World War II Honoree

Charles William Compton, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Irvington, New Jersey

Honored By

Carolyn Compton Delmar

Relationship

Daughter

ENLISTED IN ARMY AIR FORCES DECEMBER 8, 1941. TRAINED AS BOMBARDIER ON B-17 AIRCRAFT. SENT TO THORPE ABBOTTS, ENGLAND, EIGHTH AIR FORCE, 100TH BOMB GROUP ('BLOODY 100TH'), 349 SQUADRON, NOVEMBER, 1943. PARTICIPATED IN 3 BOMBING RAIDS OVER GERMANY. ON DECEMBER 30, 1943, RETURNING FROM THIRD MISSION ABOARD B-17 'LADEN MAIDEN', WAS SHOT DOWN NEAR REIMS, FRANCE. HE AND THE NAVIGATOR PARACHUTED TO SAFETY AND WERE HIDDEN BY LOCALS UNTIL THEY AND OTHER DOWNED AMERICAN FLIERS WERE TURNED OVER TO MEMBERS OF THE FRENCH UNDERGROUND WHO MOVED THEM TO PARIS AND THEN SOUTH TO THE PYRENEES MOUNTAINS. HE LEARNED TO SPEAK FRENCH WELL ENOUGH TO HELP THE UNDERGROUND IDENTIFY OTHER DOWNED FLIERS WHILE IN PARIS. ON THE THIRD TRY, AFTER BEING DESERTED BY THEIR GUIDE, HE LED A GROUP TO SAFETY BY WALKING ACROSS THE PYRENEES MOUNTAINS TO SPAIN IN APRIL, 1944 AND RETURNED TO THE U.S. IN MAY, 1944. HE SPENT THE REST OF THE WAR TRAINING RECRUITS IN CHILDRESS, TEXAS. WAS THE ONLY LIEUTENANT TO ADDRESS A GRADUATING CLASS AT CHILDRESS AIR BASE. HE WAS DISCHARGED IN 1946 AS A FIRST LIEUTENANT.