James E. Spillane Jr.

SECOND LIEUTENANT JAMES E. SPILLANE JR. was born in Pennsylvania in 1919. He grew up in the Bettlewood section of Haddon Township NJ, living on East Collingswood Avenue.  This neighborhood was served by the Oaklyn NJ post office, and is often referred to as Oaklyn. The son of James and Ida Spillane, his father was a sergeant on the Haddon Township police force, and was president of the South Jersey Suburban Police Association. 

James Spillane Jr. graduated from Edison Junior High school in Haddon Township, NJ, and he graduated of Collingswood High School, class of 1938. An outstanding athlete, Lieutenant Spillane was a star on the Collingswood High School football, baseball, and basketball teams. He also played baseball in the Camden County League, where in 1938, he was a teammate of Tom Costello amd long-time Woodrow Wilson High School coach Grover Wearshing. He attended the West Nottingham Academy in Maryland, and the University of Delaware for two years before entering the service at Fort Dix NJ on November 14, 1941. 

James Spillane was transferred to the Signal Corps, prior to transferring to fighters in January 1942, and was stationed at Fort Monmouth NJ. In March of 1942 he passed his examination for service in the Air Corps. In May of 1942 he was sent to Hawaii before his transfer to the Air Corps came through. He had to retake the test to qualify for pilot, navigator, or bombardier training. He qualified for pilot training, and returned to the mainland in January of 1943. All of his flight training took place on the West Coast. He trained at Santa Ana CA, before earning his wings and commission at Williams Field AZ on November 6, 1943 as a fighter pilot, flying the Lockheed P-38 Lightning twin-engine fighter.

Second Lieutenant Spillane was sent to England in April of 1944. He flew combat missions from England over Germany, France, and the Low Countries. His plane was involved in an accident while taxiing at Wattisham in England on May 26, 1944. He was killed in action while flying a cover mission, protecting the bomber formations, over France, on June 9, 1944. He was 25 years old. 

James Spillane was reported to have been killed in action in the June 22, 1944 edition of the Camden Courier-Post. He was brought home after the war, and he now lies at New St. Mary's Cemetery in Bellmawr NJ, next to his parents.

Camden Courier-Post * October 27, 1936 

Camden Courier-Post * June 1, 1938 * Camden County League Baseball

Walt Cowan Twirls 'Colls' to Easy 8-1 Decision Over Westmont

479^th Fighter Group

Assigned 8th AAF: 14 May 1944

Wing/Command Assignment

VIII FC, 65 FW: 15 May 1944.
2 BD, 65 FW: 15 Sep. 1944.
2 AD, 65 FW: 1 Jan. 1945.

Combat Aircraft:

P-38J May 1944 to 27 Sep. 1944.
P-51D 13 Sep. 1944 to Sep. 1945

Stations

Grand Central Air Terminal Calif, 15 Oct 1943
Lomita Flight Strip, Calif, c. Feb 1944
Santa Maria AAFld, Calif, c. 8-c. 12 Apr 1944
WATTISHAM 15 May 1944 to 22 Nov. 1945.

Group COs

Lt Col Kyle L. Riddle: 25 Dec. 1943 - 10 Aug. 1944 MIA-evaded
Col. Hubert Zemke: 12 Aug. 1944 - 30 Oct. 1944, POW.
Col. Kvle L. Riddle: 1 Nov. 1944 - late 1945.

First Mission: 26 May 1944
Last Mission: 25 Apr. 1945
Total missions: 351
Aircraft MIA: 69

Claims: 155 air; 279 ground

Major Awards:

Distinguished Unit Citations: 18 Aug., 5 and 26 Sep. 1944; strafing airfields and air combat, near Munster.

Unit Claims to Fame

Last fighter group to join 8AF. First combat with 'jet' enemy aircraft - Captain Jeffrey, 29 July 1944. Last enemy aircraft claimed by 8AF on the 25 April 1945, Lt Hilton Thompson.

