Landers John D LtCol

LtCol. John D. Landers

(J. Zdiarský (www.museum119.cz) from the Dave Jewell collection)

Assigned Aircraft

P-38 CG-O
P-51D CG-O 44-13923 "Big Beautiful Doll" (Robert and Donna Sand)

Mission History

Not known

Mission List

55th FG Mission #	Date	Target
85	28 April 1944	Chateaudun (flew as Yellow 2)
97	21 May 1944	Chattanooga No. 1
107	02 June 1944	Versailles/Matelot (led group as a Capt.)
148	12 June 1944	Rennes (led group as a Capt.)
164	25 June 1944	Area Support
177	07 July 1944	Bernburg
180	11 July 1944	Munich (led group)
185	19 July 1944	Russelshein (led group on 1st P-51 Mission)
187	21 July 1944	Kempton (led B group)
191	29 July 1944	Merseberg (led group)
197	05 August 1944	Brunswick (led group)
198	06 August 1944	Gdynia, Poland (led group)
204	11 August 1944	Strasbourg (led group)
217	24 August 1944	Dresden, Germany
219	26 August 1944	Nancy-Culmont, France (led group)
220	26 August 1944	Strasbourg, Germany (led group)
223	30 August 1944	Bremen (led group)
225	05 September 1944	Stuttgart (led group)
229	10 September 1944	Nurnburg (early return due to radio being out)
232	12 September 1944	Leipzig (Squadron Leader)
240	25 September 1944	Ludwigshafen (led group)
241	26 September 1944	Bremen (flew as White Leader and led group)
244	30 September 1944	Bielefield (flew as White Leader and led group)

Air Scores

4-0-1 (plus 6 with 49th FG, PTO & 4.5-0-0 with 357th and 78th FGs)

Ground Scores

4-1 (plus 16-0 with 357th and 78th FGs)

Score Detail

21 May 1944 (.5) u/i a/c destroyed (ground) E/Helmstedt
21 May 1944 (.5) u/i a/c destroyed (ground) E/Helmstedt
25 June 1944 FW-190 destroyed (air) SW Paris
25 June 1944 FW-190 damaged (air) SW Paris
07 July 1944 (3)Me-410 destroyed (air) Bernburg
24 August 1944 (2)Ju-88 destroyed (ground) Burg A/F
05 September 1944 Ju-88 destroyed (ground) Stuttgart/Boblingen
05 September 1944 u/i a/c damaged (ground) Stuttgart/Boblingen

Notes

John Dave Landers was born on 23rd June 1920 in Rexroat, Carter County, Oklahoma.
He attended flight school at the Ryan School of Aeronautics in San Diego, California. Landers was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the USAAF and received his wings on 12th December 1941 - just two days after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour.
Landers served with the 49th Pursuit Group, 9th Fighter Squadron in the Pacific Theatre, achieving 6 credited victories against the Japanese. He evaded capture in December 1942 after being shot down and bailing out of his fighter plane near Dobodura, New Guinea.
After a period as a flight instructor in the United States, Landers joined the 55th Fighter Group.
ASN - 0-431968
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.

Passed away on 12th September 1989

Memories

Additional Photos

LtCol. Landers in cockpit of his P-51D (via Nathan Howland)

LtCol. Landers and crew next to P-51D CG-O "Big Beautiful Doll" (via Nathan Howland)

Crew member next to LtCol. Landers' P-51D CG-O "Big Beautiful Doll" (via Nathan Howland)

P-51D CG-O 44-13923 "Big Beautiful Doll" (via Nathan Howland)

P-51D CG-O 44-13923 "Big Beautiful Doll" (via Nathan Howland)
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