Lt. John j. Redfield, 104 Squadron IAF

ONEALM · 5 June 2002, 07:47 PM

Greetings all -

Another NJ boy pops out of the woodwork and I am lacking some details. Any assistance here would be helpful. I found him hiding in "First of the Many" which I am just now reading for the first time.

What I do have is:

John J. Redfield, native of Montclair, NJ. Joined 104 Sq. 18 July 1918. POW and WIA 22 Aug 1918 during raid on Mannheim in DH-9 D'2917 with Lt. Horace P. Wells. One of 7 104 DH-9's lost that day probably to Jasta 78b.

And that is it - and all from secondary sources as well. I would appreciate any information at all on his training assignments, date of entry etc.

Montclair was not a large town, but did supply 18 pilots to the USAS and a handful to the RFC/RAF and IAF including

Oliver LeBoutillier. Not a bad bunch !

Thanks in advance for any and all efforts.

Mike

Frank_Olynyk · 5 June 2002, 09:02 PM

Horace Palmer Wells was the pilot, Redfield the observer. They are credited in the Independent Air Force Communique #2 with one fighter crashed and one fighter OOC on August 12. And in Communique #3 with one fighter OOC on August 15. I have no combat reports for them at this time (I don't think I have found any for 104 Squadron), and the claims are not listed in The DH4/DH9 File by Ray Sturtivant and Gordon Page.

Montclair is also the home of Oscar Bate, USMC ace of WW2, born and died there, 1916-1976.

Frank.

ONEALM · 6 June 2002, 08:45 AM

Frank -

Thanks for the update. I have a copy of the IAF communiques, but had not run through them yet. Appreciate your efforts very much.

My next 2-day effort is to go through the Montclair newspaper for the war years. The public library has a complete run and with 18 or 20 pilots I should find some interesting things.

Best of health,
Mike