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Robert Alexander Elder (July 10, 1918 – November 26, 1994) was a United States Air Force colonel. During World War II, he became a flying ace credited with five aerial victories, all of which occurred on the same date.
Command pilot badge
Silver Star for Actions of 24 March 1945
Early life and career
Robert A. Elder was born on July 10, 1918, in Joiner, Arkansas. In 1940, upon graduating with a degree in physics fromSouthwestern Presbyterian University
Rhodes College is a private liberal arts college in Memphis, Tennessee. Historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), it is a member of the Associated Colleges of the South and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleg ...
, Elder enlisted into the United States Army Air Corps in Memphis, Tennessee. Elder joined the Aviation Cadet Training Program, earning his flying wings and a commission to second lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
in April 1941.
World War II
In February 1945,Major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
Elder was assigned to the 350th Fighter Squadron
35 or XXXV may refer to:
* 35 (number), the natural number following 34 and preceding 36
* one of the years 35 BC, AD 35, 1935, 2035
* ''XXXV'' (album), a 2002 album by Fairport Convention
* ''35xxxv'', a 2015 album by One Ok Rock
* "35" (song), ...
, 353rd Fighter Group
The 353rd Fighter Group, nicknamed the Slybird Group, was a fighter group of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. The group was stationed in England and comprised the 350th, 351st, and 352nd Fighter Squadrons. It pioneered th ...
, Eight Air Force, based in RAF Raydon in Suffolk, England
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
. The squadron operated P-51 Mustangs
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James H ...
.
Ace in a day
On March 24, 1945, Major Elder's squadron was on a patrol near Kassel, Germany, when they encountered 15Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War an ...
s flying top cover for 15 Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed ''Würger'' (" Shrike") is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, ...
s. Elder and his wingman both maneuvered behind a pair of Bf 109s, each man shooting a plane down and claiming a victory. Elder then dove down on the Fw190s, knocking a second plane out of the sky just 800 off the ground. He observed the canopy come off the Fw190 as the pilot was attempting to bail out right before it crashed and exploded.
Major Elder then got on the tail of another Fw190. The enemy pilot made several violent maneuvers before diving straight into the ground while attempting to get away from Elder. Elder then dove on a fourth plane which was flying right above the ground. Elder put a short burst of fire into the Fw190, immediately causing it to crash and explode.
By this time, Elder was being chased by several Fw190s, and he called for help over the radio. Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
Wayne K. Blickenstaff came to Elder's aid and got the Germans off of his tail. Elder was then able to engage and shoot down another Fw190 with his last 50 rounds of ammunition. While he was doing this, Lieutenant Colonel Blickenstaff shot down a plane that was behind Elder.
Major Elder was credited with shooting down one Bf 109 and four Fw 190s in 30 minutes, making him an ace in a day. For his actions that day, Elder was awarded the Silver Star
The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...
in June. Wayne Blickenstaff also shot down five enemy planes in the same action, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries.
*Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
*Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
*Distinguished Service Cross (U ...
. The squadron shot down 29 of the German planes, while losing five of their own.
Later war service
Lieutenant Colonel Elder was made the commanding officer of the 353rd Fighter Group in September 1945. Elder and the squadron returned to the United States in October. Elder finished the war with five aerial victories and destroyed two planes on the ground by strafing them.Post-war career and life
In August 1948, Elder received his master's degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. He was then assigned to The Pentagon until March 1951. He then did another tour in Europe, being stationed at Wiesbaden Air Base in West Germany until July 1954. Colonel Elder was then assigned toEglin Air Force Base, Florida
Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida Panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County.
The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test Wing (formerly the 96th Air Base Wing). The 9 ...
, from July 1954 to August 1957. He then attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C., graduating in July 1958. Afterwards, Elder was stationed at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, retiring there on October 1, 1960.
Robert A. Elder died on November 26, 1994. He was buried in Hernando, Mississippi
Hernando is a city in, and the county seat of, DeSoto County, which is on the northwestern border of Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,090 at the 2010 census, up from 6,812 in 2000. DeSoto County is the second-most-populous count ...
.
Awards and decorations
Command pilot badge
Silver Star for Actions of 24 March 1945
For gallantry in action while serving as Flight Commander in the EIGHTH Air Force, on a fighter sweep over Germany, 24 March 1945. Observing approximately fifteen FW-190's with a top cover of approximately fifteen ME-109's, Colonel Elder led his Flight in a daring attack against the high element. As the enemy scattered, Colonel Elder, with cool deliberation, proceeded to shoot down in flames one plane after another. Terminating his attack at tree top level with less than fifty rounds of ammunition, and under fire from three FW-190's, Colonel Elder executed a brilliant maneuver and destroyed one of the attacking planes before returning to base. A fitting tribute to Colonel Elder's conspicuous courage, enthusiasm, and disregard for personal safety is the fact that during this action he personally destroyed five enemy aircraft. The courage, flying skill, and unyielding fighting spirit displayed by Lieutenant Colonel Elder are in keeping with the finest traditions of the Army Air Forces.
References