Claim To Fame - Or Infamy?

Claim To Fame - Or Infamy
By: Jack Ilfrey

"War is not all hell; Some incidents were laughable. This is one could be considered hilarious."

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Did the 20th. Fighter Group have the only 2nd/Lt. Commanding Officer of a combat fighter squadron in the 8th. Air Force? At least for a few days:
- 2nd. Lt. Jack Ilfrey C.O. 79th. Sq. -

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"In late June, 1944, as operations officer of the 79th. I was promoted to Major. At the time of this incident I was acting C.O. of the squadron and a little later became permanent C.O.
As was wont our habit, a bunch of us guys were whooping it up one evening in the officers club celebrating my promotion - on me.
It was suggested that we go into Peterborough and make the rounds, so six of us piled into my assigned jeep and did just that. Didn't bother to stop at the gate, just waved and hollered at the guards.
We made some rounds and started back to base - still daylight.
A couple of MPs in a jeep started chasing us. I tried but could not outrun their hot rod jeep. Words flew back and forth. I just about had the MPs calmed down and considering letting us go on back to the base, when one of the guys,(Capt. James Bradshaw) pugilistic type, mean when drunk, K-Oed one of the MPs - knocked him flat. Guns were drawn - hands were raised - reinforcements called and the next thing we heard was 'CLINK' like the closing of a jailhouse door.
It took a few days for the MP report to go down to SHAEF, Eisenhower's headquaters - then to 8th. AF, Doolittle's headquarters - 8th. Fighter Command, Kepner's headquarters - 67th. Ftr. Wing, Edward Anderson's headquarters and finally to Col. Cy Wilson, 20th. FG C.O.
Only five reply by endorsements. I knew that it was coming, but not when. I was charged with unauthorized trip, no trip ticket, resisting arrest, sppeding, overloaded jeep, assualt on an MP, urinating in the street (not me) and rioting in then jailhouse - all we did was make a little noise."

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210.26 1st Ind. 2 July, 1944
HEADQUARTERS 67th FIGHTER WING,
APO 637, AAF Station F-372, U.S. Army
To: Major Jack M. Ilfrey, 0431223, 79th. Fighter Squadron, AAF Station F-367.
Thru: Commanding Officer, AAF Station F-367.
1. Your attention is directed to basic communication and to par 8 b (2) AR 605-230 and the enclosed efficency report.
2. You will reply by indorsement hereon the receipt of this communication and will indicate hereon whether you:
a. Request trial by court-martial
b. Request hearing before a reclassification board
c. Tender your resignation
d. Request demotion under the provisions of Par 14, AR 605-230.
/s/Edward W. Anderson
/t/EDWARD W. ANDERSON, Brigadier General, U.S. Army Commanding

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"To say Col. Cy Wilson was livid is way too mild - I thought he was going to have a stroke
Upon receiving the first communication, you could hear him all over the base. He made immediate preperations for us to drive to London, not on the motorcycle, raving and wildly driving that command car, on the wrong side of the road all the way.
Whatever General Doolittle was doing he stopped to receive the red faced Col. Cy and myself. I was expecting the worst.
As Cy was loudly talking the General repeated my name a couple of times, and gave me a quizzical look.
I immediately guessed what he was thinking - the international incident I caused in Portugal, November,1942 - I was right.
I was asked to leave the room until called again. After sweating it out for what seemed like hours, actually about 20 minutes, I was called back in. Cy was calmed down and back to his original color. He said 'Come to attention 2nd. Lt.,' somewhat sarcastically, 'and wipe that smile off your face."

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HEADQUARTERS
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
UNITED STATES ARMY

4 August 44
APO 887
AG 201 Illfrey, Jack M. (0) MPOB 3 August 1944
SUBJECT: Demotion
THRU: Commanding Officer, U.S. Strategic
Air Forces in Europe, APO 633.
TO: Major Jack M. Ilfrey, 0431223, AC.

