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Transferred Airmen Back In States With Navy By Tom Bernard Stars and Stripes Navy Editor Forty fighter and bomber pilots of the RAF and RCAF who transferred to the US Navy in London during the past few months have arrived safely in the United States where they will begin a refresher course at Jacksonville, Fla., before going on active duty with the fleet. With hundreds of operational flights and thousands of hours of flying time to their credit, the fliers, many of whom have been working from RAF bases in Malta, Africa, England and Scotland, will learn the difference between fighting from ground and carrier based planes. The pilots, from all sections of the States, flew all types of British and American aircraft used by the RAF. Spitfire pilot Joseph L. Lowrey, now a lieutenant (jg), Memphis, Tenn., is typical of the Americans who will soon fight under their own flag. Lowrey had been flying Spits for one and a half years with the RAF before transferring to the Navy. Two Nazis Downed He trained in Bakersfield, Cal., after having worked as a training instructor for the RCAF. His experience includes five months in Malta, where he had two confirmed (and one probable) enemy planes to his credit. In all he made 50 to 60 operational flights including sweeps over Sicily “ when things got dull over Malta.’ He also flew from bases in Scotland. Lt. Lowrey is a brother of Lt. W. W. Lowrey, regular Navy pilot, who, in April, 1941, saved a Marine Corps pilot whose parachute shrouds caught on his plane as he made a jump over San Diego, Cal. The elder Lowrey took up a training plane, slashed the shrouds with his propeller and neatly dumped the Marine in the rear cockpit of his ship. For this he was awarded the Navy Cross. In 31 operational flights over enemy territory in big Stirling bombers, Lt. Gg) Leonard A. Johnson, Corpus Christi, Tex., and his crew bagged four enemy fighters. Johnson won the Distinguished Flying Cross. I had some good gunners,” Johnson explained. Lt. Johnson had been on active duty with the RAF since 1940. He trained in Canada. Bombed Afrika Korps Lt. (jg) Norman Hahn, Eau Claire, Wis., knows what the might of Rommel’s Afrika Korps was when the British were fighting for their lives in Egypt before the present drive. Hahn, an RCAF pilot, bombed Rommel’s columns several times in Wellingtons. He served in Malta for two months and nine months in Egypt. He had also seen action from bases in the British Isles. Other members of the party who re turned to the United States for additional training were: Ens. Winston G. Baggett Jr., Houston, Tex. ; Ens. Alvie Blessing, Downey, Cal.; Ens. Harold V. Bryant, Edmonton, Alberta, Can.; Lt. (jg) Samuel G. Burtis, Woodmere, N.Y.; Ens. James E. Dittus, Cincinnati, Ohio; Ens. Maxwell M. Corpening, Chicago, Ill.; Lt. Gg) Emerson K. Fisher, Warren, Penn.; Ens. Harry T. Gillis, Seattle, Wash. ; Ens. Chalmers H. Goodlin, Derry, Penn.; John H. Henson, APIIc, Roscoe, Tex. ; William H. Cuffel, APIc, Anchorage, Alaska; Lt. Gg) Charles M. Hinn, Hollywood, Cal, Ens. Sam. A. Howard, Waycross, Ga.; Lt. Gg) Leonard A. Johnson, St. Paul, Minn.; Lt. Gg) Arthur D. Jones, Flemington, N.J.; Ens. John R. Kretsch, St. Paul, Minn.; Ens. Paul S. Kuhns, Lisbon, Ohio; Ens. William H. Lang, Glendale, Cal. Homer W. Lewis, APtc, Montgomery, Als. Archibald T. MacDonald, APIc, Ossining, N.Y. , Ens. Robert J. McCarthy, Dakota, Iowa; Ens. Luther N. McKinnon, Clarksville, Tenn.; John F. Marquardt, Moorhead, Minn.; Ens. Frank B. Moore, Middlebury, Vermont; Ens. Robert W. Murphy, Glendale, Calif.; Ens. Vernon R. Poert ner, Kirkwood, Miss.; Ens. George D. Riffe, Tyrone, Ok.; Everett R. Robinett, APlc, Cleve land, Ohio; Ens. Joseph P. Seymour, Independence, Kan. ; Ens. Charles E. Sharp, Muskogee, Ok.; Ens. Carl G. Swanson, Excelsior, Minn.; Ens. Harry L. Smith, Mount Vernon, Ga. ; Ens. George D. Terry, Long Island, N.Y.; Ens. David L. Thompson, Fairmont, W. Va.; Ens. William J. White, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Ens. Don Carlos Wier, Tuscon, Ariz.; Ens. Watson E. Words worth, Housatonic, Mass.
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London Stars and Stripes

London, Middlesex, GB

Mon, Dec 28, 1942

Page 3

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USA 26 Jun 2026

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