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Contact Info
Home Town Estherville/Twelve Mile Lake Township, Iowa
Last Address Maitland, Florida
Date of Passing Sep 26, 1980
Location of Interment Wallingford Lutheran Cemetery - Wallingford, Iowa
Ernest K. Osher was born on August 26, 1918, in Twelve Mile Lake Township, IA, the son of Edward B. and Kate Jensen Osher. He graduated from Gaettinger High School in Palo Alto County in 1935, and early on, showed his love for flying.
He attended Estherville Junior College in 1937 where he enrolled in a government-sponsored flight program of Civil Pilot Training. He had accomplished all the required cross-country flights by December 20, 1940, and became eligible to receive his private pilot's license.
He enrolled in Iowa State College in Ames in 1939, but on March 15, 1941, joined the Army Air Corps and was accepted into Aviation Cadet training. He took his basic and primary training at Corsicana and Randolph Field, TX, Osher graduated on October 31, 1941, and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant.
On December 7, 1941, he was stationed in Portland, OR, flying P-36s and P-43s as a member of the 37th Pursuit Squadron of the 55th Pursuit Group. The organization was renamed the 55th Fighter Group in a realignment of forces.
In May 1942, he assisted to activate the 82nd Fighter Group by transitioning into and flying P-38s with the 95th Fighter Squadron. The unit went to Eglington, Ireland for training in Spitfires and P-38s. Combat training ended in December 1942.
The unit had been attached to the Eighth Air Force, but saw no combat in spite of the mission requirements. In November 1942 the unit was transferred to the Twelfth Air Force, and almost immediately transferred to the Fifteenth Air Force, and was sent to North Africa.
From the base at Berteaux, Algeria, Osher flew 52 combat missions. The main emphasis was bomber escort duty with bombers from the Ninth Air Force. His first aerial victory came on January 29, 1943 when he shot down a BF-109. He added a kill in March, and then three more in May, attaining ace status. He was promoted to Major and assigned as Squadron Commander of the 95th Fighter Squadron.
After approximately seven months, he had completed his combat tour and returned to the United States. He remained on active duty with the Air Force until he retired in 1970. His official combat record was 52 combat mission, 5 aerial kills, 4 enemy aircraft probably destroyed, 4 additional ones damaged.
Colonel Ernest K. Osher passed away on September 26, 1980, and was buried in Riverside (now Wallingford Lutheran Cemetery) in Emmet County. IA
.
Sources:
Article by Ruth Hackett
"Aces of the Mighty 8th," Jerry Scott and John Stanaway
"American Fighter Aces Album," edited by Col. J. Ward Baja, (retired)
http://iagenweb.org/emmet/military.htm
Other Comments:
When in combat, Ernest Osher flew P-38 #43-2112, named "Sad Sack."
Special note:
The gravestone at Colonel Osher's grave has, along with his name, birth, and death dates an inscription that reads:
"WWII, Korea, Vietnam
An American Fighter Ace"
It is not known if the inscription refers to his service in the times noted. No record of his service past 1945 has been located. No biographer mentions him actually serving in the noted countries except for his World War II service. An official Air Force photograph of him after he was promoted to colonel has no awards or decorations to indicate service within those countries. In fact, a transcription of awards by him list only the ones shown in this remembrance.
AFSC/MOS AAF MOS 1055-Pilot, Single-Engine Fighter
Base, Station or City
Portland
State/Country
Oregon
Patch
55th Fighter Group Details
The 55th Fighter Group started life as the 55th Pursuit Group but was renamed as the 55th Fighter Group in May 1942, as the USAAF began to update the names of its units.
By August 1943 ,the personnel had finished with their stateside training and began the preparations for the trans-Atlantic deployment to England. Three operational squadrons made the move to England: the 38th, 338th, and the 343rd.
On 4 September, the group embarked on the HMS Orion. This ship could normally carry 1,500 persons across the ocean. For this trip, 300 officers and 3,200 enlisted men made the voyage. The Group arrived in England and were posted to Nuthampstead.
The 55th was assigned to the Eighth Air Force's 66th Fighter Wing and received its first P-38 fighters on 21 September 1943. Although it wasn't the first P-38 group to arrive in England, the 55th was the first to go fully operational when, on 15 October, the 55th flew a fighter sweep over Holland.
