WW2 Autograph

[Gildwiller1918]

Here is a interesting find I came across just recently, and autograph from WW2 US Ace James Goodson. Information below was obtained from various internet sources.

Born in America of British parents, but growing up in Toronto, young James Goodson wanted to see some of the world, and worked his way to England as a pantry boy in a Cunard liner. When the war started, he wanted to return to Canada, and booked passage on the SS Athenia on September 3, 1939. A German u-boat torpedoed the great liner that night; Goodson struggled into a life boat and was rescued by a Norwegian ship. Back in England, his anger stirred him to enlist in the RAF, thinking to be a fighter pilot. With the usual amount of red tape, his application was accepted and he was promptly sent to Canada, where the RAF aviation cadets were training. This time, his ship, The Duchess of Athol, crossed the Atlantic without incident. In Toronto's National Exhibition Halls, where the cadets were being processed, he first met Mike Sobanksi, the tall Pole, who had fought with the Polish Army, been injured, and then escaped to America.

After his training in Canada, Goodson once again crossed the Atlantic in another crowded liner. In England, he fretted away more time in advanced training in Cumberland, then flying Hurricanes on uneventful operations in the North. He lobbied for transfer to 11 Group, which was heavily engaged in the aerial battles to the South. He flew cover for the disastrous Dieppe raid in August, 1942, and the following month was posted to the 133rd Squadron, an RAF 'Eagle' squadron - RAF units made up of American pilots. At Debden, he found out that most of the squadron's pilots had been lost on a recent mission to Brest. Don Gentile had not been on that mission, nor had Don Blakeslee, soon promoted to Squadron CO. Blakeslee quickly re-built the squadron, in his own swaggering image.

Soon the three Eagle Squadrons were transferred to the U.S. Eighth Air Force, becoming the 4th Fighter Group (the 133 Sqn redesignated as the 336FS). Without American planes to fly,they continued to fly Spitfires, painting over the RAF roundels with USAAF stars. Goodson and Dixie Alexander had two of the first Spifires to be repainted, and Goodson sold Blakeslee on the idea of launching the first U.S. fighter mission of the ETO. Blakeslee agreed, and the two pilots flew over the Channel on a low-level strafing mission, a type of mission code-named a 'Rhubarb'. Basically, the two planes zipped across the Channel, shot up a couple bicyclists and trains, and returned before they could get in trouble. The PR boys got a hold of the news and soon an article in Stars and Stripes blared out "At dawn today, fighter planes of the U.S. Eighth Army Air Force carried out daring low-level attacks on rail, road and water transport in Northen France and Belgium ..." Blakeslee was furious and charged into their barracks, and bellowed at Goodson, "All right! Where's the other half of the Eighth Air Force?" He calmed down, but made the two pilots foot the squadron's sizable bar bill that night.

The Fourth shortly transitioned to the American-made P-47 Thunderbolt, a plane about as different from their beloved Spitfires as possible. The Spitfires were delightful (and deadly) but had no range. They had been perfect for the Battle of Britain, but escorting bombers over Germany called for a long-range fighter. Already (About this time, Blakeslee was promoted to command the entire Fourth Fighter Group and uttered his caustic judgment on the P-47: "It damn well ought to dive; it sure as Hell can't climb.")

On August 16, 1943, Goodson rescued Blakeslee from three FW-190s, in a thrilling dogfight over Paris' Le Bourget airfield. The mission promised to be a milk run, suitable for breaking in a new wingman, Roy Wehrman. But they got involved in a tough dogfight, Blakeslee baring escaping in an oil-covered Thunderbolt. He couldn't see a thing, and Goodson had to talk him down, all the way to a landing at the Manston emergency strip. Wehrman was shaken and sweating profusely; but he was okay and asked Goody to let him know the next time they were planning a milk run.

The Fourth switched over to Mustangs in early '44, and helped escort the bombers on the Berlin raid of March 6,1944. Goodson led a squadron on this mission; they caught up to the Flying Fortresses outside of Madgeburg, just as hordes of German fighters closed in. He dove after a gaggle of Bf-109s, which were focused on the bombers, picked out one target and flamed it. He pulled around to get into the battle, found three of his planes still with him, and almost immediately damaged another 109, forcing it to break off its attack on a Mustang. Again he led his flight back into the action, this time getting behind a lone B-17, always easy prey for the Germans. Goodson got into a turning contest with a 190 (which he thought the Mustang should win), but the 190 crept up on him in the turn. In desperation, he dropped a flap, pulling out of the line of fire. The German dove away for the deck, Goody pursued and eventually caught up, but ran out of ammo after a couple short bursts. He broke off and headed for home. Some time later, he received a Distinguished Service Cross citation for the mission. 

He was missing in action on 20 June 1944, having been shot down by antiaircraft fire while strafing Neu Brandenburg airdrome. He was injured and escaped capture for a few days before being caught and handed over to the Gestapo. He talked his way out of summary execution by teaching his interrogator to blow smoke rings and ended up POW in Stalag Luft III until liberation. His nickname was 'King of the Strafers' for his extreme low flying.

He received more than 22 awards from 5 countries, including the British Distinguished Flying Cross, the American Distinguished Flying Cross 9 times, the Air Medal 21 times, the Purple Heart, the Belgian Order of Leopold with Silver palm Leaf and the French Legion of Honour in the grade of Chevalier (Knight). He is credited with 15 aerial kills and 15 aircraft destroyed on the ground.