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William B Bailey
| Colonel William B Bailey USAF (deceased) William Bradford Bailey was born in Lynn, Massachusetts on August 20,1918 as WW1 was winding down. Bill graduated from Duke University in 1940, and earned his Private Pilots License under a program sponsored by the Civil Aeronautics Administration. He was selected for advanced training in a PT-17. In September of 1940 Bill reached an important fork in his future career road. Instead of attending Harvard Business School he chose Army Flight Training instead, graduating with Class 41-E at Maxwell Field in Alabama. His first assignment was at Mitchel Field in New York flying P-40s with the 58th Pursuit Squadron. With America's entry into WW II the Army Air Corps grew rapidly and Bill received numerous assignments of increasing responsibility. This culminated with his posting as C.O. of the 352nd FS equipped with P-40s. The squadron was deemed combat-ready in August 1943 following 6-months of training with the P-47 Jug. Assigned to the 8th Air Force in East Anglia, UK, Col. Bailey lead the 352nd in conducting its primary mission of bomber-escort and ground attack. In July of 1944 Bailey assumed the post of Executive Officer and Deputy Commander of the 353rd Fighter Group. The Group converted to the P51 Mustang in September, and Bailey continued in that capacity until September of 1945. In his two combat tours Bill Bailey flew 186 combat missions totaling 454 hours. He flew 32 missions and 129 hours in the P-51. He was credited with 3 enemy aircraft destroyed in aerial combat and an additional 3 destroyed on the ground. Like most military pilots in WW II, Col. Bailey was a team player who was more conservative in his flying than some other fighter pilots who were more focused on attaining personal fame or glory. On March 2, 1945 Bailey led a group of fifty-two P-51s in support of a major bombing mission of a refinery in the Eastern Ruhr. Shortly after joining up with the bombers, Bailey noticed a large group of German fighters to the East. With the sun at their back, the P-51s gained altitude and attacked the German fighters from behind as they prepared to turn into the bomber formation. The Germans were caught by surprise and fifteen Jerrys were downed. In the melee that followed Bailey lost contact with his wingman and followed a group of about six Fw-190s diving for cover in the overcast below. Bailey caught up with them as he ducked in and out of clouds at 12,000 feet. He caught two of them with a concentrated burst at about 50 yards from their tails. Low on fuel and facing a 400-mile return trip, Bailey broke off the attack and returned to England. Following WWII, Bailey accepted a regular commission in the Air Force and was sent to Columbia University Graduate School of International Affairs. After graduation, his successive assignments included Assistant Air Attache, U.S. Embassy, Paris, and Director for Arms Control, Disarmament and United Nations Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Air Advisor to the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, student at the National War College, Office of the Chief of Staff, USAF, and Air Attache, US Embassy, Paris. Following his retirement from the Air Force he became Director of European Operations for Rohr Industries, the leading manufacturer of nacelles and thrust reversers for transport aircraft including the European Airbus. Col. Bailey's decorations include the Silver Star, The Distinguished Flying Cross with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Medal with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters, the French Legion of Honor, and the Swedish Royal Order of the Sword. He died on 15th May 2012. |
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Top Cover by Stan Stokes. The painting depicts a P-51D Mustang (flown by William Bailey of the 353rd Fighter Group) flying escort for B-17 Flying Fortresses of the U.S. Armys Eighth Air Force. The scene is over the French countryside during late 1944, and several more hours of high altitude flying lies ahead of these pilots before the days work is over. Bombing played a major role in the Allies victory in Europe. The RAF relied primarily on night bombing which was also called strategic bombing. Day time bombing was a necessity for hitting specific targets such as munition plants, dams, and submarine pens. The Mighty Eighth took on responsibility for most of the day time bombing missions. The hazards and discomforts of high altitude flying, the perils of enemy flak batteries, and the threat of enemy fighters made these missions exceedingly dangerous until only very late in the war. Fighter escort was critically important in improving the odds of a successful mission, and the P-51 became arguably the premier aircraft for providing that cover. The P-51 is generally acknowledged as Americas top fighter plane of World War II. The first Mustangs were ordered by the British Government in 1940. The USAAF was initially reluctant to order the Mustang, having already committed itself to the P-38 Lightning, the P-47 Thunderbolt, the P-40 Warhawk, and the P-39 Airacobra. In 1944 an improved version of the Mustang, the D, came off North American Aviations assembly line in California. It was dramatically altered from earlier versions, as major changes in fuselage design were incorporated to improve pilot visibility. The P-51D was powered by a Packard-built, Rolls Royce-designed, liquid cooled V-12 engine which generated 1,612 HP. The Mustang had a top speed of 436 MPH, a range of 949 miles, and an operational ceiling in excess of 42,000 feet. Nearly 8,000 P-51Ds were produced. In service with the USAAF Mustangs flew in excess of 200,000 missions, and were credited with destroying nearly 5,000 enemy aircraft. The Mustang was unique in its ability to provide long range fighter escort, and this greatly enhanced the effectiveness of Allied bombing missions. On returning from their escort missions Mustangs would generally split into squadrons and take varying routes home looking for targets of opportunity. |
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