About those Flying Tiger casualties
Dan Ford
Since this topic seems to be of perennial interest, here is the breakdown
of wartime casualties in the American Volunteer Group. When I get a
chance, I'll post a breakdown of AVG victory claims. - Dan
Chennault had 80 pilots assigned to squadrons when the war began. Some of
them never did fly a combat mission, but on the other hand some
instructors he'd assigned to the Chinese Air Force joined the squadrons in
the spring of 1942. So 80 is as good a figure as any.
Of this number, five were lost in the air over Rangoon:
Flight Leader Neil Martin, killed in action, Dec. 23, 1941
Wingman Henry Gilbert, killed in action, Dec. 23, 1941
Flight Leader Allen Christman, killed in action, Jan. 23, 1942
Flight Leader Louis Hoffman, killed in action, Jan. 26, 1942
Flight Leader Edward Leibolt, missing in action, Feb. 25, 1942
Nine were lost attacking ground targets:
Flight Leader Charles Mott, captured, Jan. 8, 1942
Wingman Thomas Cole, killed in action, Jan. 30, 1942
Wingman William McGarry, captured, Mar. 24, 1942
Squadron Leader John Newkirk, killed in action, Mar. 24, 1942
Wingman John Donovan, killed in action, May 12, 1942
Vice Squadron Leader Lewis Bishop, captured, May 17, 1942
Flight Leader Robert Little, killed in action, May 22, 1942
Flight Leader John Petach, killed in action, Jul. 10, 1942
Wingman Arnold Shamblin, captured, Jul. 10, 1942
And seven died in accidents and air raids:
Wingman Lacy Mangleburg, accidentally killed, Dec. 23, 1941
Wingman Kenneth Merritt, accidentally killed, Jan 8, 1942
Squadron Leader Robert Sandell, accidentally killed, Feb. 7, 1942
Wingman Frank Swartz, died of wounds, Apr. 24, 1942
Wingman John Blackburn, accidentally killed, Apr. 26, 1942
Wingman Ben Foshee, died of wounds, May 4, 1942
Vice Squadron Leader Thomas Jones, accidentally killed, May 16, 1942
In addition to the P-40 pilots, a flight instructor (Marion Baugh) was
killed in a crash, a ground crewman (John Fauth) was killed in an air
raid, and a member of Chennault's headquarters staff (Joseph Alsop) was
captured by the Japanese.
Arnold Shamblin is seldom mentioned in AVG histories. A flight instructor
who became a P-40 pilot, he bailed out of his plane after it was hit by
ack-ack and was either executed on the spot or died in captivity. The
other AVG prisoners survived the war.
For the narrative, see Daniel Ford, Flying Tigers: Claire Chennault and
the American Volunteer Group (Smithsonian Institution Press, 1991, 1993,
paperback 1995). You can get the paperback for $15 postpaid--send me email.
Phil Brandt
Another excellent AVG reference is Maj. Gen. (ret.) Charles Bond's 1984
book, "A Flying Tiger's Diary". Publisher: Texas A&M University Press.
Phil Brandt
Dan Ford
My own favorite among the AVG diaries is R. T. Smith's "Tale of a Tiger"
which he published himself, using his actual Burma and China diary pages,
and salting them with a generous amount of photos. Seeing his handwriting
on the page, often within hours of landing from a mission, gives an
immediciay that is missing on the printed page. Also you know that
nothing was prettied up for publicaiton, as I suspect was done with
General Bond's "A Flying Tiger's Diary" and Radioman Robert Smith's "With
Chennault in China"--though both those are worth having also.
Schiffler is supposed to be publishing Frank? Losonsky's diary this
month, but I haven't seen it.
If you go to NASM, and if you look owlishly through your glasses, they
might let you read Bob Neale's diary, a copy of which they have in the
archives at Garber. The war diary of the 3rd Squadron Hell's Angels is
there also.
- Dan