John Trevor "Johnny" Godfrey

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Toronto Officer Says U.S. Ace 'Doesn't Know How He Does It’

A United States Fighter Base, England, April 10 (AP).—Capt. Don S. Gentile, the leading United States Air Force ace in the European war theatre, makes the job of mowing down Nazi planes sound as easy as picking birds off a fence.
Asserting in an interview that he believed the Germans—apparently short of experienced fighter pilots —are sending up novices with one veteran to lead them through combat, the 23-year-old airman added:
"The Germans always seem to fly in twos or fours, strung out in a line, and they keep right behind the leader no matter what happens —as if they are afraid to branch off."
Gentile, who has destroyed 20 planes in the air, with claims of three more pending, in addition to seven destroyed on the ground, willingly acknowledges his debt to his wing man, Lt. Johnny Godfrey, 21, who has 16 kills himself.
Godfrey flies behind him, either to the right or left. Gentile keeps tabs on him by asking every few seconds over the radio phone: "Are you still with me, Johnny? Are you still with me, Johnny?" Any German flier who understands English can hear them calmly plotting his doom.
"You break to the starboard," Gentile will call out, "and I'll hesitate and if he follows you around I'll follow him and we'll have him right between us”
While Gentile was musing about his Technique, his squadron commander, Major James Goodson of Sultan St., Toronto, a fellow graduate of the R.A.F., said: "Don doesn't know how he does it. He was just born with the knack—and he does it."

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Godfrey, Lookin' Sharp with those duel wings on his chest

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--- Canadian Aces ---

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--- American Aces ---

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