippines, where he flew B-18's and B-17’s. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the disaster of the bombing of Clark Field by Japan on 8 December 1941 (destroying more than 80% of the US planes in Philippines) he was reassigned to Bataan and then Australia.

Other

Pacific engagement

Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands 15 August 1942 Assigned in May 1942 to 67th Pursuit Squadron, Christian was the first US Army Air Corps pilot that landed on Guadalcanal on August 15, 1942. Flying P-400 (an export version of P-39 Airacobra) from Henderson Field, he flew more than sixty hours of combat missions and was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry.
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482, USA 2 January 1943 Married Marjorie Lou Aschcroft.

Other

Promotion

Bottisham, Cambridge CB25, UK 1 March 1944 Promot ed to Colonel.

Died

Killed in Action (KIA)

Boisleux-au-Mont, France 12 August 1944 KIA during a dive bombing on Arras Marshalling Yards in Boisleux-au-Mont (France) on 12th August 1944. “War must have its toll, even sometimes at a price that may seem unreasonably high. Our Group paid the price when the Group and Station Commander, Colonel Thomas J. J. Christian, Jr. was reported Missing In Action on 12 August 1944 in the vicinity of Arras, France. Having been placed in command of this Group when in its infancy upon activation 10 February 1943 at Richmond, Va., Colonel (then Major) Christian molded a small and weak entity into a strong and hard-hitting unit that is helping to knock out the Nazi power as the Allies push beyond Paris on to Berlin. Words are but silent testimony to the efficiency and admirable qualities of leadership displayed by this officer. His loss is noted in reverent tribute by all who had the pleasure to know, or serve under him.” Daily Report – 12 August 1944 – AAFB 374 – Bottisham – 361st Fighter Group On the same mission, two other planes crashed: The 1st Lt Clarence Zieske, shot down in the area of Rosieres en Santerre (Sum) was killed in action. The 1st Lt Merle RAINEY, shot down in the area of Haute-Avesnes, will be hidden until the Liberation. Another pilot was missing in an early mission that day : 2nd Lt John E Engstrom was hidden until the Liberation.

Buried

Arras, France 16 August 1944 He is believed to be buried in Arras Faubourg d’Amiens British Cemetery, but his grave can not be correctly located.

Enlisted

United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, USA United States Military Academy Graduate, West Point 1939. Graduated 45th out of 456 classmates.

Based

Bottisham 12 August 1944 Took command of AAF Base 374 in Bottisham.

Other

Promotion

Bottisham, Cambridge CB25, UK Promoted to Lt Colonel.

Buried

Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial Tablets of the Missing Ardennes American Cemetery

Revisions

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Contributorjmoore43
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Added punctuation to the "Summary biography" and to some events to aid clarity.

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Bottisham Airfield Museum Collection
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Bottisham Airfield Museum Collection
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ContributorLucy May
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Combined two entries for Thomas J J Christian Jr. Now includes information from the following source:
MACR 7784 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

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LWiart (Lou Christian Loving)

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research made by LWiart since 1998 and contact with Lou Christian Loving (his daughter) and with 361st FG veteran and historian

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ContributorAAM
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Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

Thomas Jonathan Jackson Christian: Gallery (25 items)