Charles F Anderson
Military ROLL OF HONOURPersonal research & 4th Fighter Group 'Debden Eagles' by Chris Bucholtz.
Charles Anderson was from Gary, Indiana.
He joined the 4th Fighter Group, 335th Fighter Squadron on 11 August 1943. He flew P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51 Mustangs, shooting down a mixed bag of Luftwaffe aircraft. He shot down Me-109s and Fw-190s, plus a Do-217 to make 10 aerial victories, and destroyed five different types of aircraft on the ground for a total of 15.
His P-47 was named "Hell's Belle", and his P-51 was called "Paul". his first victory was scored on 30 January 1944 when, on an abortive bomber escort mission, the group was bounced by the Luftwaffe. Charles was the only one to score and he also damaged a second. On 29 March he destroyed 2 1/2 Fw-190s to become an "Ace". On 12 April he became a "Double-Ace" with the destruction of two Me-109s. Unfortunately Charles' luck ran out, as he was killed in action one week later on a Ramrod mission to Eschwede, shot down by enemy fighter Hoher-Meissner, Germany.
He was awarded the Legion of Merit with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal with 15 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the French Croix de Guerre.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
Aircraft
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Crab Orchard, KY 40419, USA | 31 March 1919 | |
Other Assigned |
Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 11 August 1943 - 19 April 1944 | Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. |
Other Promotion |
Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 22 December 1943 | Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. |
Died Killed in Action (KIA) |
Hoher Meissner, 37235 Hessisch Lichtenau, Germany | 19 April 1944 | Killed In Action in P-51B Mustang 43-7181. |
Gary, Indiana, USA | |||
Other Promotion |
Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | Promoted to Captain. | |
Buried |
Lake County, IN, USA | Calumet Park Cemetery Merrillville Lake County Indiana, USA. |
Revisions
Personal research & 4th Fighter Group 'Debden Eagles' by Chris Bucholtz.
Personal research & 4th Fighter Group 'Debden Eagles' by Chris Bucholtz.
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 / MACR 4129 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list