January 15, 1930 - 85 years-ago today, James Doolittle became the director of Aviation Services at the World Headquarters of Shell Oil. From his office in the Shell Building at 13th & Olive, he spearheaded the effort to develop the high-octane aviation fuel which would become critical for the airplane engines later used during the war. Serving stateside as an Army flight instructor during World War I, Doolittle gained fame during the 1920s for numerous speed and distance records, many of which were in experimental aircraft. He left the Army in 1930, & he and his wife, Josephine, and their two sons moved to St Louis, where they lived at 4 Beverly Place, off Delmar Boulevard. During his time in our city, he served on the Municipal Airport Commission, & flew for the Missouri Air National Guard before re-joining the Air Corps in 1940. On April 18, 1942, Colonel James Doolittles squadron of B-25s took off from the aircraft carrier Hornet, to make the first bombing raid on Japan. Doolittles Raiders, as they came to be known, didnt do much damage, but the boost they provided to American morale was immeasurable. In addition, it reinforced the Japanese belief that they needed to attack Midway Island, which became a major American victory & turning point in the war. The 16 bombers were numbered by the order in which they left the carrier deck, with Doolittle piloting the lead plane. Another of Doolittles Raiders also had ties to our area. Lieutenant Charles Lee McClure, a graduate of University City High School also took part in the raid. After leaving Mizzou, he earned his aviators wings just days before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, & became the navigator on plane #7, The Ruptured Duck. The pilot of his aircraft, Lt. Ted Lawson, would write the first book about the raid, which was made into a movie two years later. Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo would star Spencer Tracy as Doolittle, Van Johnson as Ted Lawson, & Don DeFore as U. City native, Charles McClure. Jimmy Doolittle would die September 27, 1993, at the age of 96 in Pebble Beach, California, & hes buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Charles McClure died in Tucson, Arizona on January 19, 1999, & his remains were cremated. Each of the 16 B-25 bombers had a crew of five, for a total of 80 men. Amazingly, four of them, all in their 90s, are still living. Ironically, one of the survivors is 93 year-old David Thatcher, the engineer/gunner on the Ruptured Duck. In the movie, he was portrayed by actor, Robert Walker. Holding annual reunions each April 18th, it was decided last year, 2013, would be the final one. Photo: James Doolittle, at his Shell Building office (1937); the Doolittle home from 1930-1940, at #4 Beverly Place; University City native, LT. Charles McClure (1942)
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 06:49:09 +0000
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