Berthold H Petersen

Bert and his P-40 "Pete's Pot"

India 1944

Bert was born in Tinum (Sylt) , Germany on April 9, 1921 and emigrated with his parents to Chicago in April of 1925. He was halfway through his third year of college at Northwestern University when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He graduated flight training with Class 43A, Kelly Field, Texas as a combat fighter pilot. While with the 118th, he flew the P-40 and P-51. Stations in China were Kunming, Kweilin, and Luilang during the Japanese “Ichi-Go” drive down the Hsiang River Valley. Most memorable mission was to Hankow in late summer 1944. He lead four P-51s and they intercepted ten Oscars. The P-51s attacked and Bert was credited with destroying two Oscars. In all, six were downed and all P-51s returned to base. Bert left China in February of 1945 and returned to the US for eventual discharge.