ROY J. ALLDRITT, Bozeman, Montana, enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1940. After a few months of flight line experience helping crew B-18's and B-17's he attended a six months aircraft maintenance training school at Chanute Field, Ill. After graduation he became a flight engineer/gunner on B-26's until a crash on take-off convinced him that if he was to continue flying he should be the pilot.



He applied for aviation cadet training and trained at Kelly, Santa Ana, Rankin, Lemoore and Luke Field, graduating in Class 43-E. First assignment was with the 377th Ftr Sqdn, 362nd Grp at Windsor Locks, Conn. flying P-47C's. After 6 months of training and East Coast defense duties the group departed for Wormingford, England in Nov. '43.



After 30 missions flying escort for the Heavies (8th AF), Alldritt was temporarily assigned to a special unit to help develop and standardize dive bombing procedures for fighter aircraft. The unit disbanded after the C.O. lost a wing off of his P-5l during a high 'G' pull out. Alldritt then joined the 390th Ftr Sqdn, 366th Grp, 9th AF. The remainder of his combat tour consisted of destroying enemy supply routes,bunkers, bridges, vehicles, tanks, artillery and providing close support for the 2nd armored division.



Shortly after the group moved to France he ran into some unseen flak and was forced to make a nylon descent behind the lines; some evasion and a lot of luck had him back with his unit in 24 hours.