Clarence Anderson

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Clarence Emil Anderson (born January 13, 1922 in Oakland , California ) is a former American fighter pilot in World War II and test pilot in the post-war period. In total, he completed over 7500 flight hours in over 130 different types of aircraft.

Life

Anderson grew up on a farm near Newcastle, California . He attended Sacramento Junior College.

On January 19, 1942, he joined the USAAF at the Sacramento Air Depot (now McClellan Air Force Base). After completing his flying training, he was assigned to the 328th Fighter Group (328th FG), but soon afterwards was seconded to the newly established 357th Fighter Group in Hamilton . There he became a flight leader in the 363rd Fighter Squadron, which was equipped with Bell P-39 Airacobras. In February 1944 the 357th FG was relocated to Leiston , England . His P-39, as well as his three P-51 Mustangs, which he then flew, he named after a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey Old Crow .

Clarence Anderson, who was nicknamed "Bud", was deployed in two combat tours with the 357th FG. From Leiston he flew 116 missions in which he achieved 16¼ confirmed aerial victories. Among other things, he was involved in the air battle on November 27, 1944 in the area between Berlin and Leipzig , in which pure hunting associations clashed. He scored three kills that day, but only two of them were recognized. The third was downgraded to “likely”. He flew North American P-51 B and P-51 D machines , nicknamed the "Old Crow". In February 1945 he returned to the USA. He then worked as a test pilot. During the Vietnam War , he was commander of the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing from June to December 1970. He retired from active service as a colonel in March 1972.

He then worked for McDonnell Aircraft Corporation until 1984 . Anderson is married with two children.

Awards

Clarence "Bud" Anderson (second from right) during the EAA AirVenture 2011

Publications

  • Jeffrey L. Ethell, Chuck Yeager , Clarence E. Anderson: There once was a war: the collected color photography of World War II
  • Merle Olmsted, Clarence E. Anderson, Thomas A. Tullis: To War With the Yoxford Boys: The Complete Story of the 357th Fighter Group
  • Clarence "Bud" Anderson, Joseph P. Hamlin: To Fly and Fight, Memoirs of a Triple Ace , Pacifica Military History, Library of Congress , ISBN 0-935553-34-7 (German: ... for flying and fighting: Memories 1922-1999, Twenty-nine six publishing house, Moosburg 2008, ISBN 978-3-9811615-2-6 )

literature

  • Jerry Scutts: Mustang Aces of the Eight Air Force . Osprey Publishing, Oxford, ISBN 1-85532-447-4

Web links

Commons : Clarence Emil Anderson  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Chuck Yeager, Leo Janos: Yeager, an autobiography (1986)
  2. ↑ a b See biography at the National Aviation Hall of Fame.
  3. ↑ James Roeder: 357th Fighter Group , squadron / signal publications, 2000, p. 12
  4. ↑ a b biography
personal data
SURNAME Anderson, Clarence
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Anderson, Clarence Emil; Anderson Bud
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American fighter pilot and test pilot
DATE OF BIRTH January 13, 1922
PLACE OF BIRTH Oakland , California