January 6, 1920-September 14, 1947
Class: 42-I-SE 10/9/1942 2nd Lt. 0792787 Washington, DC
Unit: 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group
Photo: Captain (later Major) Andrew D. “Jug” Turner, commander of the 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group, 15th Air Force, waves from the cockpit of his North American P-51C-10-NT Mustang (#42-103960) “Skipper’s Darlin’ III.” This was probably a staged photo, although some captions indicate he was taking off on a bomber escort mission. Turner graduated from Tuskegee class 42-I-SE and was inducted on October 9, 1942. When the 100th’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Robert B. Tresville, failed to return from a mission in June 1944, Turner took command. On July 18, 1944, Turner was credited with a probable Me-109, which he was seen to damage heavily but a crash was not witnessed. A resident of Deanwood, Washington D.C., he flew 69 missions with the 100th. Electing to stay in the Air Force, he was killed at Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio, when his Republic P-47N Thunderbolt collided with another pilot. Both Turner and the other pilot were killed.
Turner’s famous aircraft in WWII ‘Skipper’s Darlin’ III” was sold for scrap on September 30, 1945.
L-R: Under the wing of “Skippers Darlin” Lt. Dempsey W. Morgan, Lt. Carrol S. Woods, Lt. Robert H. Nelson Jr., Capt. Andrew D. Turner and Lt. Clarence D. Lester
Sources:
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) 208-MO-18K-32981
Find a Grave
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