LEDGENDARY COMMANDER OF THE 100TH DURING IT'S GLORY
DAYS; IS CREDITED WITH MAKING THE 100TH ONE OF THE 3RD AIR
DIVISION'S OUTSTANDING UNITS. CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE THE MODEL FOR
THE GREGORY PECK CHARACTER IN "TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH" (GEN SAVAGE)
REMAINED IN THE USAF AND RETIRED AS A MAJOR GENERAL, ONE OF FIVE
MEMBERS OF THE 100TH TO MAKE GENERAL. KNOWN TO ALL 100TH VETERANS AS
"COL JEFF", GENERAL JEFFREY IS HELD IN HIGH ESTEEM AND THEY ARE, TO
A MAN, PROUD TO HAVE SERVED WITH HIM.
FOLLOWING ARE MISSIONS FLOWN BY GEN JEFFREY WHILE WITH THE 390TH
PRIOR TO ASSUMING COMMAND IF THE 100TH.
Combat Record of Maj. Gen. Thomas Jeffery (100th
Commander May 1944-Feb 1945) while serving with the 390th Bomb Group
(H), Station 153, Framlingham. On these missions Col Jeffery flew as
Command Pilot with the 390th Bomb Group Maj. Gen. Jeffery was one of
the 390th's original crews. The following missions were flown with
the 390th and include, date, pilot, aircraft number (whenever
possible) and target.
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Mission #2 August 15, 1943- Victry-En-Artous,
France Pilot-Lt Geary, AC-Pistol Packin Mama |
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Mission #10 September 6, 1943-Stuttgart,
Germany Pilot-Lt Geary, AC-Pistol Packin Mama Target: Ball
Bearings |
|
Mission #23 October 14, 1943-Schweinfurt,
Germany Pilot-Lt. R.D. Brown, AC #30338 Target: Ball
Bearings |
|
Mission #40 December 22, 1943-Munster,
Germany Pilot-Lt Wilson, Target: Railroad Junctioh |
|
Mission #64 February 29, 1944-Brunswick,
Germany Pitot-Lt Piley |
|
Mission #74 March 19, 1944-Minoyeques,
France Pilot-Lt Richter, Aircraft #4231932 Target: V-1 site |
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Mission #79 March 28, 1944-Chateau Chateadun,
France Pilot-Lt Wade, Aircraft #42-31728 Target; Airfield |
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Mission #92 April 25, 1944-Di jon, Franco
Pilot-Lt Engelbrecht, AC#42-31 72B Target: Airfield |
On these missions Col Jeffery flew as Command Pilot
with the 390th Bomb Group
THOMAS S. JEFFREY’S MISSIONS FLOWN WITH 100TH BOMB GROUP:
|
Date |
Target |
Pos |
A/C |
Notes |
|
5/19/1944 |
BERLIN |
COM |
683 |
PFF |
|
6/5/1944 |
BOULOGNE |
COM |
-- |
PFF - 1ST RUSSIAN SHUTTLE MISSION (LANDED AT
MIRGOROD |
|
6/21/1944 |
RUHLAND |
COM |
-- |
-- |
|
6/26/1944 |
DROHOBYCZ, POLAND |
COM |
-- |
1ST RUSSIAN SHUTTLE MISSION (FROM RUSSIA) |
|
7/3/1944 |
ARAD, MY (RUMANIA) |
COM |
-- |
1ST RUSSIAN SHUTTLE MISSION (FROM RUSSIA TO
ITALY) |
|
7/5/1944 |
BEZIERS, FRANCE |
COM |
-- |
1ST RUSSIAN SHUTTLE MISSION (FROM ITALY TO
ENGLAND) |
|
7/24/1944 |
ST LO (GND SUPPORT) |
COM |
37823 |
-- |
|
8/3/1944 |
TROYES (RAIL YARD) |
COM |
|
PFF |
|
8/8/1944 |
ST. SYLVIAN |
COM |
37812 |
-- |
|
8/26/1944 |
BREST |
COM |
|
PFF LEAD 3RD AIR DIVISION |
|
9/8/1944 |
MAINZ |
COM |
961 |
PFF |
|
9/18/1944 |
WARSAW, POLAND |
COM |
696 |
PFF 2ND RUSSIAN SHUTTLE MISSION |
|
9/19/1944 |
SZOLNOK (FROM RUSSIA) |
COM |
696 |
PFF 2ND RUSSIAN SHUTTLE MISSION |
According to the mission critique, On August 8, 1944
the target was German Ground defenses around St Sylvian. The 100th
Bomb Group "A" Group was leading the 13th CBW (Combat Wing)which
lead the 3rd Air Division and the 8th Air Force. The lead Group
consisted of 13 aircraft lead by Col Tom Jeffrey (Commanding Officer
of the 100th BG) and Lt Neal P. Scott. The 100thBG "B" Group also
consisted of 13 planes and they were flying Low Group in the 13th
CBW. They lost one aircraft (Lt J.P. Keys) and the Lead plane crash
landed behind allied lines. The 390th Bomb Group flew as High Group
in the 13th CBW and the 100th BG provided 3 aircraft for the 390th
BG's second element of the lead Squadron.
