John B. England
| John Brooke England | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Nickname(s) | “Johnny” |
| Born |
January 15, 1923 Caruthersville, Missouri |
| Died | November 17, 1954 (aged 31) Toul-Rosières Air Base, France |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Air Force
|
| Years of service | 1942 – 1954 |
| Rank | Lt Col |
| Commands held |
362nd Fighter Squadron 389th Fighter-Bomber Squadron |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
| Awards |
Silver Star Distinguished Flying Cross (5) Air Medal (15) |
362nd Fighter Squadron
John Brooke England (15 January 1923 – 17 November 1954) was a World War II fighter ace in the 357th Fighter Group and a career fighter pilot in the United States Air Force.
He was the son of Bidker H. and Pearl J. England of Caruthersville, Missouri. After graduating from Caruthersville High School on 16 May 1940, he worked as a bookkeeper and later he marketed various agricultural commodities. Growing up on the banks of the Mississippi River, his favorite hobby was fishing.
After the war started, he enlisted in the US Army on 1 April 1942. He was accepted into aviation cadet training and was sent to Yuma, Arizona where his flight instructor was future U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Barry Goldwater. He completed his flying training on 9 March 1943. He was then commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and received his pilot’s wings on 10 March 1943.
After this training, he was assigned to the 362d Fighter Squadron of the 357th Fighter Group which was then flying the P-39 Airacobra. The 357th moved to Santa Rosa, California and then moved for additional training to Oroville, California in August 1943. After additional moves and training in other states, the personnel of the 357th boarded the RMS Queen Elizabeth and sailed from New York City on 23 November 1943.
The unit was assigned to RAF Leiston and after transitioning to the P-51 Mustang, they flew their first combat mission on 11 February 1944. John was promoted to 1st Lt. on 26 October 1943 and by the time he was promoted to Captain on 28 April 1944 he already had 6.5 aerial credits. After his first victory on 8 March 1944, he attained the status of “Ace” in only forty-eight days.
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