1. By direction of the President the temporary appointment of Major Jack M. Ilfrey, (2nd. Lt., AC. ORC), 0431223, AUS, as Major, Army of the United States, is terminated effective 7 August 1944, including any temporary grades held under Public Law 455, 77th. Congress, on on 8 August 1944 he will revert to the permanent grade of Second Lieutenant, Air Corps, Officers Reserve Corps.
2. Second Lieutenant Jack M. Ilfrey, 0431223, AC, is temporarily promoted to the grade of Captain, Army of the United States, effective 8 August 1944.
3. Within twenty-four hours of its receipt by you, you will acknowledge receipt of this communication by letterm on the form inclosed herewith, through the same channels by which this communication reaches you.
By command of General Eisenhower:
R.B. Lovett,
Brigadier General, USA, Adjutant General

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Pilots of the 79th. FS - L-R: Art "Ace" Heiden, *John "Jack" Armstrong,*Jack Ilfrey (on wing,) Earl Jesse Carpenter, Arthur "Pappy" Kent, * Jim (Brad) Bradshaw, * George "Georgie" Merriman, * James "Baldy" Baldwin, Bob "B.T." Phipps.
(Asterick indicates those involved in the "Peterborough Caper /Great Jeep Caper".) ï¿½ Click to see enlarged version.
In addition to my being busted we were all grounded temporarily, and given fines, mine being the largest. Most of the fellows were flight commanders and the other squadrons had to furnish some flight C.O.s to keep the 79th. Sq. in the air, for a brief time.
After my promotional climb back up I'd had enough promotions to have become a Brigadier General. Col. Wilson promptly gave me the name: "General __________!"

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HEADQUARTERS
AAF STATION F-367
APO 637 U.S. Army

(C-1)
23 August 1944
SUBJECT: Recommendation for Regular Commission.
TO: Commanding General, VIII Fighter Command, AAF STA F-341
APO 637, U.S. Army.
1. Captain JACK M. ILFREY, 0431223, has been serving in this organization as a Squadron Operations Officer for a period of four months. Prior to this time he saw sevice in the North African Campaign, and for a short time was returned to the States as a Flight Commander in an O.T.U.
2. For his age and length of service this officer has probably been through more experiences and suffered more ups and downs in his Military career than most any other one individual in the Air Force. He has been on the continent of Europe on two diferent occassions and has managed to escape and make his way back in less than four days each time. At the beginning of a week he is cited for ramming a German fighter over Berlin and sucessfully flying his damaged ship home alone, and before the week is out proceedings for demotion are publishedfor a promotion he just received.
3. Captain ILFREY is, to all who know him, one of the outstanding young officers in the Fighter Command.His actions on the surface may at times seem impetuous and dependent on good fortune for success, but underneath his actions lies a type of judgement that is fundamntally sound and is based upon the belief that sudden aggressive action after a quick decision is often necessary to attain the desired results when the odds are almost impossible.
4. I have found this officer to be one of the best leaders in combat in this organization. He shows that he plans his work well ahead and considers all factors; when time does not permit his quick changing of plans always results in the maximum results being obtained from the new situation. This man has nothing less than a devoted following of the younger pilots ans the ground crews, and always he will be outstanding due to his ability to accomplish the almost impossible. The aggressiveness and spirit of such an officer should not be thrown away when a few more years of maturity will give him the complete background of a most valuable regular officer.
5. It is without hesitation that I strongly recommend that Captain ILFREY be considered for a regular commission in the Air Force. In time of war or peace his services would be more valuable than the "run of the mill" type officer who has never received a "reply by indorsement". In the past two months this man has thoroughly demonstrated his ability to assume ground responsibilities as well a those imposed on a leader in the air.
In each case he has attained the same high-degree of success.
NAME:Ifrey, Jack M.
RANK: Captain
ASN: 0431223
AGE: 24
AERONAUTICAL RATING: Pilot
/s/ Cy Wilson
Lt. Colonel, Air Corps, Commanding

210.14 1st. Ind. (A-A) (G-2)
HEADQUARTERS 67TH. FIGHTER WING,
AAF Sta F-372, APO 637. 26 August 1944

Above recommendation concurred in.
/s/Edward W. Anderson
Brigadier General, U.S. Army,
Commanding.

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There's no doubt about it, Col. Cy and Gen. Jimmy were two of the finest people I ever met.
There is no doubt that we were given a lot of slack during the war.
I got out of the service in December 1945. I knew I wasn't regular Army material and they did too."

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(Reprinted with the kind permission of "King's Cliffe Remembered" / Photograph courtesy of Dr. R.R. Bradshaw.)

NEWS	BIOGRAPHY	HOME
20TH.FG	TESTIMONIALS	1ST. FG
LINKS	THE P-51 MUSTANG	GLOSSARY
WEBRINGS	THE P-38 LIGHTNING	GUESTBOOK
PHOTO ALBUM	MESSAGE BOARD	ASSOCIATIONS
OUR MISSION	CONTRIBUTORS	POEMS
ART	AWARDS	BOOKS
	HAPPY JACK'S GO BUGGY