Early History:

Activated 15 Oct. 1943 at Glendale GCAT CA. Trained there with P-38s until 6 Feb. 1944. Moved to Lomita Flight Strip, CA. and on 7 Mar. 1944 to Santa Maria AAField, CA. Commenced overseas movement on April arriving Camp Kilmer, NJ. 20 Apr. 1944. Sailed on the USS Argentina, 2 May 1944 and arrived Clyde 14 May 1944.

Subsequent History:

Many personnel transferred after VE-day. Aircraft transfered to depots on Sep. 1945. Unit was the last fighter group to return to US, sailing from UK on the 23 Nov. 1944 and arriving in New York on the 29 of Nov. 1945. Group established at Camp Kilmer, NJ for inactivation there on 1 Dec. 1945

 Between 1937 & 1939 land was purchased by the government near Wattisham village, four type " C " hangers were erected and a grass landing area was formed. On the 6th April 1939 Wing Commander O R Gayford DFC AFC took command of the station. Bristol Blenheim bombers of 107 & 110 Squadrons arrived under No.2 Group Bomber Command on the 11th May 1939. Aircraft from both squadrons made the first Wartime bombing raid on the 4th September 1939, against German battleships anchored at Keil. For his part in the raid Flight Lieutenant Doran, was awarded the DFC.
Both squadrons flew many missions over Norway and Denmark during the German offensive in April 1940 and later flew tactical missions against German forces invading France. In the next 3 years their aircraft and those of No's18 and 226 Squadrons together with Beaufighters of No.236 Squadron attacted enemy troops, shipping and U Boats, also taking part in night intruder raids and daylight sweeps over France. Aircraft from Wattisham took part in the first 1000 bomber raid. During this time the Luftwaffe caused damage and many casualties attacking the airfield.

·        In mid 1942 Wattisham Airfield was handed over to the United States Army Air Force. Its first duty was to assemble P-38 Lightnings for North Africa.

For the next two years it was use as a central supply depot and maintenance base for United States air formations in Britain. In May 1944 its role changed with the arrival of 479th Fighter Group from America. The Group consisted of 3 Squadrons, the 434th,435th and 436th. The Group was led by Lt Col. Kyle L. Riddle and were known as " Riddle's Raiders ". Initailly they flew the P-38J Lightning but later converted to the P51 Mustang. When Riddle was shot down the group came under the control of Col. Hubert Zemke.

From May 1944 to Apr 1945, the 479th Fighter Group escorted heavy bombers during operations against targets on the Continent, strafed targets of opportunity, and flew fighter-bomber, counter-air, and area-patrol missions. Engaged primarily in escort activities and fighter sweeps until the Normandy invasion in June 1944. Patrolled the beachhead during the invasion. Strafed and dive-bombed troops, bridges, locomotives, railway cars, barges, vehicles, airfields, gun emplacements, flak towers, ammunition dumps, power stations, and radar sites while on escort or fighter-bomber missions as the Allies drove across France during the summer and fall of 1944; flew area patrols to support the breakthrough at St Lo in Jul and the airborne attack on Holland in Sep. Received a DUC for the destruction of numerous aircraft on airfields in France on 18 Aug and 5 Sep and during aerial battle near Munster on 26 Sep. Continued escort and fighter-bomber activities from Oct to mid-Dec 1944, converting to P-51's during this period. Participated in the Battle of the Bulge (Dec 1944-Jan 1945) by escorting bombers to and from targets in the battle area and by strafing transportation targets while on escort duty. Flew escort missions from Feb to Apr 1945, but also provided area patrols to support the airborne attack across the Rhine in Mar. Returned to the US in Nov 1945. Inactivated on Dec 1945.

________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Station: Wattisham 15 May 1944 to 16 April 1945 Station Callsign:
Heater Group Callsign: Highway (A Group)
Snowwhite (B Group)
Flareup (C Group)
(No Squadron Callsigns in C Group)

_________________________________________________________________________