4. Shot Down Behind Enemy Lines
Bruce Carr’s daring flying got him noticed, and in August 1944, he was commissioned a second lieutenant. On September 12th, 1944, Second Lieutenant Carr’s squadron strafed Ju-88 bombers on a German airfield. On the way back, his flight spotted more than 30 Fw 190s two thousand feet below them. The Americans pounced, and in-display of daring airmanship, Carr personally shot down three enemy fighters in just a few minutes – an aerial hat trick. He then escorted a fellow American pilot, whose airplane was severely damaged, back to base.
Carr’s heroic exploits that day earned him a Silver Star, America’s third-highest decoration for valor in combat. He became an ace on October 29th, 1944, when he shot down two more Bf 109s over Germany. Four days later, while leading his flight on a strafing run over a German airfield in Czechoslovakia, Carr’s P-51, Angel’s Playmate, was hit by anti-aircraft fire. He bailed out from his fatally damaged plane and parachuted safely to earth. Carr had escaped death in the air. Now he set out to escape Germans on the ground.