Signature: Jeffrey, Arthur

Colonel Arthur Jeffrey was born in Brewer, Arkansas on the 17th of November, 1919. Arthur Jeffrey enlisted in the Army on August 18th, 1939, and two years later in September, he entered aviation cadet training and graduated at Kelly Field, Texas in April of 1942. Jeffrey was assigned to the newly-formed 479th Fighter Group flying P-38s, and after a training period, his group was sent to England to become a part of the 8th Air Force. The year was 1944, and eleven days after arrival, the group began flying operational missions. Arthur Jeffrey became the top-scoring P-38 Ace with the 479th Fighter Group, and later became the Groups leading scorer after they converted to P-51s. Jeffrey was a captain in the 434th Fighter Squadron, and scored his first aerial victory over a Fw-200K heavy bomber downed over the Chateaubernard Airdrome near Cognac in July. Jeffrey went on to command the 434th Fighter Group. Arthur had the distinction of being the first pilot to shoot down the Luftwaffes jet-rocket aircraft - the Me163. He flew 82 combat missions and was credited with 14 aerial victories. Arthur Jeffrey ended his tour as a lieutenant colonel in command of the 434th Fighter Squadron, with a list of combat awards including the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Air Medal with 16 Oak Leaf Clusters. Arthur Jeffrey remained in the Air Force after the war and retired from the Air Force in September, 1968. Arthur Jeffrey died on 18th April 2015 aged 95.