Missouri aviation history: Lt. Col. John England

One of my favorite pastimes while traveling is visiting aviation museums all around the country. Sometimes, however, it is possible to find a bit of aviation history right in one’s own neighborhood. This summer I encountered a plane I had never seen before less than fifty miles from home. My wife and I stopped for gas in Caruthersville, Missouri, and discovered a monument in honor of a local citizen who became Missouri’s top scoring fighter pilot in World War II. Lt. Col. John B. England was a 1940 graduate of Caruthersville High School. After a brief stint as a bookkeeper he joined the Army Air Force in 1942. He attended pilot training in Yuma, Arizona, where his flight instructor was future senator and presidential candidate, Barry Goldwater.

2nd Lt. John England received his commission and pilot’s wings on March 10, 1943. Eventually he shipped out to England and flew P-51 Mustangs. He became an ace only 48 days after arriving in theater. He was promoted through the ranks quickly and took command of the 362nd Fighter Squadron on August 25, 1944. By war’s end he was credited with 17.5 victories (19 aircraft total, some victories were shared). He gained his only jet kill flying a F-86 Saber early in the Korean War.

After returning from Korea he commanded the 389th Fighter-Bomber Squadron at Alexandria AFB in Louisiana. His squadron deployed to France in 1954. While returning from a training mission to Libya he was killed while trying to land in bad weather. He made several approaches before his engine flamed out from lack of fuel. He was set up to complete a dead stick landing, but prevented injury on the ground by intentionally avoiding a barracks building and crashing into the woods. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery and Alexandria AFB was renamed England AFB in recognition of his selfless act.

His hometown also honored him by designating England Park in his honor. The park sits next to the Caruthersville Airport and the memorial features a T-33 trainer used when he was the commander of the newly independent USAF’s cadet training program at Nellis Air Force Base in 1948. Not only was this an impressive memorial of a brave man who sacrificed a great deal for our country. It was a good reminder that lots of significant history exists right under our noses, if only we take the time to seek it out.