Don Gentile. e.s 336th FS 4th F.G

Supermarine Spifire Mk VB MD-T BL255 'Buckeye-Don'

336th F>S> 4th F.G. 2nd LT Don Gentile, Debden, October 1942

During the early stages of the Second World War American volunteers joined the USAAF to from what became known as the "Eagle Squadrons" Don Gentile was such a volunteer he would go on to become the unit's ranking ace with 21.833 kills by the time he returned to the us in late 1944. The boxing eagle motif on his Spitfire named "Buckeye-Don" was to become the enblem of the 336th FS and also featured on his P-51B named "Shangri-La" which he flew from march 1944. The two kills shown on BL255 were achieved on the August 19th 1942 when he shot down a JU88 and a Fw190. Bl255 first served with 133 and 611 Squadrons before joining the 336th and was then replaced by Don Gentile's P47 "Donnie-boy" when it was passsed to 118 Squadron in the Orkneys in may 1944 the to training with 61 otu and finally struck off charge on May 22nd 1945.

Don Gentile  Ace Fighter pilot.

Lets take a moment to remember all those volunteers that come across in the Second World War giving us loads of help.We remember the British forces and Americans but sadley the V.R's do get missed out on remembering WWII.

Which was the Americans,Canadians, and many more who come over to help as out at the start off the War.

Major

Don Gentile (pronounced 'jentilly')

Nickname Gentle

Ace Fighter Pilot.

Don Gentile had 30 "kills" as a WWII "Ace", breaking Eddie Rickenbacker's WWI record of 26, and was decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the DFC, the Air Medal,the PUC, the World War Two Victory Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the British Distinguished Flying Cross, the British Star, the Eagle Squadron Crest, and other foreign medals.

MAJOR DOMINIC S. GENTILE

Dominic S. Gentile was born on the December 6, 1920. He enjoyed aviation as a youngster; he even acquired an Aerosport biplane as a teenager, and cut quite a figure in the small Ohio town of Pique, flying it around, buzzing water towers, his girlfriend's house and the like. He enrolled in the Royal Canadian Air Force right out of high school. He soon transferred to the raf and began flying in England. In 1942, he joined the NO.133 Eagle Squadrons gave Don Gentile the chance to prove himdelf in combat against the Germans. He score his first aerial victory on August 1, 1942, destroying an Fw-190 and a Ju-88 over France.

For this he was awarded the British Distinguished Flying Cross.

That September, he transferred into the United States Eighth Air Force: 336th Fighter Squadron, Fourth Fighter Group, which claimed over one thousand German aircraft destroyed. Several Eagles, such as Gentile, Don Blakeslee, Jim Goodson, and Duane Beeson, become top aces of the European theater, especially after the Group's conversion to P-51 Mustangs.

On a mission in early 1944, Gentile downed a couple of German, only to be bounced by two others. Gentile went into a tight turn with the Hun. Not many pilots could turn in a Thunderbolt on the deck with an FW-190, but Gentile had the skill and was too frightened to worry about spinning out. The Hun had his No. 2 glued on his wing and he soon showed Gentile he was a tough adversary. Gentile went shuddering and shaking over the treetops with the two Germans. He was cold with fright, the same as he had been in his green Raf days when he escaped a German assailant with violent black-out turns and pull-outs, thus winning the bet that his body could stand more black-outs than the Germans.On some reverse turns Gentile squirted what little ammunition he had left ater downing the other two Jerries. Now he found himself without without ammunition and with two determind, accomplished killers on his tail. In the head-on attacks the German discerned that the Thunderbolt's wings were not firing; this made him press the attack that much more resolutely. The Hun peppered Gentile with some 30 deflection shots. Gentile pulled away and flicked down.

One of the Germans had been lost in the maneuvering and Gentile found himself going around in circles over the trees, rawhided by the German. Gentile was defenseless without ammunition; his one chance of surviving the vendetta was to evade the German fire until his ammunition was also exhausted. The German kept pressing for the one brief opportunity of lining the Thunderbolt up in his sights. Gentile's hand got clammy on the throttle.

"Help! Help! I'm being clobbered!" Gentile screamed in near panic.

Somewhere above in the clouds the rest of his squadron was flying about. Until this day Gentile remembers the imperturbable drawl of  Willard Millikan answeing, Now if you will tell me your call sign and approximate position we'll send help.

Gentile Shot back, "I'm down here by a railroad track with a 190!"

But Millikan couldn't find the duel(cannon vs. flying skill) went on down below. Characteristically, Gentile began talking to himself:"...Keep calm,Gentile...don't panic."

Gentile still manged to keep one  jump ahead of the German, but his desperation mounted. The Hun was lathered and remorseless, having seen the American clobber the two 190 pilots, his acquaintances and perhaps his friends. He knew by now that the American with the "Donnie Boy" insignia was a superlative; this was a chance to blast an American ace out of the sky without risk. He kept firing, but the American always climbed or banked just inside his line of fire. Gentile felt like giving up; he was going to be shot down anyway; it would be better to get some altitude and bail out.But he had some last words:

"Horseback, Horseback! if i don't get back, tell'em i got two 190s!".