The signatories
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C.E. 'Bud' Anderson
'Bud' Anderson went to England with the 357th Fighter Group in
1943, the first 8th Air Force group to be equipped with Mustangs.
On 29th June 1944, leading his squadron on a mission to Leipzig,
they ran into a formation of Fw190s. In the ensuing battle Anderson
shot down the leader, and two others. After a short rest in the
US he returned for a second tour, arriving back just in time
for the 357th's big day on 28th November. With the 353rd they
took on a huge formation of some 200 enemy fighters, Anderson
adding three more to his score. His final victory came in another
fierce contest west of Berlin, and he finished the war with 16
air victories.
(Gold edition only) |
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Robert Winks
Bob Winks joined the Army Air Force in March, 1943, earning his
wings in early January, 1944. Posted to England he was assigned
to the 357th FG based at Leiston, and flew his first combat mission
on July 18th, a fighter sweep over Northern France, where he
encountered the notorious 'Abbeville Kids'.
His tour in Europe included combat over the Ardennes during the
Battle of the Bulge, the Arnhem operations, and the Battle of
Berlin, when the 357th destroyed 56 enemy aircraft. After some
sixty nine combat missions in his Mustang "Trusty Rusty"
Bob ended the war as an Ace, with three Fw190's, one and a half
Me109's and an Me262 to his credit.
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Clinton Burdick
Clinton Burdick signed up for the service on his 18th birthday
in 1942. After pilot training he joined the 361st FS, 356th Fighter
Group at Martlesham Heath in England, in October 1944. Flying
his first combat mission in November, his first victory came
quickly on 25th of that month, and like his father, a WWI Sopwith
Camel pilot, he too was to become an Ace.
Clinton flew 53 combat missions during his tour, and with 6 victories
was one of only five aerial Aces in the 356th.
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Günther Rall
Günther Rall was a young pilot with III./JG52 at the outbreak
of war, and quickly demonstrated his natural ability and leadership
qualities. He scored his first victory early in the Battle of
France, and by July 1940 was leading 8./JG52. After transferring
to the Eastern Front his victories soon mounted but he was hospitalized
following a crash. Returning to combat as Kommandeur of III./JG52,
he gained the Wing's 500th victory, before being posted Kommandeur
of II./JG11 on the Western Front, flying high altitude intercepts
in Me109Gs. He was later Kommandeur of JG300, and finished the
war as the 3rd highest Ace in history with 275 victories.
He was awarded the Knight ’s Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.
(Gold edition only) |
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Willi Reschke
After pilot training, Willi Reschke was transfered to I./JG 302
based at Götzendorf near Wien. On 2 July he achieved his
first success when he shot down two B-24s over Budapest. He rammed
the next B-24 he downed on 7 July when his guns malfunctioned,
he successfully baled out of his stricken aircraft. On 24 August,
he claimed a further B-24 Liberator, but shortly after, during
an attack on a second, his aircraft was hit by return fire, he
baled out when P-51 Mustangs began pouring fire into his Bf 109.
After re-equipping with the Focke-Wulf 190 A-8, I./JG 302 was
redesignated III./JG 301 on 30 September. In October the unit
transfered to Stendal airport near Berlin. On 1 January 1945,
Reschke downed a B-17 for his 22nd victory but was again hit
by return fire and baled out of his Fw 190 A-8 "White 6".
On 13 March, he was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold. In March
he transferred to Stab JG 301. On 14 April, he flew a Ta 152
and claimed an RAF Tempest, later that month he was awarded the
Knight's Cross.
Willi Reschke flew about 48 combat missions, achieving 27 confirmed
victories, 20 of them four-engined bombers. He was shot down
8 times, baling out 4 times, and was wounded once. |
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Alfred Ambs
Alfred Ambs was born on January 22nd, 1923 in Gladbeck, Germany.
He joined the Luftwaffe on July 10th, 1942, and served in Flg.Rgt.
53, Luftkriegsschule 3, Flugzeugführerschule C14 (Prague),
Flugzeugführerschule B33 (Prague-Rusin), and Zerstörergeschwader
101. Ambs received his type rating on the Me 262 in Lechfeld,
Bavaria and was subsequently posted to JG7 as a line pilot. Ambs
flew about 75 combat missions on the 262 in which he gained six
confirmed victories.
His last mission (in the Me 262) was flown on March 23rd, 1945. |
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Ernest Giefing
Ernest Giefing was born on February 7th, 1924 in Stockerau, Austria.
After graduating from flight school he joined the training unit
"Jagdschule 107" in July, 1943 and later joined "Jagdschule
107" as a flying instructor. Five months later, Giefing
was posted to Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (JG2),
followed by a posting to JG 7 in December, 1944. Ernest Giefing
held the rank of Flight Sergeant by the end of the war, having
flown approximately 75 combat missions including 12 in Me262
jets, and gaining four confirmed aerial victories, two in the
Me262 and two flying the Me109. Ernest Giefing was shot down
four times, the fourth time on March 24th, 1945 - the day of
his last combat mission. |