CAPT FREDRICK "FEARLESS FREDDY" CHAPIN FLEW AS LEAD BOM ON 8 AUG
1944 (ST SYLVAIN). ALWAYS A TOUGH TARGET AND THE 100TH LOST IT LEAD
AND DEPUTY LEAD TO FLAK PRIOR TO THE TARGET..CAPT CHAPIN, WOUNDED ON
THE MISSION TO ST SYLVAIN; RETURNED TO FLIGHT STATUS AND FLEW 32 FOR
THE 100TH AND ONE WITH A B-24 GROUP; PROBABLY THE ONLY 100TH VETERAN
TO FLY A MISSION IN A B-24;
AIR FORCE BIOGRAPHY
MAJOR GENERAL THOMAS S. JEFFREY JR.
Retired May 1, 1970.
Major General Thomas Stanley Jeffrey Jr. was born in Arvonia, Va.,
in 1917. He graduated from Arvonia High School, in 1934 and
graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 1938 with a bachelor
of science degree in electrical engineering and a reserve commission
in the Field Artillery.
Immediately upon graduation from the Virginia Military Institute,
General Jeffrey entered flying school at Randolph Field, Texas, as
an aviation cadet, where he received his pilot wings in 1939 after
having completed the bombardment course.
His first assignment after Kelly Field was Langley Field, Va., and
after a few months he was transferred with a new unit to Puerto
Rico. He participated in reconnaissance and mapping of many areas of
Central and South America.
General Jeffrey returned to the United States in 1942 and was
assigned as squadron commander with the 34th Bombardment Group at
Spokane, Wash. When the 390th Bombardment Group was activated at
Blythe, Calif., he was assigned to the group. He led the 390th Group
to England in 1943 and remained with it as deputy commander until
May 1944. In May 1944 he was assigned to the 100th Bombardment Group
as commanding officer where he remained in this capacity until just
prior to the end of the war in Europe.
During his tour in Europe, General Jeffrey flew 27 missions in B-17s
and was awarded the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with
four oak leaf clusters, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with three oak
leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, French
Croix de Guerre and Polish Cross of Valor. He participated in the
famous Schweinfurt bombing raid October 14, 1943 (Black Thursday)
and both of the shuttle bombing missions to Russia.
Just prior to the end of World War II, General Jeffrey was assigned
as deputy director of operations of U.S. Strategic Air Force in
Paris and later as director of operations of U.S. Air Forces in
Europe when the Headquarters moved to Wiesbaden, Germany.
Upon return to the United States in 1946, General Jeffrey went to
Barksdale Field, La., as deputy director of operations for the Air
Training Command and director of training aids requirements for the
U.S. Air Force. He remained in this capacity with duty at Barksdale
and Chanute Air Force Base, Ill., until 1950. During the period of
1950 - 1954, General Jeffrey was director of operations for the 47th
Air Division, Walker Air Force Base, N.M., for two years; chief of
Strategic Weapons System Development, Air Research and Development
Command, for one year; and attended the Air War College.
General Jeffrey next was assigned to the Pentagon where he served
for three years as chief of development for the Armed Forces Special
Weapons Project. In 1958 he joined joint Task Force-7 with
Headquarters at Arlington Hall, Va., and acted as director of
operations and chief of staff of that organization for two years
during which time he planned and participated in the atomic tests
series in the Pacific area in 1958.
In August 1959, General Jeffrey went to the Industrial College of
the Armed Forces at Fort McNair, D.C. He was selected as Site
Activation Task Force commander of an ATLAS E Squadron located in
the area around Spokane, Wash. In this capacity he was responsible
for construction, missile installation, test and check of the
squadron. He was awarded the Legion of Merit and was named Military
Man of the Year in Spokane. When the squadron was operational, he
was assigned as Site Activation Task Force commander of a Minuteman
missile wing at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., with the same
responsibilities.
In June 1964 General Jeffrey was transferred to Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base, Ohio and served as assistant to the commander, and later
as deputy for systems management, Headquarters Aeronautical Systems
Division and in June 1966 was appointed vice commander, ASD. In
October 1966 he was assigned to the Office of the Secretary of
Defense (Installations and Logistics) as staff director for
aircraft. In June 1967, he was appointed as director of production
and programming, Deputy Chief of Staff, Systems and Logistics,
Headquarters U.S. Air Force.
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