List of Flying Tigers pilots


Following is a complete list of American Volunteer Group pilots. The AVG was operational from December 20, 1941, to July 14, 1942. The press continued to apply the Flying Tigers name to later units, but pilots of those organizations are not included.
In most air forces, a victory is defined as the destruction of an enemy aircraft in air-to-air combat, and those shown below are the "confirmed" claims as recorded in AVG records, unearthed by aviation historian Frank Olynyk. The Chinese government paid the pilots a bonus of $500 for each enemy aircraft destroyed, whether in the air or on the ground.
NameAir-to-air victoriesBonusesNotes
Adkins, Frank W.11
Armstrong, John DeanKilled on September 8, 1941 during a practice dogfight when he collided with J. Gilpin Bright.
Atkinson, Peter W.Killed in a crash when the "propeller governor failed on his P-40".
Bacon, Noel33.5
Bartelt, Percy57
Bartling, William57.27
Baugh, Marion F.
Bernsdorf, Donald R.
Bishop, Lewis Sherman2.2 or 5.25.2
Blackburn, John Ed III22
Bohman, Morris P.
Bolster, Harry R.12He joined the Flying Tigers to be a flight instructor. When the Chinese Air Force Flight School at Yunnan-yi, China was closed in the spring of 1942, Harry and the other remaining instructor pilots joined the AVG combat squadrons as Fighter Pilots. He was a wingman for the 2nd Squadron AVG "Panda Bears". Major Harry R. Bolster became a US Army Air Force test pilot and was killed flying an experimental Fisher XP-75A while stationed at Eglin Field, Florida, October 10, 1944. He is buried in the Hill of Rest Cemetery in Baytown, Texas.
Bond, Charles78.77He was the first Flying Tiger to paint a shark's mouth on the nose of his airplane.
Boyington, Gregory "Pappy"23.5Boyington claimed six victories, but that number is unsubstantiated. In any case, he would be awarded the Medal of Honor for his post-Tigers achievements.
Bright, John Gilpin36
Brouk, Robert R.3.53.5
Brown, Carl K.00.27Last surviving pilot of the Flying Tigers.
Burgard, George T.1010.79
Cavanah, Herbert R.
Christman, Allen BertA cartoonist before the war, he personalized the noses of the P-40s of the "Panda Bear" squadron with cartoons and caricatures. His airplane was hit and he was killed while parachuting in 1942.
Cole, Thomas J.11Previously a Consolidated PBY Catalina pilot, Cole was killed by anti-aircraft fire on January 30, 1942, while mistakenly strafing friendly forces; his plane exploded and his body was never recovered.
Conant, Edwin S.
Cook, Elmer J.
Criz, Albert
Croft, John S.
Cross, James00.27
Dean, John J.33.27
Donovan, John Tyler14
Dupouy, Parker S.3.53.5
Farrell, John W.11
Fish, William H., Jr.
Foshee, Ben CrumDied on May 4, 1942, from injuries suffered in a raid on Paoshan in Yunnan Province, in China.
Geselbracht, Henry M., Jr.01.5
Gilbert, Henry G.-
Goyette, Edgar T.
Greene, Paul J.22
Groh, Clifford G.22
Gunvordahl, Ralph N.11
Hall, Lester J.
Hammer, Maax C.Killed in a training accident, circumstances unknown.
Hastey, Raymond L.11
Haywood, Thomas C., Jr.4 or 4.55.08
Hedman, Robert P.64.83He became an "ace in a day" around Christmas Day, 1941. He later became one of the original partners in fellow Flying Tiger Robert Prescott's Flying Tiger Line.
Hennessy, John J.
Hill, David Lee "Tex"10.25, 12.25 or 12.7511.25A squadron leader, he was one of five Flying Tigers to join its successor, the United States Army Air Forces 23rd Fighter Group, where he downed an additional six Japanese airplanes.
Hodges, Fred S.11
Hoffman, Louis00.27
Houle, Leo J.
Howard, James H.2.33 or 66.33Howard was one of six squadron leaders. He later became the only pilot in the European Theater to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
Hurst, Lynn A.
