February 2024
Dear Friend,
The Stories section of our website is just that, the amazing stories of American airmen and women and their impact on Britain and Europe. We're excited to share this content with you, that’s why each month we highlight a Story and bring this intriguing content to your inbox.
February is Black History Month—a time to honor the legacy and celebrate the achievements of African Americans past and present. In this month's story feature, we explore the story of Alexander Jefferson and the all-Black 332nd Fighter Group pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen.
On August 12, 1944, Alexander Jefferson was flying his P-51 Mustang over the French Riviera. It was a beautiful day, and the mission target – radar stations at Toulon Harbor – soon rose from the summer haze. As Jefferson pulled back the throttle and began his dive toward the target, he noticed a string of blinking red lights – anti-aircraft fire. Flying at 50 feet, he felt a resounding thump shake his P-51, followed by a rush of cool air. The Mustang’s canopy had been blown off and fire and smoke were filling the cockpit. After regaining some altitude, Jefferson bailed out, and was quickly apprehended.
As the air war intensified over Europe, downed US airmen flooded into POW camps at an astonishing rate. By the end of the war, more than 35,000 US Army Air Force personnel had been captured by Germany and its European allies.
Learn more about Alexander Jefferson and the 332nd Fighter Group pilots in this story.
Object Number HU 21074 - Newly arrived American prisoners of war with their luggage at Stalag Luft III, Sagan, amongst them Alexander Jefferson a Black airman of the 332nd Fighter Group.
Thank you to our members who make all our work possible. We hope you will enjoy learning more about the heroic men and women who sacrificed so much for our freedom.
Sincerely,
The American Air Museum in Britain
