User:74.94.157.222/sandbox

Lt Col. James Goodson DSC DFC American who survived the 1939 sinking of the Athenia by a German Submarine Fighter pilot in the British "Eagle Squadron" of US volunteers WW2 fighter ace of the US Air Force

Torpedoed and Sunk Jim "Goody" Goodson survived the sinking of an unarmed British passenger ship on the day Britain declared war on Germany. Jim, then an 18 year old high school student, was returning home after visiting relatives in England. He had booked a 3rd class passage on the British SS Athenia bound for Montreal, the last ship to leave Liverpool before war in Europe was declared. Just after 7.30pm on the evening of Sunday September 3, the Athenia was torpedoed and sunk without warning by the German submarine U-30.The Athenia was 250 miles north-west off Ireland, and crowded with child evacuees and other passengers fleeing Britain, including 311 Americans. He was subsequently rescued by a Norwegian tanker, and landed in Galway in Ireland. He spoke fondly of the kindness of the people of Galway, who donated food and clothing to the survivors.

Fighter Pilot with US volunteer Eagle Squadron Although it was to be more than 2 years before the US entered the war, Jim wasted no time in enlisting in the British Royal Air Force at a time when Britain stood alone against Germany. He received flight training and wings in Dunville, Ontario, Canada and was sent back to England as a fighter pilot flying the Hawker Hurricane, and then Spitfire with 416 Squadron "City of Oshawa" of the Royal Canadian Air Force. In August, 1942 he joined the Royal Air Force "Eagle Squadrons" of US volunteers. With America's entry in the war, these American volunteers eventually became the 4th Fighter Group of the USAAF, a unit that destroyed more enemy aircraft than any other Fighter Group of WW2. Ace and First Fighter Escorts to Berlin In January of 1943, the 4th said good bye to their British Spitfires, and re equipped with the new American P-47 Thunderbolt, a large, rugged fighter with heavy firepower. It was with the Thunderbolt that Jim became an "ace" with his first 5 air victories. Eventually, the Thunderbolts were exchanged for the long range P-51 Mustang, capable of 7 hours flying time. The new plane showed such great promise, that the group went from Thunderbolts to Mustangs within 24 hours, and never missed a combat mission. The pilots of the 4th had an average of 1 hour of training on the new Mustangs before they were back in combat. On March 4, the group was the first to escort US bombers all the way to Berlin and back. As commanding officer of 336 squadron, he quickly rose to become a leading ace. In April, Jim was sent to train the 31st fighter Group in Italy with the new Mustang. To show what the Mustang could do, he flew alone over 1,000 miles of enemy occupied territory from Debden, England to San Severo in Italy. It was, at the time, the longest mission ever flown in a single engined fighter plane. Back with the 4th, Jim rapidly increased his score to 30 enemy aircraft destroyed (15 air, 15 ground) He was Commanding Officer of 336 squadron, 4th Fighter Group at the time he was shot down by ground fire attacking a German airfield on June 20th, 1944. Captured and POW Wounded and weak from loss of blood, then Major Goodson managed to crash land his stricken plane and hobble into some adjoining woods. He evaded capture and attempted to reach neutral Sweden, but was eventually captured trying to steal food. Questioned by the Gestapo, he was summarily thrown into jail to be shot in the morning. Very fortunately, a call came through that transferred him to the authority of the German Air Force. Under guard, Jim was put on a train taking him to the German Air Force interrogation center. Stopped in a station, he was caught up in a heavy US air raid. Promising not to attempt escape, he helped the guards to dig out buried German civilians. His emotional experience of holding a dying German mother in his arms is poignantly told in his book "Tumult in the Clouds". Eventually, Jim was transferred to Stalag Luft lll of "Great Escape" fame, where he became the Camp Adjutant of the Center Compound of the camp. "The Long March" In the face of the rapid Russian advance during the winter of 1944-1945, the Germans ordered the evacuation of the camp. Major Goodson, as Camp Adjutant to General Delmar Spivey, Camp Commander of Stalag Luft lll, led the 2,000 malnourished and emaciated men of Center Compound on a forced march to Spremberg, 50 miles distant, where they were herded into cattle cars to take them to a POW camp at Moosburg. Despite snow, frigid temperatures, lack of adequate winter clothing, shelter, or food, the prisoners eventually arrived at Moosburg.

Escape Not content to remain a POW, smuggled his way into an adjoining compound, and joined a detail of Yugoslav prisoners working on repairing train tracks outside the camp. At dusk, he slipped away from the work party and German guards, and made his way to an address given to him in the camp. It was the house of one Peter Gegner, a sympathizer to the allied cause. The next morning, the house was searched by police, and Jim narrowly escaped detection by hiding in a cupboard. Thanking the Gegner family who had risked their lives by hiding him, he left, traveling on foot at night and sleeping by day, eventually reaching the American lines of General George S. Patton Jr.'s 3rd Army. He was able to join elements of the 14th Armored Infantry Division on their advance into Moosburg, and assist in the liberation of 8,000 American POW's on April 29th, 1945. Lt Col. James Goodson's decorations included the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross with 8 Oak Leaves, Air Medal with 20 Oak Leaves, Silver Star, Presidential Unit Citation, Purple Heart, French Legion of Honor, British Star, British Air Crew Europe Star, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, European-African-Middle East Campaign with 3 bronze stars, POW Medal, and numerous campaign medals. After the war, he was an executive for Goodyear Tire's European operations, and then worked for Hoover Headquarters in Zug, Switzerland. He then joined International Telephone and Telegraph until his retirement as President of Consumer Products and Corporate Vice President for ITT. He retired to Duxbury, Massachusetts.