Jernstedt, Kenneth A.310.5He and William Reed shared credit for 15 airplanes destroyed on the ground on one mission.
Jones, Thomas A.14
Keeton, Robert B.22.5
Kelleher, John P.
Knapp, Donald R.
Kuykendall, Mathew or Matthew W.11
Laughlin, C. H.2 or 5+5.2
Lawlor, Frank L.78.5
Layher, Robert F.0.33 or 2 shared0.83
Leibolt or Liebolt, Edward J.00.27
Little, Robert L.1010.55Shot down and killed on May 22, 1942, during a bombing mission.
Loane, Ernest W.He later went to work for Robert Prescott and what eventually became the Flying Tiger Line.
McGarry, William D.810.29He was shot down in Thailand by Japanese anti-aircraft fire on March 24, 1942, and taken prisoner. He escaped after nearly three years and lived to be 74.
McGuire, Maurice G.
McMillan, George B.4.54.08Vice Commander of the 3d Squadron. He was recommissioned in the United States Army Air Forces as a major in 1943 and served as a test pilot at Eglin Army Airfield, Florida. He returned to China that same year serving as a P-38 pilot and commander of the 449th Fighter Squadron/51st Fighter Group, scoring four additional kills to become an ace. He was shot down and killed near Pingxiang, China on June 24, 1944, on his 53rd combat mission.
Mangleburg, Lacy F.
Martin, Neil G.
Merritt, Kenneth T.11Died when a landing aircraft crashed into a parked car in which he was sleeping on the night of January 7-8, 1942. Peter Wright was splashed with hydraulic fluid and landed awkwardly, resulting in the landing gear collapsing. His plane then skidded into a parked Chevrolet sedan; Wright survived, but Merritt was killed instantly.
Mickelson, Einar I.10.27
Moss, Robert C.24
Mott, Charles D.0 or 22
Neale, Robert H.1315.55Top Flying Tigers ace and a squadron leader.
Newkirk, John710.5A squadron leader.
Older, Charles H.1010.08After the war, he was eventually appointed a Los Angeles Superior Court judge and presided over the Charles Manson murder trial.
Olson, Arvid E., Jr.11A squadron leader.
Overend, Edmund F.55.83
Paxton, George L.
Petach, John E., Jr.3.983.98On the ocean voyage to China, Petach became acquainted with Emma Jane Foster, one of the two nurses who sailed with and were members of the Flying Tigers; they married in China. With the Tigers were being absorbed by the US military, Petach was set to return home when he learned that volunteers were needed to help out for two weeks. He stayed. Though Tex Hill tried to give him safe missions, he was shot down and killed.
Power, Robert H.
Prescott, Robert William5.5 or 65.29He founded the Flying Tiger Line, the first scheduled cargo airline in the United States.
Probst, Albert E.
Raine, Robert James3+ or 3.23.2
Rector, Edward F.4.756.52He was responsible for the first and the last Flying Tigers victory.
Reed, William Norman310.5He and Kenneth Jernstedt shared credit for 15 airplanes destroyed on the ground on one mission. He subsequently became an ace with six victories with the US Army Air Forces.
Ricketts, Freeman I.1.21.2
Rosbert, Camile Joseph64.55Like several other Flying Tigers, he was one of the original partners in Robert Prescott's Flying Tiger Line.
Rossi, John Richard6 or 6.256.29
Rushton, Edwin H.
Sandell, Robert J.55.27A squadron leader.
Sawyer, Charles W.22.27
Schiel, Frank, Jr.47
Shamblin, Arnold W.
Shapard, Van, Jr.11
Shilling, Eriksen E.00.75
Smith, Robert H.5 or 5.255.5
Smith, Robert T.8.7, 8.9 or 98.73
Smith, William C.
Swindle, Estes T., Jr.
Wallace, Stanley H.
Walroth, Robert H.
Watson, Eugene A.
White, Richard
Wolf, Fritz E.42.27
Wright, Allen M.
Wright, Peter2.653.65