This auction is for a very rare, autographed 8 X 10 glossy picture signed by WW2 ace pilot Perry Dahl.. Buyer will receive a lifetime guarantee certificate from, The Autograph House.. Free shipping..
Perry John Dahl | |
|---|---|
 Dahl onboard his P-38 during WWII | |
| Nickname(s) | PJ |
| Born | February 18, 1923 North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1940–1978 |
| Rank |  Colonel |
| Unit | |
| Commands held |
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| Battles/wars | World War II Vietnam War |
| Awards | |
Perry John Dahl (born February 18, 1923) is a retired United States Air Force colonel and a flying ace, who was credited in destroying 9 enemy aircraft in aerial combat during World War II.
Early life[edit]
Born on February 18, 1923, in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada, Dahl and his family immigrated to the United States, where they settled in Seattle, Washington. He attended three years of high school before enlisting in the military.[1][2]
Military career[edit]
On June 17, 1940, Dahl enlisted in the Washington National Guard and after completion of training, was assigned to the 41st Infantry Division. In the aftermath the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, he entered the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Forces on September 26, 1942. On June 22, 1943, he was awarded his pilot wings and was commissioned as a second lieutenant at Williams Field in Arizona.[3]
World War II[edit]
After the completion of training in the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Dahl was assigned to the 55th Fighter Group at Tumwater, Washington. In October 1943, he was sent to the South West Pacific theatre where he was assigned to the 432d Fighter Squadron of the 475th Fighter Group at Dobodura Airfield in New Guinea. Flying P-38 Lightnings in aerial combat, Dahl scored his first aerial victory in his first mission on November 9, 1943, when he shot a Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" while escorting A-20 Havocs and B-25 Mitchells on a strike against a Japanese airfield in Alexishafen. On December 22, he shot down another Zero over Wewak, his second aerial victory. On January 23, 1944, he scored his third aerial victory after shooting down a Zero over Wewak and on February 24, Dahl took off from Nadzab on a mission against the Japanese-held Momote Airfield. Due to bad weather, he was forced to turn back from the mission and diverted to an airfield in Cape Gloucester and while landing, his P-38 collided with a B-24 Liberator on the runway.[1][4][5][6]
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In April 1944, he was promoted to the rank of captain and became operations officer of the 479th FG. On April 3, during a mission over Hollandia, Dutch East Indies, he shot down a Zero and a Nakajima Ki-43 "Oscar", bringing his total to five aerial victories and hence earning the title of flying ace. He shot down another Oscar, his sixth aerial victory, on June 8. The 475th FG moved to the Philippines in October 1944 and was stationed at San Pablo Airfield in Leyte during the Philippines campaign. On November 10, 1944, while escorting B-25s attacking Japanese shipping at Ormoc Bay, Dahl's P-38 formation were intercepted by a formation of Kawasaki Ki-61 "Tonys" flying in close formation towards east. The P-38s made a first pass and Dahl managed to shoot down one of the Tonys, his seventh aerial victory. While turning for a second pass, Dahl's P-38 collided with another P-38 flown by 2nd Lt. Grady Laseter Jr. As a result of the collision, Dahl ditched his P-38 in Ormoc Bay, while Laseter was killed after he was unable to bail out and crashed into the sea. Dahl was initially captured by a Japanese Army patrol before being rescued by the Philippine resistance who hid him until he returned to American lines on December 10.[1][4][5][7][6]
On January 15, 1945, Dahl returned to duty and on March 5, he scored his eighth aerial victory, a Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally" bomber. Dahl shot down a Mitsubishi A6M3-32 "Hamp", his ninth and final aerial victory on March 28, 1945, during an escort of bombers attacking a Japanese naval convoy off the coast of French Indochina, for which he received the Silver Star.[1][4][6][8]
During World War II, Dahl was credited with destroying 9 enemy aircraft in aerial combat while flying 158 combat missions. While serving with the 475th FG, one of his P-38s bore the name "Skidoo".[1][4][6]