Jesse C Davis Jr
Military
IWM, Roger Freeman Collection
Object Number - FRE 266 - Major Jesse C. Davis of the 78th Fighter Group, with a local young girl on his knee, at Duxford air base. 1943-1945.
Jesse Davis lived in Beloit, Wisconsin, he joined the Army Air Corps in 1940, arriving at Duxford in April 1943. By June 1943 he was commander of the 83rd Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group. He flew 88 missions in P-47 Thunderbolts and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service.
Awards: DFC (2OLC), AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Post war: Davis remained in the Air Force, serving in Germany and Japan. He then spent 5 years as a professor of Air Science at Tactics at the University of North Dakota. By 1964 he had been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and lived with his wife Christina in Redlands California. In October 1964, with divorce pending, Davis murdered his wife then killed himself.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
Aircraft
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: "Duckpond"
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
30 August 1915 | ||
|
Enlisted |
26 November 1940 | Savanna Ordnance Dept Proving Ground, IL | |
|
Died |
12 October 1964 | ||
|
Born |
|||
|
Based |
Assigned to 83FS, 78FG, 8AF USAAF. | ||
|
Other Promotion |
Promoted to Major. | ||
|
Buried |
Golden Gate National Cemetery San Bruno, San Mateo County, CA |
Revisions
Research conducted for IWM Publication 'Somewhere in England, American Airmen in the Second World War'
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / EAGLES OF DUXFORD, The 78th Fighter Group in WW2 by Fry, p133 / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list
