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George N Ahles

Military

  • Pilots of the 351FS, 353FG pose in front of a Republic P-47 at an airbase in England. Sept 44. Standing L-R: Lt Strobell, Lt Biddy, Lt Hungate, Lt Tumlin, Lt Milligan, Lt Toppel, Lt Thistlethwaite, Lt Weaver, Lt Perpente, Capt Leatherman, Lt Hunter, Lt Stump, Lt Stanley, Lt Edwards, Lt King, Capt Lefebre. Kneeling L-R: Lt Frank, Lt Trudeau, Lt Mincik, Lt Maguire, Lt Terzian, Major Christian, Capt Emory, Lt Field, Lt Ahles, Capt Byers. Nara Ref 3A47475-3A47999.

    Pilots of the 351FS, 353FG pose in front of a Republic P-47 at an airbase in England. Sept 44. Standing L-R: Lt Strobell, Lt Biddy, Lt Hungate, Lt Tumlin, Lt Milligan, Lt Toppel, Lt Thistlethwaite, Lt Weaver, Lt Perpente, Capt Leatherman, Lt Hunter, Lt Stump, Lt Stanley, Lt Edwards, Lt King, Capt Lefebre. Kneeling L-R: Lt Frank, Lt Trudeau, Lt Mincik, Lt Maguire, Lt Terzian, Major Christian, Capt Emory, Lt Field, Lt Ahles, Capt Byers. Nara Ref 3A47475-3A47999.

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Enlisted USAAC Nov-39. Posted to A-20 light bomber squadron. Qualified for pilot training Nov-40. Entered Aviation Cadets Jan-42. Presented wings Nov-42. Advanced pilot training Sep-42. Married Sep-42. Joined 351FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF nucleus Dec-42. Shipped to ETO with 351FS. Flew combat operations from May-43 till Ended Tour of Duty (ETD).

Awards: DFC (2 OLC), AM (4 OLC), WWII Victory.

Post War: Remained in USAAF/USAF till 1949. Saleman for family firm.

Service

Units served with

  • 353rd Fighter Group

    353rd Fighter Group

    Group
    The 353rd Fighter Group was assigned to the Eighth Air Force on 7 June 1943. The group flew P-47 Thunderbolts, and from October 1944, P-51 Mustangs, as escorts for bombing missions across occupied Europe and to strafe targets on the ground. Tactical...

  • 351st Fighter Squadron

    351st Fighter Squadron

    Squadron

Aircraft

  • 42-75457

    P-47 Thunderbolt
    Assigned to 351FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) escort mission to NW Germany, on return with section looking for targets to strafe, hit by flak and crashed Bielefeld, Germany. Lt Joseph R Farley KIA 28-May-44 MACR 5027.

  • 42-75850 'Lonesome Polecat II'

    P-47 Thunderbolt
    Assigned to 351FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) bomber escort, dropped out of formation to escort 2nd Lt William Weaver back to base. A/C last seen in the Liège area with only one wing tank onboard, in a tight starboard bank. 4-Mar-44. Lt...

  • 42-8619 Man Made Monster

    P-47 Thunderbolt
    A/C 42-8619 P-47D-5-RE. The third “Lonsome Polecat” of Lt. George N. Ahles. ...

  • 42-26246 'Lonesome Polecat IV' 'Carolene'

    P-47 Thunderbolt
    Assigned to 351FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Personal aircraft of Capt George N Ahles from 28-May-44 till ETD Aug-44. Re-assigned to Lt Harry D Milligan.

  • 42-8380 'Lonesome Polecat'

    P-47 Thunderbolt
    Assigned to 351FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Personal aircraft of Lt George N Ahles. Transferred to 6th Tactical Air Depot 9AF USAAF.

Associated Place

  • Metfield

    Military site : airfield
    Built during 1942-43 as an Eighth Air Force bomber base, Metfield had three concrete runways, 39 pan plus 15 loop hardstandings, and two dispersed T2 hangars. It was first occupied by the 353rd Fighter Group, equipped with P-47s, from August 1943 to...

  • Raydon

    Military site : airfield
    Although never used as such, Raydon was built during 1942-43 as an Eighth Air Force bomber base, with three concrete runways, 50 loop and one pan hardstandings, and two dispersed T2 hangars. Initially on loan to the Ninth Air Force, it was first...

  • Chanute Field

    Military site : airfield
    Chanute Field was established in 1917 as a training ground for pilots. After a brief closure at the end of the First World War, the airfield was designated a technical school and provided training for ground personnel during the Second World War. ...

Events

Event Location Date
Born Evansville, IN, USA 29 February 1916
Enlisted S Chanute St, Rantoul, IL 61866, USA November 1939

Enlisted USAAC.
Chanute Field, Rantoul, IL, USA.
Lived in Evansville, IN, USA 1940
Assigned Norfolk, VA, USA December 1942

Assigned to 351FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF.
Based Raydon May 1943 – June 1944

Based with 351FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF.
Promotion Raydon, Ipswich, Suffolk IP7, UK 1944

Promoted to Captain.
End Tour of Duty (ETD) Raydon, Ipswich, Suffolk IP7, UK June 1944

Ended Tour of Duty (ETD).
Died Dunwoody, GA, USA 1982
Buried Evansville, IL 62242, USA 1982

Saint Joseph Catholic Cemetery
Evansville
Vanderburgh County
Indiana, USA
Nationality
American
Nickname
Not yet known
Service numbers
O-793476
Highest rank
Captain
Role/job
Fighter Pilot
Awards
  • Air Medal with 4 oak leaf clusters
  • Distinguished Flying Cross with 2 oak leaf clusters
  • European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
  • World War II Victory Medal

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
28 June 2016 19:11:42 Al_Skiff Changes to highest rank, biography, awards, events and unit associations
Sources

http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/search.php?searchString=Ahles
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbapi.asp?Pilot=Ahles
https://353rdfightergroup.wordpress.com/351st-fs-aircraft/
http://p47pilots.com/P47-Pilots.cfm?c=incP47BiographyHome.cfm&vm=BIO&pil... N. Ahles
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=113350176
Date Contributor Update
20 November 2014 16:52:34 Lucy May Changes to service number, role and events
Sources

Combined two entries. Now includes information from the following source:
AccidentReports.com / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:11:05 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

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