In early 1944, the Allies had established long-range fighter escort capability. The 55th Group provided protection for the heavy bombers during the famous maximum effort, known as "Big Week" 20-25 February 1944.
Soon thereafter, on 3 March 1944; the Eighth Air Force planners scheduled a large-scale daylight raid on Berlin. Unfortunately, the weather was very poor and most of the planes were recalled. The 55th Fighter Group did not receive a recall order and arrived over Berlin to rendezvous with the bombers which did not materialize. Lieutenant Colonel Jack S. Jenkins was leading the 55th that day and the Group made history by becoming the first American fighter unit to penetrate the Berlin skies during the war.
The 55th introduced a new form of P-38 on 10 April 1944. A specially modified Lightning, with a plexi-glass nose and room for a bombardier in lieu of the fighter's normal nose armament, became known as the "droop snoot". The target for this first mission was to be the airfield 'at St. Dizier, France; but, as the planes approached, it became obvious that the airfield was obscured by a ground haze, Again leading the Group on a historic mission, Colonel Jenkins opted for a secondary target at Coulomiers. After the bombs were released, Colonel Jenkins led the fighters "down on the deck" to strafe the field. On his second pass, Jenkins' P-38 was hit several times by enemy gunners forcing him to crash land and be taken prisoner.
Six days later (16 April 1944), the remainder of the Group moved to Wormingford, near Colchester, in Essex, England.
LtCol. John D. Landers
25 April 1944 - Captain John D. Landers assigned and joined 38th Squadron
05 May 1944 - Appointed Squadron Operations Officer
09 June 1944 - Promoted from Captain to Major
18 September 1944 - Promoted from Major to Lieutenant Colonel
September 1944 - Oak Leaf Cluster to Silver Star
Went to the Headquarters of the 357th FG on 10 October 1944 and then went on to become CO of the 78th FG on 22 February 1945
Station:
Nuthampstead 16 September 1943 to 16 April 1944
Wormingford 16 April 1944 to 21 July 1945
Station Callsign:
Rockcreek (Nuthampstead)
Fusspot (Wormingford)
Group Callsign:
Smallboy to 22 April '44 then:
Windsor (A Group)
Graphic (B Group)
Kodak (C Group)
Lt. Warren E Lewis. 343rd Fighter Squadron. P-51D 44-14442 CY-N. Lt Lewis was going to name this a/c "Miss Evelyn" but he became a POW on the 6th October 1944 whilst flying this a/c and before the name was applied.
Lt Col Frank B. James: 15 May 1943 - 3 Feb. 1944.
Col Jack S. Jenkins: 6 Feb. 1944 - 10 Apr. 1944, POW.
Col George T. Crowell: 10 Apr. 1944 - 22 Feb. 1945.
Lt Col Elwyn C. Righetti: 22 Feb. 1945 - 17 Apr. 1945, MIA.
Col Ben Rimerman: 22 Apr. 1945 - 20 May 1945. KAS
Lt Col Jack W. Hayes Jr 21 May 1945 - Unkn
First Mission: 15 October 1943
Last Mission: 21 April 1945.
Enemy Aircraft Claims: 316 1/2 air; 268 1/2 ground.
Aircraft MIA: 181
Major Awards:
Two Distinguished UnitCitations: 3 - 13 Sep. 1944, destruction of 106 enemy
19 Feb. 1945, ground strafing achievements.
Unit Claims to Fame
First P-38 group in combat with 8AF.
First 8AF aircraft over Berlin - 3 Man 1944.
Destroyed more Locomotive by strafing than any other Group
Lt Col Righetti was 'king' of 8AF strafers.
Early History:
Activated 15 Jan. 1941 at Hamilton Field, CA. Equipped with P-43s and moved Portland Field, Ore, 21 May 1941, and operated from there until Feb. 1942. Moved Paine Field, Wash, 10 Feb. 1942 and re-equipped with P-38s before moving McChord Field, Wash, 22 July 1942 where it remained for over a year. Originally activated with 37, 38 and 54FS but 54FS transferred to Pacific theatre on the 11 Sep. 1942, and replaced by the 338FS, and 37FS transferred to 14FG in North Africa on the 15 March 1943. Group left McChord for Camp Kilmer, NJ, 23 Aug. 1943 and sailed on Orion 5 Sep. 1943,
